Affiliate links may be included for your convenience. View our privacy and affiliates policy for details.
I have a bunch of tank tops that I wear as an underlayer instead of a bra, which got me thinking about how to turn a tank top into a bra top.
This is a really simple clothing hack because all you’re doing is cropping the bottom of the tank top and adding elastic to give it more of a bra top fit. It doesn’t significantly change the level of support, which is minimal, but it does make it less bulky if you’re wearing a tank top under another shirt.
You could even do this if you still need to wear a bra if you have shirts that need extra coverage underneath without the heat of a full shirt underneath.
Supplies
All you need to turn a tank top into a bra top is the tank top in question, a pair of scissors (fabric as well as for trimming thread), some elastic, a sewing machine and sewing clips.
I used quarter inch elastic because that’s what I had in the house. Wider elastic would probably make it feel a little more supportive if that’s something you need.
Preparing Your Shirt
Try the tank top on and decide how long you want it to be when you’re done. I marked this with a sewing clip.
I used the width of the elastic to help me gauge how much longer I needed the top to be and marked that as well. My hem piece was probably wide enough that I could have folded the raw edges in, but ultimately I didn’t bother. If you want to do that, make sure you account for that extra length.
If you want to be more precise than I was, mark where you want to top to stop, add at least half an inch, depending on the width of your elastic, and draw a line or use a ruler to help you cut a straight line.
Measure around your body where you want the elastic to sit, or just wrap the elastic around your body where you want it to be. Cut it so that it’s about an inch/2.5 cm smaller than your actual body measurement.
Turn a Tank Top into a Bra Top
Make sure your elastic isn’t twisted, and place one end on top of the other, forming a loop. Sew the ends together.
Place the elastic inside the tank top and fold the bottom edge up over the elastic enough so that you can sew a seam that will run above the elastic without sewing over the elastic itself.
If you want to fold in the raw edges, make sure you do that here, too. Use clips to hold the elastic in place, and stretch it as needed to get it in place all the way around.
I used my regular sewing machine and a single needle to sew my bra top. Using a magnetic seam guide is super helpful for this project because it ensures an even seam and that you won’t sew over the elastic if it’s beyond the sewing line.
Stretch the elastic as you go so that the sewing line stays straight and all the fabric from the tank top is getting sewn. This is the hardest part but it just takes time, and having the sewing guide helps because all you have to focus on is making sure the fabric isn’t bunched up.
When the seam is done you can push the fabric around so that it’s evenly bunched around the elastic.
That’s really all there is to being able to turn a tank top into a bar top or cropped top. It’s a great way to upcycle a tank top you might not be wearing any more or if it has a stain or tear in the bottom portion.
And you can always turn the bottom part into T-shirt yarn (it’s the same method as turning fabric into yarn) and make a project like this cute crochet basket.
