DIY Bandeau Top Tutorial: How to Make a Bandeau Top From Scratch

Tools and materials:

• Fabric
• Marker
• Measuring tape
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Thread
• Pins
• Elastic
• Satin cord

1. Take your measurements

The best way to see how much material you need is to put the fabric on you and mark your desired length with a marker. 

Then, wrap the fabric around you to see what width you need. Then, make a mark accordingly. 

Now, you’ll need to measure your elastic. So, wrap elastic around your upper bust and cut. Also, do the same right underneath your bust. 

Finally, lay your cord around your upper arm to get an approximate armhole measurement. 

2. Cut the fabric

First off, cut the length part of the fabric starting from where you marked it earlier on. 

3. Sewing the raw edges

Sew the raw edges of the vertical sides together. Make sure you sew along the wrong sides of the fabric. Like this, you’ll land up having a double layer of fabric to work with. 

Now, it’s time to make a tunnel for the elastic. So, fold the top and bottom edge of the fabric and sew all around. 

4. Insert the elastic

Snip a small hole in the tunnel area of the fabric. Also, make sure you snip into one layer. 

With the help of a safety pin, insert the elastic through the hole and around the casing. 

Then, you can either stitch the ends of the elastic or tie a knot. Repeat on the bottom, too. 

5. Add straps

This is optional but a nice add-on to have! Remember the cord we cut in the beginning? So this is where it would come in handy.

You can pin the cord to your DIY bandeau top and give it a lovely set of straps. The reason why I’m pinning it on is that I can take them off anytime and have the top strapless, too. 

Tip: Use small safety pins, so nothing bulges out from under the fabric. 

DIY bandeau top tutorial

Here’s the big reveal! Now you know how to make a bandeau top from scratch! I love how it gives off a bold vibe, and it really pairs nicely with jeans or a pair of elegant pants.

Remember, you can make it less puffy by reducing the width of the fabric. Thanks for joining me, and I hope you enjoyed this DIY bandeau top tutorial.