How to make bra extenders for free or cheap!

In this tutorial, I show you how to make bra extenders for free or super cheap. I needed a bra extender (pregnancy can be crazy on the clothes) and I figured out how to make one! Make one for free or for significantly less then store bought bra extenders.

Step 1. Determine what bras you need extenders for. How many hooks & eyes are on them? Usually it's 2 or 3. For this tutorial, I am using two.

Step 2. Go to your bra drawer and get out the bras that don't fit anymore. We all have them, don't lie to yourself. :) If you absolutely can't part with any, stop at your local thrift shop and pick out bras that have the same amount of hooks & eyes as the ones you need extenders for.

Step 3. Time to recycle that bra and make a bra extender! 

Recycle an old bra into a bra extender!

Step 4. Cut off the hooks & eyes of bra as shown below. You want to leave a bit of room for sewing. If you sew onto a hook or eye, you'll damage your needle and/or machine.

Cut off hooks & eyes of the soon to be 'bra extender'

Step 5. Place eyes facing up and the hooks facing down. 

Line up the soon to be bra extender

Step 6. Sew the raw edges together. Use a zig zag stitch to 'seal them together'. Sew over and over and over the edges so that it will be secure and not irritate your skin.

Sew up the bra extender with a zig zag stitch

Another image (this took an entire 5 minutes to make btw)

Step 7. Attach to your bra and admire your handiwork!

5 minutes of my time to make my pregnant self more comfy?
Yes please!

The Nursing Sling

   As I am pregnant and due with our 6th child in December, I can't stop thinking about what else I need to make or get before baby gets here. We aren't sure if we're having a boy or a girl yet, so many of my projects are going to have to wait.
One thing that doesn't have to wait though is a new baby sling. I have a million of them, but my tastes change from time to time, so it's nice to add to my stash. Right now, I can't stop thinking that I need a new ring sling.
   In case you didn't know, a ring sling is an adjustable baby sling that has rings next to the shoulder of the wearer. These rings help the wearer to adjust the fit of the baby sling. As I plan on losing a few pounds around the middle after this baby comes, the ring sling is an excellent option for me because the ring sling grows/shrinks with the wearer as they need it to. My husband thinks he might try to 'wear the baby' too this time around...so if I make a ring sling that isn't incredibly feminine, he won't mind sharing it with me. Because the ring sling is so easily adjustable, he can adjust it to completely form to his body shape.
   Another reason I have decided to make a new ring sling, is because I love how they look! If I can find a fabric that matches my winter attire, it is almost like I am wearing an accessory like a scarf! Wearing my baby in style? Yes please. Depending on the sewing pattern that people use, you can most often add quite a bit of flair and/or contrast to the ring sling with some super cute fabric prints. I choose to NEVER wear baby prints on any ring sling or baby sling. I'm not fond of baby printed fabrics to begin with, but when they are being worn by me, I don't care what the baby's gender is - I choose to wear something that I LIKE.
   The largest and most important reason that I'm choosing to make a ring sling instead of a pouch sling, mei tai or wrap sling is simply because I nurse my babies exclusively. You can technically nurse in all of the other types of baby slings. Technically only. The best baby sling for nursing in is the ring sling. In fact, I'm just going to call it the nursing sling from now on! Not only is it the best because it's adjustable to fit the baby into a comfortable nursing position, but it's "tail" is amazing with grabby, hungry babies. Simply cover them up (and the exposed mama skin). Typically the ring sling is wider then other types of slings as well, so I feel more secure in adjusting my baby into a hands free nursing position. I can nurse my baby in the nursing sling discretely while I am walking in the grocery store, in a church meeting, while I'm walking my kids to their school classrooms, or while I'm cooking Christmas dinner with extended family. Yes, the nursing sling is the best choice for full time nursing mommies.

Check out this picture! I'd say that is discrete.

If you are like me, you are wondering how you can make your own nursing sling? With a nursing sling pattern of course! Sewing your own nursing sling is fast and easy with a nursing sling pattern! Make one that has a couple pockets in it for storage while you are on the go. The pockets double up as a storage bag for the ring sling itself!
I have a list on where I purchase fabric and sling rings here.

Make your own Nursing Sling today and start nursing easily, discretely and adorably while you are going about your every day tasks!

Nursing Pillow - Do you need one?

Do I need a nursing pillow? What type should I buy?

This is often a question that people ask when they are getting ready to have a baby. If you have never nursed before, you might wonder if you will even be able to....and spending an extra $50 on a nursing pillow doesn't sound likely. So what is the point of having one anyway?
When I had my first baby, I didn't have a nursing pillow right away - and within a week I had to have one! Many women nurse exclusively, as I have with all of my children. When you are holding a baby in your arms for a few minutes at a time, you might not think about having a 'helper' to hold up your baby....but When your baby has been nursing for 30-50 minutes, you quickly realize how badly your back, shoulders and arms hurt!
The point of a nursing pillow is to help you hold your baby. It eases pressure on your back and shoulders and allows you to sit straighter and more comfortably. Your baby can rest in your arms at a height that is comfortable for you to hold him while he is breastfeeding.
If you decide not to breastfeed, a nursing pillow is still a great way to be comfortable while snuggling your baby. You will be holding your baby day in and day out for the first couple months...do It comfortably with good posture - use a nursing pillow.
There are other great ways to use a nursing pillow as well. One way to use a nursing pillow is to lay it on the floor. Then place your swaddled baby in a semi-upright position. This allows your baby to see around the room (and see you) while you are doing all the things new parents have to do. Another way to use the nursing pillow is when your baby starts to sit. Simply place the pillow on the floor around your sitting baby. This will help them stay upright as well as be a soft place to land when they inevitably topple over.
If you are looking into purchasing a nursing pillow, there are a number of brands available. Through experience however, we have come to see that they are all very similar. The generic pillows are identical in functionality as the big brand names yet offer a lesser cost.
The brand name pillows have some pretty cute covers though - for the solution to this, I recommend either sewing a nursing pillow cover yourself, or going to Etsy.com and buying a handmade, great quality cover that will fit your pillow.
If you are at all crafty, you can easily sew a nursing pillow for free or for just a couple dollars. I bet you have all the necessary tools/supplies needed in your home to sew one of these yourself by re-purposing a couple things that you don't use anymore (old pillows, stuffed animals, sheets...etc).
When shopping for or sewing new baby items, you can do without a lot of things. However, make a nursing pillow a priority. You'll be glad you did.