OK. To be perfectly clear, I am not a seamstress, or anything that resembles a person who can sew. In fact, I think my skills are somewhat laughable, at least from my husband’s standpoint. He is great with a needle and thread, but his mother is an amazing seamstress, so I claim “unfair advantage!” Nobody listens to me though… They both just laugh at me.
Point being: If I can make this nursing tank, so can you! It’s so easy, it will take you approximately 10 minutes, and save you 25 dollars!
25 dollars is how much it costs to buy a nursing tank from here. With the slick design and supreme functionality of the tank top, it’s nearly irresistible. It turns any shirt into a nursing shirt, hides your lovely lady lumps, and helps to give coverage, ahem, privacy for a nursing mama in public. In fact, I was wearing my tank top under a (regular, button-less) shirt at a meeting tonight for our local bee keepers association, and I felt totally comfortable nursing Sweet Baby in a large crowd. But that’s just me, and nursing debates aside, this is a great invention, (I wish I’d have invented it), and every nursing mama needs one. It is easy to see how one would willingly fork over 25 dollars, and quickly, to get one of these bad boys! Furthermore, when you are sleep deprived, frazzled, and busy, it seems like the completely logical thing to do. I almost did it. In fact, I was in the checkout of that website, and had a freaking “ah-ha” moment! Crystal, clear. A holy-cow, that would be so-easy-to-make-moment! Don’t you just love those? Well, maybe not like I do, but I assure you, if you can thread a needle, and have an old spaghetti strap cami laying about, you are going to love this DIY!
The Crafty and Frugal Mama’s Nursing Tank
First, using a seam ripper, or scissors, (if you’re lame like me), take apart the strap from the back of the tank top.
Next, cut the strap of the tank down to 1.5 – 2 inches long. Don’t cut it too short or it won’t work. You can easily trim the excess.
Then, form a loop at the top and tack down with your needle and thread. Do both sides of the tank top. Be sure to reinforce your stitching to stand the tugging and everyday wear and tear. (To me, part of being frugal is saving time, and you don’t want to sew this twice!)
Once completed, slip it on over your nursing bra, and slip the loops down over you bra hooks, as shown above.
Isn’t that super-fantastic? I pick those camisoles up for 10 dollars at the maximum, usually 5. I used my maternity tanks for these at first, and then converted some of my other old ones. They are super handy, and maximize the amount of shirts I have available to wear, because now everything doesn’t have to be a button down. I just pull my outer shirt up, flip the bra/tank down, and nurse on.
Nurse on, Mama. Nurse on.
This post was shared with: Handmade Tuesdays, Nourishing Treasures, LHITS DIY Linky, Wildcrafting Wednesdays, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Friday Favorites, Simple Lives Thursday, Sunny Simple Sundays, Your Green Resource, Farm Girl Blog Fest, Natural Living Monday, Adorned From Above Blog Hop, In and Out of the Kitchen
This is really great. My nursing days are quickly coming to an end, but I know TONS of women who this would be helpful for. Great work!
Thanks, Colleen 🙂 Share freely. Every mama needs one, don’t ya think?! I will be so sad when my nursing days are over. It’s so special.
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back tomorrow when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! 🙂
Awesome! I wish I had seen this 4 years ago when I was nursing my 5th and last child.
I would love for you to link up your frugal project at my Fabulously Frugal Thursday linky (http://alifeinbalance.net)
Wow Barb,
You nursed 5 babies, you’re my hero!! 🙂 Thanks for the invite, I would love to link up.
Thanks for sharing this on Wildcrafting Wednesday! Hope to see you back on today’s hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-9.html
This is ingenious! I am completely unable to sew as well. Thank you for linking up at Wildcrafting Wednesdays!
Wow, that’s genius! Thank you! I will be making these to nurse #3 (coming in July!) Btw, I had a really hard time with your site loading. It took a really long time. I was motivated b/c I wanted to see your tutorial but you might want to check on that. 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for that info! I truly appreciate it. I hope the nursing tank works out well for you. It’s super easy. Congrats on #3! 🙂
Jerica
you’re a genius ! thanks from a modest mama
Thanks, Theresa! Every mama should have one of these 🙂 It has really come in handy!
I wish I had thought of this when nursing my two singles and then twins…congrats on figuring it out how to do it yourself! You are gonna make life easier for so many mamas!
Thanks, Shelby! 🙂 I know this sounds crazy, but I so wish for twins! You are blessed <3
These looks great and so easy! Wish I had one when I was breastfeeding!
Thanks for sharing all your fabulous posts on Natural Living Monday!
They are so easy and quite valuable. Every mama needs one 🙂
Boy, I wish I would have known about this years ago! Thank you for linking this up to the In and Out of the Kitchen link party. Cynthia at http://FeedingBig.com
I am due in August and just ordered 10 camis from nomorerack for $30… that makes this project $3 per nursing tank!! AWESOME IDEA! Thanks so much for just saving me well over 100 dollars!!
Ok so this is a genius idea, and I have what may be a stupid question… are there any problems with the back staying up since the straps have been removed or am I missing something? Very new to sewing so I’m just wanting to make sure I do this right…. baby #3 due in 3.5 weeks so I wanted to make some of these before little missy gets here!
Adreon, congrats on your new baby! In my experience, the back of the tank only sags when the tank top is super loose. And if it is a bit sagging in the back, it doesn’t seem to affect the wear-ability or function of the tank–at least for me. I use the stretchy ones to make it so they pretty much stay in place. It’s super easy to make, you can’t go wrong with it 🙂 Blessings, Jerica
I have bought some of this style nursing tank, but it never occurred to me that it was THIS easy to make my own! lol You better believe I have more than enough tank tops so converting a few to nursing tanks would be an excellent use of those extra ones! Another project to finish up this summer before the baby comes. Thanks for the great idea! Now if only I could make my own nursing bras as well…..(o:
Do you think tube tops would be easy to convert if I add a strap to it?
Anything is worth a try. I’m sure you could make it work somehow! Let us know if you do 😉
I think this is a great idea !! I am a seemstress and never ever thought of this myself. DUH!! I think that this should not be just for nursing mothers though. I know that many women that are large and attempt to wear the skimpy strapped tops and then are dissapointed with the way it looks would love this as a viable alternative.
I would like to offer this to my friends so that they can feel more comfortable wearing stylish casual wear.
Donna,
Please share the info far and wide! Everyone should have access to this easy and amazing tank-conversion. I love your idea for larger women. Absolutely brilliant!