Before Otto was born I knew I wanted to have more activities geared toward the younger months of infancy than I did with Joey. I had grand plans of making this before he was born, but didn’t. But I did finish before he passed the stage.
The good part about making your own grasping ring (or bell) is that it’s very simple, quick, and inexpensive.
Materials:
- ribbon (1″ for bell, 2″ for ring)
- thread in matching colors
- elastic
- scissors
- needle
- D-ring (found in sewing section of a craft store)
- bell (I just used the largest bell I could find)
- grasping ring (I used a wooden ‘O’ and sanded the edges)
- ceiling hook
Directions:
- Decide where to place the grasping ring/bell, then measure the distance between the ceiling hook and the bed. Remember to leave space for the child’s body and arm. Measure twice, cut once. I made the mistake of measuring once and cutting twice. (Remember to include a folded piece of elastic in your measurement.)Â
- Loop the ribbon through the ring and/or ball. Fold the ribbon under itself so that the frayed edge is hidden. Sew the two sides together. Reinforce the seam.Â
 
- Loop the elastic and over the flat side of the D-ring. Sew a seam directly underneath the D-ring.Â
- Sew the bottom piece of elastic to the top the ribbon. Reinforce the seam.Â
- You’re done! Introduce the work to the infant and let me explore!Â
8 comments… add one
Wow thanks for the DIY So simple yet I can see the baby as well as the siblings getting excited about teh accomplishment in our home. I might even get the older ones make it as they are into sewing now Thanks!
Yes, it really is very simple. My only problem was not measuring the ribbon correctly the first time. I had one too short and the other too long! Measure twice, cut once…as they say.
I love the simple things that bring joy to our children’s lives. I shared your post on Montessori MOMents’ facebook page. 🙂
i need to make this! Thanks for posting 🙂
Can you tell me where to buy the bell. Many thanks.
I bought our bell from a craft store, like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s.
Forgive me if this is a silly question but I can’t see a photo of the entire thing. Is the D ring at one end & baby grabs it & bell attached to other end? Ib just don’t see exactly how it is used.
The d-ring is where you hang it from a hook in the ceiling. The baby grabs either the ring or bell, depending on which you make.