Breastfeeding clothes are so expensive. I can’t justify spending $30-$50 on one shirt that won’t be in my wardrobe very long compared to other clothes. If you’re in the same boat as me, I hope this easy DIY nursing top tutorial will help you. An added bonus for tall mommas – you can add a few inches to the original length of the top by using this method! I’m 6 feet tall and have a very hard time finding clothes that are long enough for me. Most shirts I buy end up being belly shirts on me which isn’t super attractive!
This can be used on any type of shirt. I made mine using tank tops, but if you need breastfeeding tops during warmer months the same method can be used on long-sleeved shirts.
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I bought these tank tops from Old Navy for $6 each (they were on sale!). So, for $12 and about 30 minutes of my time, I made this breastfeeding friendly top.
- Items needed:
- Two identical shirts
- Scissors or rotary cutter
- Needle and thread
- Sewing machine
Step 1.
Buy 2 identical shirts. I recommend washing and drying the shirts before cutting/sewing in case they shrink. This prevents you from ending up with a shirt that’s too small after you’ve sewn it together.
Step 2.
Cut shirt #1 under your bust line.
Step 3.
Cut shirt #2 under the arms.
Step 4.
Set aside the bottom of shirt #1 and the top of shirt #2. You won’t need these.
Step 5.
Hem the cut side of shirt #1. To do this, turn the top inside out and fold the edge over. I used a zigzag stitch to sew this.
Step 6.
Hem the cut side of shirt #2. Do the same thing and turn the shirt inside out, fold over the edge and sew using a zigzag stitch.
Here’s what my seams looked like after hemming the edges with the shirts still inside out.
Step 7.
With the shirts inside out, tuck the top piece inside the bottom piece. I tucked mine in about 4 inches, which ended up adding about 2 inches in length to the original length of the top.
Step 8.
Pin the side seams together. Make sure the seams on both pieces line up.
Step 9.
Sew the 4 inches of overlapping side seams together. I used a zigzag stitch on this as well.
A helpful tip – if your sewing machine has a compartment or piece on the bottom that can be removed, take this off. The side seams can be at an awkward angle to sew. If you remove this piece, you can more easily fit the shirt onto the sewing machine and maneuver it into the right place to sew.
If you find the bottom piece on the backside of the top is falling down when you wear it, you can sew the top and bottom together in the back.
That’s it! Here’s my finished top.
I hope this helps you save some money too! Happy sewing!
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