Quick fix for off-the-rack button-up shirts

My little guy is not yet two, so we usually use his Neptune processors. They are sturdy and the processor itself is waterproof. The accessories sent with the Neptune are great for the tub or pool, but they aren't very fashion forward for day-to-day wear. Seeing a kid at Early Start in a neoprene harness makes me want to go home and sew him a cute shirt.

But you don't have to make a shirt from scratch. If you have a sewing machine this fix can take about 5 minutes. If you don't have a sewing machine a dry cleaners that does alterations could alter a bunch of shirts for just a few dollars, or you could sew by hand (though sewing on elastic and making buttonholes by hand aren't the top of my fun list ;). I have bought new shirts that have two pockets, but I have also found almost new shirts at goodwill for $1.99.

I like the button up shirts because then I can easily remove the shirts for nap time, and the processors are in a spot where they aren't uncomfortable in the car seat.  My little guy wears a t-shirt or short sleeve onesie under the button up shirt most times, or a long sleeve t- or turtleneck on cold days. We live in a pretty mild area, but I imagine if it were really hot we could just go without the undershirt. You also don't need the big plastic clip, or the small wire clips with this, and if the headpiece (coil) comes off the head, it just dangles from the collar, it won't fall completely off. This works best on a toddler with the 12" cable.

This is a very discreet way to wear the Neptune, too. You can hardly see it!

What you need: a collared shirt with two front pockets, some narrow elastic, and thread that coordinates to the shirt.

First you attach elastic under the left and right points of the collar to hold the cable. I used the buttonhole stitch on my machine (a zigzag stitch that is at a 0 length for sewing the top and bottom of button holes) to attach the elastic to the top and bottom of the collar band, underneath the collar. Then trim down the elastic after you have sewn on both top and bottom.

Then you add a buttonhole to the left and right sides of the collar. Some sewing machines have automatic buttonhole functions, so you would just need to use a button the same diameter as the plug on the end of the cable. I just marked the start and end of my buttonholes and made them with closely spaced narrow zigzag stitches. The holes aren't going to have a lot of strain on them, so even hand sewing would probably work.

You are done!