How to Make a T-Shirt Bra? Don’t Throw your Old T-Shirt

Would you like to know how to make a t-shirt bra? We can tell you three ways to do it.

One method is to make a bra out of a shirt without sewing or cutting it.

The second way makes a homemade bra with cutting but no sewing.

And the third way turns a t-shirt into a bralette but requires sewing and cutting.

Supplies needed to make a t-shirt bra

You’ll need a few things for this project. The list depends on what you plan to do. At a minimum, you’ll need a t-shirt like this one:

Mastermind Lyrics T-Shirt

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Swifties who have moved on won’t feel bad about converting this soft and cozy shirt into a bra. The rest of us might want to pick a different design.

Just so you know, we stock a wide variety of styles, colors, and sizes of shirts. Moreover, we have thousands of designs to choose from. Whether you want black, white, navy, royal blue, Irish green, maroon, sport gray, or natural-colored tees, we have them all. They come in sizes from small to 4XL in styles like women’s tailored fit and unisex, plus long-sleeved tees and sweatshirts.

Now you can stock up on shirts to replace the ones you turn into t-shirt bras.

The other supplies you’ll need include scissors and a needle and thread or a sewing machine. If you can get your hands on a pair of sewing shears, they will cut fabric better and easier than run-of-the-mill scissors.

If you’ll be sewing, it’s helpful to have a measuring tape. You might need to take your own measurements or measure the fabric.

It’s also convenient to have a non-permanent way to mark the fabric. If you don’t have a fabric marking pencil, try chalk or soap.

Once you have everything ready, it’s time to have fun!

DIY T-Shirt Bra

Method 1: Make a t-shirt bra the quick and easy way

Technically speaking, you’re making a crop top, not a bra. But it’s certainly capable of keeping the girls under wraps and supported.

All you need to do is twist the extra fabric at the bottom of the shirt into a knot. You can either grab both sides and tie them together, or twirl the material and tuck it up and under.

Here’s a TikTok that shows how to do it.

Nevertheless, as easy as this trick is, there are pros and cons. The good news is that although you might stretch out the shirt, you haven’t permanently altered it and can still continue to wear it in the future.

The bad news is that depending on how you wind up or knot the fabric, you might not have a lot of support. Worse, it might come undone unexpectedly.

But it’s great if you’re in a situation where you need a t-shirt bra fast.

Method 2: Make a t-shirt bra by cutting but without sewing

You can make a bandeau bra with this technique. You’ll need a tight-fitting shirt.

Straighten out the t-shirt on a table or the floor and cut off the bottom hem.

Then hold the shirt against your chest upside down. Figure out how long (or wide) the next strip needs to be to cover the essentials. For example, it might be 6 to 8 inches. Now, cut the shirt again to create a large loop of material.

You can stop here and use the wide strip by itself as a bra. Just pull it on.

If it’s too loose, you can make it tighter. Cut loops of fabric from the sleeves and snip them so that they are strings instead of circles. Pull on the bandeau and slip one string inside it by each armpit.

Next, make sure the bandeau is covering the breasts. Then pull the strings tight, scrunching the fabric and tightening the bra on each side separately.

On the downside, this is not secure support for a medium to a large chest. On the upside, it’s a fast way to make a strapless bra.

Method 3: Sew a bra from a t-shirt

The third way to make a bra with a t-shirt requires sewing but gets you personalized results and a custom look. It may be the most comfortable bra you’ll ever own.

Begin by cutting across the shirt directly underneath the armpits. Take that big loop of fabric and trim off the stitching on the sides. This leaves you with two equally sized pieces of fabric. Fold them in half lengthwise.

Now, you’ll have to do some measuring. This video suggests measuring 4 inches over from the fold and 5 inches down from the edge to start creating the straps. Your own measurements may vary.

When you cut the fabric, you can leave it blocky or follow a curved design as in the video.

The next task is to fold over a little bit of fabric and hem the armholes and neck opening. This makes the bra look more finished and professional. It’s less likely to unravel once it’s hemmed.

Try it on – how does it look and feel? Do you need to take in the fabric to make it fit tighter? If you cut the straps at the top, you can sew them to make them shorter or even add buttons to make them adjustable. (We recommend doing reinforced buttonholes if that’s the case).

Finally, feel free to add any decorations like embroidery or lace.

Although it takes longer to make a t-shirt bra this way, this project allows you to flex your sewing skills and design things to your liking. Plus, a lightweight cotton bra with a custom fit can be downright comfortable in hot weather.

Conclusion

We hope you found this DIY t-shirt bra tutorial helpful. If you end up needing more shirts to restock your closet, we offer free shipping on orders over $100.

If you’re not sure what size to get, every product page has a size chart in the images. It includes lay-flat measurements so you can measure your favorite t-shirt instead of yourself.