DIY No-Sew Panties into Bandeau!

 From this:        A pair of lace, stretchy panties

To This! A quick Lacy Bandeau to wear under tops

If you're like me, a collection of under garments is your BFF. I also like to have several bandeau style tops on-hand for tops that are too low or for when I don't want to wear a bra or the blouse/dress I'm wearing doesn't allow a bra to be worn without it showing. 

I have made my own easy, quickly-put-together bandeaus for a long time. You might be surprised to learn that the cost of making one far, far less than those you see for $5+ in stores. Seriously. It costs around $1 to make one. However, if you wanted to add a lining to keep your bandeau from being transparent (see-through), then the cost will be slightly more.

The good news is, if you aren't a perfectionist and you already have some scrap material (stretchy lacy undies, fabric that you can use as a lining, etc.) on-hand, then the chances of your new bandeau costing you no money is high! Mine actually costed me nothing to make, especially since the undies were given to me as a gift. 

The lacy underwear I used were stretchy boy-short style, which I found very uncomfortable as underwear, by the way.  A pair of these stretchy, lace boy-shorts are available at Wal-Mart and other stores for really cheap, and they come in all sorts of pretty colors. I have one in turquoise that made a gorgeous bandeau!

So, I'm going to show you how I did this. Take note! I am not a perfectionist, and it shows. If you are, you can make the necessary adjustments as you wish. 

Again, since these boy-shorts were stretchy lace, I didn't need to do any sewing. The method of turning them into a bandeau actually only requires cutting out the crotch! Unless of course you want to add to it by putting in a lining or something.

How I Do It
I laid them out, and cut the crotch straight across, completely off. I didn't bother trying to make it perfect. I kept the black bow that was on the top front of the undies, and wear the bandeau with the little bow in the front. You can easily cut panty-bows off, if you don't want them.

I'm not sure this would've worked so easily if I were not working with a boy-short style because other panties like briefs do not really have the squared shape. Also, these boyshorts (like most) have the crotch somewhat hanging, if that makes sense. Look at my photo of the undies to better understand what I mean -- the crotch comes down lower than the rest of the panties. This makes it easy to just cut the crotch straight across and be left with pretty much a straight edged square.
 

See how the crotch area "hangs" down further than the edges of the panties? Cut straight across, clipping the crotch right off. Then, you'll be left with this:

Crotch is cut out (the crotch fabric is seen on the left) and basically, it's just a rectangle of lace left.

You'll notice it isn't totally a straight-edged square as the crotch area leaves a little fold over area where it was cut out. Since this part of the bandeau will be under my shirts and not show (and really isn't noticeable in the first place), I chose not to add any stitching or anything to make it perfect. Like I said, if you are a perfectionist, a few stitches would fix this part right up.

*Forgive my less than perfect quality photos. The lighting was funny and my camera just wasn't cooperating with me well. I added another photo below (with a bit better lighting) in hopes of it showing the panties after cutting them better. The panties are actually a bold orange-like color, but they look red.

Of course I kept the little crotch strip because small lace left-overs always come in handy for patching up holes in jeans and shirts, too!

Lining -- Optional
I did not add any extra lining to my bandeau. Since it was a quick project just to wear underneath several tops and dresses, I really didn't feel the need to go all out and add a lining under the lace. But keep in mind, it is see-through without lining! You can use a matching or contrasting fabric to really spruce it up, if you plan on showing more of the bandeau off than I do. 

Another trick I've been using successfully for years is those little swimsuit top cups that you find in most swimsuit tops (the thin "pad" cups) -- I place those inside my bandeaus for a little more nipple coverage, so that those suckers don't show right through my shirts so much. 

*Look at the bottom -- you can see imperfection I mentioned from the crotch-cutting. It doesn't bother me since it doesn't show under my shirts. You can sew it up there, though.*

It's really helpul, and in some of my dresses that don't allow a bra, I've sewed the "cups" in! Built-in bra! You can use that method if you want more coverage in a bandeau.

I only took a photo of the back of the bandeau while on. There was just no way to show you guys a photo of the front without risking being too... bare. Sorry! Just can't get that personal with you. ;) I hope this was helpful for someone though. If you are like me and have a pile of boyshorts that are unflattering or uncomfortable, you should have a fun time using them to add another piece of underwear to your wardrobe.

I wear these home-made bandeaus with a lot of different tops, mostly tank tops that are very low cut. Most of us do not wear bras with such showy tops because it just doesn't look that great on some of us (just not flattering when bra pokes out in every direction, and it really takes away from a cute top). The good thing about a thin, lacy bandeau is I don't mind it peeking under the arm-pits of my tank tops, the back and the front area. It adds color, is subtle, looks cute and is still classy.

P.S. if you simply don't want to fork over a $5-$8 and up bandeau bra but you don't have any lace or un-wearable lace boyshorts to make your bandeau, I encourage you to still opt for a DIY version! I've bought a yard of lace for less than $2 at Wal-Mart, so even if you do have to buy your materials to DIY a bandeau, you're going to come out cheaper than if you bought a bandeau. Plus, if you go out and buy a yard of $1-$2 lace, you'll have so much left over that you could make dozens of these bandeaus or even use the remaining lace for another nifty project. 

Which brings me to this: you can never have too much lace. Funny, I have always said that about lingerie too! But it's true. You can never have enough of either. Lace will always, always come in handy and it's always in style. You would truly be amazed at what all items in your wardrobe you can finally begin to wear again just by adding a little lace. Shirt too short? Add a lacy bottom layer. Works for short skirts/ dresses too and spices them up! Holes in your jeans? Patch with lace.  Shirt too tight? Cut it down the middle in the back, add lace. Bam! It's a life-saver.

I hope you guys enjoyed this DIY post. I'm a cheapie and hate tossing clothes because I almost always manage to find a way to make them look nice again. So I like to share these little things with ya'll in hopes of helping other fellow bargainers like myself to get the most of the wardrobe they have. 

It really makes a huge difference just adding a little something to one or two old tops. So, what items do you guys throw together to pull off a look? Do you guys DIY bandeau? Do you know any other nifty uses for old, un-wearable underwear? I would love to hear from you! Leave me your suggestions, tips, thoughts and anything else in the comments section.

  Oh how I've been dying to wear this dress from Rave Attic. The weather's been cold lately & of course as soon as I got the dress it turned too cold. I was just beside myself when I got to wear it out last night!

  It's a gorgeous Form Fitting Dress from Rave Attic. The perfect LBD only much, much sexier!

I was even happier when I put it on and it fit so well. As you can see the Lace Form Fitting Dress has a ruched type thing going on on both sides in the front in a light gold-ish color which is silky and very comfortable.

  The black material is both in the front and back. The back is all black and is a stretchy silk-like material which is also very light and comfortable.

                                                THE CHEST

   The chest area of the Lace Form Fitting Dress has a bit of a built in bra since it does have underwire and the cups are made a lot similar to an actual bra which is extremely nice because that means you don't have to fight with an uncomfortable strap-less bra. The material is a very light gold color with a beautiful lace overlay. The lace runs down under the chest a bit as well adding extra femininity to the entire dress. There's a little sleek black bow in the center of the chest. I love the perfect detailing. The cups are a tiny bit firm, I wouldn't really say they are padded, but they have a great amount of support and coverage except on me, the cups were a little big at the very top.

  The cups are also lined with lace and I just love that! On me, the very top of the cups where the lace is lined, does not lay flat against my chest so it makes it hard to keep things from falling out. Lol. It's very easy to see straight down the cups on me, but that's just because of the way I'm built, nothing wrong with the dress at all. I find that the cups provide plenty of coverage though. They aren't too low or revealing except in that little top area that doesn't lay flat on me. That was the only thing that caused the peek-a-boo-effect. I found that there's a simple solution to that which it's not totally necessary unless I plan to be bending over where I'd be exposing myself. But, wearing pasties works just fine & a simple strapless bra (or a bra with clear straps) does the trick. It probably wouldn't be needed on most people I think it was just the strange way my chest fits things. I tend to have this happen in bras as well. I couldn't be happier with the dress. It's the most beautiful one I own!

   The Lace Form Fitting Dress is one of those items (rare) that can fit and flatter just about any shape/size! It's not clingy & doesn't stick to your body, but lays gently over curves and looks amazing. This will forever be my go-to dress. It's the kind of dress that you can throw on, even on those days when you're bloated and still look stunning! I love that. It doesn't require a lot of fancying up to look nice. Simply slip into this one & you're beautiful!

 
   The back of the dress is a bit shorter than the front & it is too short to bend over in at all! If I raise my arms my whole booty is out. Lol. It looks amazing with a pair of leggings or hose or you can wear it with a pair of jean shorts which I did (even in some of these pics) and it looks amazing & you can bend over worry-free!

  The straps are adjustable which is a huge plus because every woman is different. I thought there was quite a bit of room to adjust to about any size you needed as long as the dress is your size. Another thing I love about Rave Attics Lace Form Fitting Dress is that it's very fitting. A small glides perfectly over my curves, but if I were to be a medium, I'm totally sure it'd fit just as perfectly and just as comfortably. No wrong sizing here which is a common problem with items like this when buying online. I always have to worry about sizing because most size charts are very far off, but this fits beyond perfectly with no worries. I also am crazy about how comfortable it is. This one is a definite must-have for every girl!

 

  I am (as you can tell) just crazy about this dress. I feel so pretty and confident in it & nothing feels better than wearing a beautiful dress and feeling just as beautiful as the dress itself.

  What do I give the dress overall?

- I give the dress an absolute 10! I'd actually go so far as to say I'd give it a 100! Nothing could possibly make me dislike this dress. It's stunning and I can't wear it enough! I think Rave Attic is a very high quality, unique company with wonderful prices. I can't say enough good things about the company or the dress. Be sure to check their items & lingerie out too! & While you're at it, check out the post I wrote on a beautiful hair clip from Rave Attic too!
 

PRIVATE ARTS (My Pearl Of The Day)

                                    My Pearl Of The Day                                                      

   Private Arts has some of the most unique underwear I've ever seen. I have a real thing for unique undies and lingerie so when I got the thong, lace boy shorts and bra or (bandeau) from Private Arts I was highly impressed. First, take a look at the pictures I've taken of the items I received.

                                      PRIVATE ARTS THONG
  The photo above shows the thong panties I have from Private Arts. These were surprisingly comfortable. The texture of the thong were so soft and light. They seem to be a very breathable material. The are a unique print as all Private Art's items are. The thong has a pretty, feminine floral print on the front. The waist band part is a nice stretchy lace material that travels all the way around the back.

    
   This is a photo of the back of the thong to show the print. I love that the print is so unique! I like that they added a nice little thing to the floral. It really stands out to me. Kinda shows a bit of personality.

 They're very comfortable. They don't "ride up" and I didn't have any problems with the sizing. They seem to be the type of items that fit and flatter EVERY body type. I really do think they would.


                                      PRIVATE ARTS BANDEAU

    This is a picture of the Bandeau. It's slightly a different print, but still matches the thong and the lace boy shorts. Matching isn't extremely important to me, but to some it does matter. I am pretty fond of this print. I like the pretty flowers. I love the bright purple and blue in the Bandeau. You can kind of see, on the right side of the Bandeau, there is a pretty white lace lining up the side. I think that part added a nice touch of femininity while the other parts kept it simple enough for most anybodys taste.

  The Bandeau while super soft and comfortable, does not offer a whole lot of support which is fine with me because I really don't need much. It's thick enough to be worn on it's own without a bra and still provide enough support and coverage. I think it works perfectly under a simple, low cut top. I love how it adds a pretty spice to any plain outfit. It's also nice for working out or doing regular house work. It covers enough of the chest and you can be comfortable in it while running, working in the house or engaging in other activities. There are quite a few uses for this baby. Add a nice touch to a plain top, wear it while working out, or wear it as a strapless bra under a more revealing top. This is perfect for tops that don't conceal bra backs and straps. It's also thick enough to keep people from knowing when you get cold too! I love it's colors and that it's still perfectly breathable and comfortable.

   The back of the Bandeau is in the picture above. It's a light and very comfortable lace with a pretty good bit of stretch to it. Very beautiful!

  I haven't had any problems at all with it sliding down like most Bandeaus. It stays up very well! It does have a little bit of a stretch to it so that is a huge help.

                        I'm very fond of the Private Arts items. They are absolutely perfect for my kind of taste. Also, they are all the most comfortable underwear I've ever worn. And incase you're wondering, yes they blow victoria's secret out of the water by a long shot, in my opinion! I am highly impressed with the lovely and most unique items they have. Do be sure to check them out. They have several really nice pieces. I'm really loving several of the other bandeaus I've seen on their site!

You can read my honesty pledge at the top*