DIY Comfy Nursing Bra with Free Pattern

Are you looking to make your very own comfortable and pretty nursing bra? In this post, I’ll share how I used a free bralette pattern and modified it into a functional nursing bra, plus it is easier than you think! With a beautiful stretchy lace of your choice and no underwire, this DIY nursing bra is both cozy and practical for breastfeeding. 

DIY Nursing Bra Materials:

• Free Bralette Pattern (So Sew Easy Bralette Pattern)
• Stretchy Lace Fabric
• Stretch mesh fabric
• Nursing Bra Clips
• Bra Strap Elastic
• Bra rings and sliders
• 1/4” elastic

DIY Nursing Bra Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Print and assemble the pattern:

Download the free bralette pattern from the So Sew Easy website and print it according to the instructions – make sure to print at 100% scale. Assemble the paper pattern and cut out the pattern pieces.

Want to explore more bra patterns to hack into a nursing bra? Check out my post on comfy and stylish bralette sewing patterns.

Step 2. Cut lace fabric and lining:

Fabric recommendation

For the main fabric, I used stretch lace, you can also use cotton jersey or any soft and stretch fabric with at least 40% stretch. 

I have a decent stash of lace fabric for bra making, so I chose a softer lace from my stash since comfort is the most important thing for a nursing bra in my opinion. I made a size M, and used a bit over 1 1/3 yard of the lace fabric.

Lining is optional for this nursing bra, but I like how it adds extra support and offers a smooth interior of the bra, so I used stretch mesh for lining which I got from my local Joann store. 

Cut the fabric and lining

I laid down all the pattern pieces on the lace fabric to see how to maximize the usage of my fabric. If you want scallop edges on your nursing bra (like what I did), make sure to position the outer straight edge of the pattern pieces on the scallop edge. 

Once I’m happy with the layout, I cut out each piece with a small rotary cutter, for both lace fabric and stretch mesh lining. Here’s what I have:

Step 3. Assemble bra cups:

To assemble the cups, I lined up the side cup and center cup pieces in both lace fabric and lining. The order goes (from bottom to top): 

• Side cup in lace, right side up
• Center cup in lace, right side down
• Center cup in lining, right side up
• Side cup in lining, right side down

Sew the 4 layers together with a ¼” seam allowance with straight stitch. Then open it up and zigzag to keep the center seam flat.

Although it sounds complicated, I’ve found if I sew this way, the seams are naturally sandwiched between the lace and lining, creating a smooth interior for the skin. 

If this sounds confusing to you, I recommend checking out LizSew’s youtube video on how she made her bralette tutorial, specifically on how she sew the cups together.

Step 4. Add bra cups to band

Now that the bra cups are assembled, it is time to sew them with the bra band. I placed the bra cups on the bra band with right sides facing each other, then sewed with a small zigzag stitch so the band will be stretchy and hug the body comfortably. 

Because I added lining to the band as well, before stitching together, I also put the lining on, so the bra cups are sandwiched between the bra band lace and bra band lining.

Step 5. Add ¼” elastic

This step is optional, but recommended. Adding a thin elastic band to the bra band will help the stretchy lace to stretch back and last longer, plus it offers more support. 

For maximum comfort, I sandwiched ¼” elastic between the lace and lining of the band, and top stitched all 3 layers together using a small zigzag stitch. I would need to topstitch the lining to the lace band anyway, so this saves me an extra step!

Now your bra should look something like this:

Step 6. Add bra straps

Next step is to attach the bra straps. First, cut two lengths of bra strap elastic to your desired length for the shoulder straps, I did 16” length for each strap. Then loop them through the bra ring and slider to create adjustable straps. 

Then thread the other end through the nursing bra clips, fold it back and secure it in place with a straight stitch and reinforce it by back stitching.

To attach the bra straps to the bra itself, you’ll need to cut four 2” long bra strap elastics. Use 2 of them to secure the bra straps to the back band through the bra rings. 

Use the other two short straps to loop them through the other part of the nursing bra clip set and secure them to the top of the bra cups. These clips will allow you to easily unfasten the cups for breastfeeding.

Optional: Add support straps

Now you have the choice to add supporting straps to connect the nursing clips to the bra band. This is commonly seen in commercial nursing bras, and is used to hold the bra straps in place while letting the cup fold down for nursing the baby or for pumping breastmilk.

I personally prefer to not install it as I think I can easily locate my strap and attach it back to the bra cup after nursing. But everyone’s preference is different, so I stitched the support strap on one side for demonstration purposes.

Essentially what you’ll do is to loop another piece of bra strap through the lower opening of the nursing clip, secure it with a straight stitch on that end. Then for the other end, secure it to the bra band. I recommend to arrange the support strap a bit diagonally, so it will sit on the side of your breast instead of on the front, which will be more comfortable.

Here are what these two styles look like in comparison:

Step 7. Finishing Touches:

Now all the major steps are done! Try on the nursing bra and adjust the straps for a proper fit.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial of creating your own DIY nursing bra for breast feeding your baby or pumping. Whether you’re new to bra sewing or not, this project is quick and fun, plus you get a nursing bra at the end of the project that fits you well and is so comfy!

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