When buying a baby stroller, sellers usually offer to purchase a huge number of all kinds of additional accessories - there are raincoats, mosquito nets, cup holders, and all kinds of organizers for little things ... A lot of accessories are usually supplied with a stroller, and the more expensive it is, the more wider range of these products. Often you can hear from manufacturers that covers are included with the stroller. With the covers for the stroller itself when folded, everything is clear. But moms often ask what wheel covers are.
The features of this product are not easy to understand. Advertising promises a lot of options for this accessory: tailoring from a variety of materials, special cut, special impregnation, clamps and so on.
Appointment
Unfortunately, dry and mild weather is rare in our climate. In the conditions of our harsh Russian reality, we are accustomed to the fact that today it is hot outside, tomorrow it will be slush, and in the fall it will snow and the streets will be covered with an anti-icing agent. Nobody wants all this "joy" on the wheels of a baby carriage to migrate into the house. What can you think of in this situation?
A simple and effective solution is offered in the form of covers for the wheels of a baby carriage.
After you have walked in the autumn mud and returned home, you have two options for the development of events. You can, after an active walk and lifting a heavy stroller to the floor, sighing sadly, rush to wash the wheels of your vehicle. Since this is usually done in the bathroom, the next inevitable step is washing the bathroom itself. Otherwise, your hallway will turn into a kind of public space hall. Frankly, the prospect is pretty dull, especially when you consider the number of urgent matters that await any mother. Moreover, a child who has just come from a walk requires attention, and he can do this very actively and loudly.
But there is also a second option. You can take a few seconds and put on protective covers on the wheels. The issue is resolved!
There is another important area of application for covers. Imagine a situation in which it is necessary to load a stroller into a car, and on the street we are familiar with spring slush or sleet with rain. When loaded into the trunk, the wheels will get dirty and wet everything around, and as a result, either you have to fix this mess on your own, or turn to specialists and spend money at a car wash. Here again, covers will come to the rescue. One less problem.
There are special warm covers for the legs for the child, which protect him in the winter.
If we talk about the cover for the stroller itself, it can be noted that the assortment of these products in the stores is quite diverse, so you can choose any option according to your wishes and the type of your stroller.
It is imperative to pay attention to such key factors as the strength and quality factor of the material, the purity of technical performance, the manufacturer's reputation in the market. Possible options for the purpose of the stroller cover:
- for storage in the entrance;
- for more comfortable transportation;
- for transporting a baby in winter, a warmed fur version for the legs is suitable;
- you can take such a stroller on the plane so that the child sleeps there. It is advisable to choose a removable inner version with a portable bottle holder, which has a crossover handle, the bumper must also be reliable.
How to put on and take off?
Wheel covers are a relative exotic for our user - in capital cities, of course, they are used quite often, but in the Russian provinces you do not meet every day. Most often, you can hear questions from parents about whether the covers are universal, whether they are suitable for all models of strollers.
Wheel covers are not universal, they differ from each other primarily in size. There are two main categories: small (up to 25 cm) and large (from 25 cm). In the small category, there are also double wheel covers for strollers. But already within these categories, the covers are universal, since they are not subdivided according to the models of strollers and are quite suitable for any option.
In those days, when this simple accessory was not yet available on the Russian market, the craftsmen came up with the idea of using ordinary plastic bags instead. Some began to use medical shoe covers. The disadvantage was that there were quite a few of them.
Good protective wheel covers are made of quality materials with a special impregnation, repelling moisture and dirt.
These covers are attached and removed very easily, according to the principle of a shower cap, fixed with elastic bands. There are, of course, ingenious devices equipped with special latches on buttons, hooks or special straps. The manufacturer usually places on the packaging of such products a short instruction for use and how the installation is carried out.
The only rule that you need to follow is the selection of covers according to the size of the wheels of your vehicle. Well, here's a tip: it's best to put on covers while you have not yet entered the apartment (for example, in the hallway or common corridor).
Manufacturing and care
Many mothers, having familiarized themselves with this product, say that they could easily cope with the manufacture of such a device themselves. Moreover, the quality would be no worse, and possibly better than the branded one. In fact, given the huge variety of fabrics and materials on the shelves, it's not hard to believe.
So, can you sew wheel covers with your own hands? The answer is unequivocally positive. Especially if you have a decent sewing machine at your disposal. No special sewing skills are needed here, basic ones are quite enough.
The first step is to decide on the fabric. Its main property in our case will be waterproofness and density. But there is no need for extremes - of course, tarpaulin does not suit us. It is unlikely that your home sewing machine will cope with such an extreme task. And then it will not work to pull off such a fabric with an elastic band. In most cases, polyester or bologna is offered for these purposes.
You will also need a certain number of meters of rubber band, it is especially important in our product, because with the help of the rubber band, dried dirt is not allowed to fall out of the covers. You can replace the elastic with a suitable lace. Other necessary accessories for work - threads, pins, scissors, needles - are likely to be found in any household.
There are two options: closed caps and open wheel covers. Both options are easy to make, so the choice depends only on your personal taste preferences.
The preliminary stage of work will be to take measurements. You need to measure both the diameter of the wheel and its thickness. Another important measurement will be the wheel circumference.
Consider the first option: closed caps. In the first step, you need to carve out four circles, each of which is the same diameter as the wheel plus 15 centimeters. In order to avoid inaccuracies, it is better to first apply the pattern to paper, and then transfer it to the fabric. At the next stage, you need to sew an elastic band around the edge of the circle to get a device that resembles a shower cap in design.
Now consider the second option: open cases. The pattern will be a rectangle. The dimensions are calculated as follows: the length will be the measurement of the circumference of the wheel itself plus 8-10 centimeters. The width will be about 20 centimeters. First you need to sew short sections of the fabric on a typewriter (first bend about one and a half centimeters, then the same amount), then sew the long sections and be sure to leave a hole for the elastic. After finishing sewing work, insert the elastic.
There is another more complicated option. It is a modification of the first type - a closed cap. Not only circles are cut out, but also rectangles of the corresponding size (5-6 centimeters wide, slightly longer than the measured circle).
The number of rectangles is equal in number to the number of circles. A drawstring is made from this strip. It is bent in half and neatly mounted to the circles - to facilitate the work, it is recommended to gather them a little, in this case the circumference will coincide with the length of the drawstring. Well, at the end of the connection of these parts, you just need to insert the lace and place the clamps at its ends. Sometimes these covers are called "berets".
For the manufacture of any types of covers, you need to remember to follow simple rules. First of all, you create this thing exclusively for yourself, so quality must be put at the forefront. Don't worry if something suddenly doesn't go as planned. It is better to redo this part again than to leave it flawed. The edges of the fabric must be carefully processed, no threads should stick out anywhere.
All knots need to be properly and properly secured, since these covers will be used often, and they will also be periodically machine washed, which also implies a good quality product.
There is also such a common fixation technique as using Velcro instead of an elastic band. In fact, you are the main creator and designer here, so you can even come up with your own method of attaching covers. Who knows, maybe in time you can even get a patent for it ...
Well, the most primitive, but no less effective option is to sew simple bags with a tightening, in which the wheels can be completely hidden. Zero difficulty level, but the benefits are obvious.
Tips & Tricks
Remember to shake out the wheel covers and wash them from time to time. Since the material used for the covers is very durable, they will not suffer in the least from machine washing.
The covers themselves can be a decoration for your stroller. If you decide to make them yourself, nothing will prevent you from realizing your imagination and artistic ideas. You can choose an interesting color for the material, for example, choose a fabric with a special children's print: for boys, it will depict cars and robots, for girls - butterflies and princesses.
Perhaps, the artistic execution of the covers will stylistically overlap with the general design of the stroller - everything is in your hands, the limit in this situation is only your imagination.
Let's say that you have golden hands, and the cases you make will be beautiful and strong. Then you can give advice to sew not a single set, but several. Firstly, often used things wear out quickly, and secondly, you may want to make a small present for your girlfriend or neighbor.
If, nevertheless, you do not have tailoring skills or do not have the necessary equipment in the form of a sewing machine, but you have a great desire to have non-standard covers that meet only your individual needs, then there are a large number of specialized sites on the Internet. They offer custom tailoring of any covers for the stroller itself and for its wheels. The main thing is not to forget to pay attention to the price-quality ratio.
How to sew the covers for the wheels of a baby stroller with your own hands, see the next video.
