I call this a 'salted olive' baby gym because in Hokkien, it translates into the term 'kiam kanna', which is usually used to describe a miserly and stingy fella!
Being a SAHM, I would have to be rather budget-conscious, especially now that we will also be paying for our new flat. Key collection date will be on the 20th this month, and since babies tend to be rather fickle when it comes to toys, I know better than to fork out upwards of $50 for a baby gym that she might not even take interest in.
DISCLAIMER:-
The items I use are
DEFINITELY NOT BABY NOR CHILD SAFE. They are to be used under constant adult supervision. I never ever leave her alone in the bouncer/rocker anyway, so all play will be supervised.
It is also called a baby gym wannabe because, due to the unsafe nature of the components, they are made out of reach of my bub. More of a mobile, really. But the idea came from me wanting to build a baby gym, which I will eventually use the components from this project for, once bubbles gets tired or grows out of it!
On to the DIY bit! For those familiar with my original blog -
http://snowfern-clover.blogspot.com , I don't exactly do tutorials, just document how I made stuff, cos most of it is done on the fly. So make what you will of it :)
Items from Daiso! Cotton batting, cable organizers, onigiri wrappers, bells
Hula Hoop from Tokutokuya
Scissors, clear masking tape, twining (not pictured)
The animal wrappers are originally intended for onigiri (Japanese rice balls), when I saw them I immediately knew I could find an alternative use for them. I wasn't sure if I wanted to simply stick them to the wall, or hang them face down like mobile. After giving it quite a bit of thought, I realized my bad habit of over-thinking things was impeding progress. All I knew was that 1) it needed a little weight, 2) it needed to be versatile, 3) I needed to do it in as little time possible, since bubbles is pretty high maintenance.
I couldn't get the hula hoop at Daiso waterway point, the other branches probably sell it... but chanced upon it at the AMK branch of Tokutokuya!
If you don't already know, I am a huuuuge fan of Daiso, and now, Tokutokuya! They are also a household goods store, similar in concept to Daiso, except they do carry higher priced items. More branches seem to be popping up rather quickly, you can find more information for their Singapore branches at their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Tokutokuya-Singapore-698185450281621/
Lightly stuffed with batting, inserted a bell, folded up the sides, then centre, taped it shut. Folded down the top, taped a cable organizer onto it.
To secure the hula hoop to the bouncer, since it already has a Muslin wrap tied to it, I used the knot at the back to hold the base of the hoop....
....and more of the cable organizers to temporarily attach it to the sides and thus prop it up. As previously mentioned, I kept it pretty high up away from bubbles' reach. I will try to find a couple of large binder clips to hold it in place, but this works for now :)
UPDATE!
From Daiso! I'd forgotten about these clothes pole pegs, they work great!
Along with the cable organizer clips, I can even flip it up to take her out of the bouncer. Yay!
Bubbles loves it, she was excited especially at the panda. Which comes as no surprise, the black white contrast must stand out best in her 12 week 4 day old eyesight. When she tires of it, I will take everything apart and hang the animals on her room wall :) love that there are ridges on the hula hoop too, makes it easier to hang the animals in place.
Ok, that's it for now! I have plenty of other things to complete, and photos to take of the stuff I made for her while I was pregnant. Meanwhile, motherly duties await!
