We try to introduce a general teaching topic at our meetings each month, and for August we’re focusing on Fancy Finishes. When you use a woven wrap or a meh dai with wrap straps (or even a reverse onbuhimo), there are many different carries and many ways to tie off those carries. Sometimes you choose a tie off method for its comfort, support, or adjustability, but sometimes you might just want to add a little flourish to your day! Although many fancy finishes require a midsize to long wrap, there are also options for shorter wraps. We can’t possibly cover every finish in one blog post but we’ll post some common ones with links to video tutorials, as well as link to some other blogs and tutorial playlists you might find helpful. If you’d like in-person help with some new carries or finishes, visit us at any of our five St. Louis area meetings in August!

Let’s start with a few carries that lend themselves to multiple finishes. First up: the Double Hammock definitely qualifies there. This popular back carry can usually be done with a base size or longer wrap, but there are also shorter versions and you can add a fancy finish to either. The basic carry features a spread chest pass, so it’s already a lovely carry to highlight a beautiful wrap. Here are just a few options:

First, you have to know how to wrap a Double Hammock – here is a tutorial for the basic carry tied with a double knot in front.

And now for the finishes!

• Double Hammock Tied at Shoulder with a Candy Cane Chest Belt (CCCB)
• Double Hammock with a Rapunzel finish (best with a thinner wrap; wrap the carry with a bunched chest pass instead of spread)
• Double Hammock Sweatheart finish 
• Double Hammock Saltwater
• Double Hammock Freshwater (can tie knot in back or front depending on length)
• Double Hammock Freshwater Rapids (knot tied in front variation)
• Double Hammock Lexi Twist
• Double Hammock Poppins 
• Double Hammock Heart Finish

Here’s a quick gallery of some of these finishes (and others – go search YouTube!) on a Double Hammock in different wraps:

So even if you only knew one carry, the Double Hammock (DH), you can mix it up with all these finishes!

Another very versatile carry is a basic Rucksack (ruck for short). It is also a back carry that can be accomplished with various size wraps depending on how you finish it. Many can finish a ruck with a candy cane chest belt (cccb) in a size 2 – 4, or you can use a longer wrap for different finishes or gloriously long tails.

Here are some video tutorials for Rucksack finishes:

• Ruck Tied at Shoulder (TAS) with and without a Candy Cane Chest Belt (CCCB)
• Ruck with a Goddess / Date Night Finish (requires a longer wrap – up to size 7 or more depending on your height and how long you want the tails)
• Ruck with a Knotless Cross Body (or Tibetan) finish
• Ruck with a single ring finish (Star Finish)
• Rear Reinforced Rucksack (RRR) with a Junko’s Bunko finish (you can add that Junko’s Bunko bow to pretty much any carry after it is secure)
• Reinforced Rucksack (possibly identified as Back Wrap Cross Carry / BWCC) with a Celtic Knot finish

That’s just two carries with variations, but there are also other carries that lend themselves to fancy finishes, and it’s not only back carries! Here is one more gallery of different carries:

If you like the look of something, just search YouTube! To help you out, here are some other Fancy Finish playlists and blogs:

• Short Days Long Wraps Challenge (this is all about carries with long wraps, which leave more room for fancy finishes)
• A Fancy Finishes Gallery from Amy Wraps Babies
• A Fancy Finish Blog by Momma Luvz
• Short and Fancy, a playlist of tutorials for finishes on carries with shorter wraps

And remember I said you can do different finishes with a wrap strap meh dai also? Here are two really fun tutorials for multiple Meh Dai finishes:

• Meh Dai / Bei Dai Fabulous Finishes I
• Meh Dai / Bei Dai Fabulous Finishes II

When new wrappers ask for advice on what wrap to purchase, I always say to start with one you love the look of. You are more likely to use it, and if this is going to be a main accessory for days (weeks, months) on end, it should be something you love wearing! And now with a few fancy finishes you can accessorize any way you like, because babywearing can be functional *and* beautiful.