Where we’re from, summer is fast on its way in and we couldn’t possibly be any happier about that if we tried! We’ve always been total beach babies and even our friends and families know that we enthusiastically spend every single spare moment we have over the summer sitting by the water with our toes in the sand. In fact, we actually love the beach so much that we don’t even mind buying and wearing bathing suits, which is something that we know many of our friends and family hate doing. What we enjoy even better than buying new bathings suits, however, is making bathing suits of our own!
Just in case you’re as intrigued by the idea of making your own bathing suits as we were, but feel like you could use a little bit of guidance, check out this list of the 15 best designs, tutorials, and DIY bathing suit ideas we’ve come across in our search so far.
1. No sew halter one-piece to high waisted bikini
Perhaps you actually already have a bathing suit that you really like the pattern or colour of but it’s a one-piece and you’re feeling confident this summer, so you think you’d rather rock a two piece sometimes over the next few months? Then we have a feeling you’ll get along very well with this awesome (and surprisingly simple) tutorial featured on Instructables! They show you how to cut and hem the middle of the bathing suit in order to transform it into a haltered bra top and high waisted bottoms.
2. Triangle cut-outs bikini top
Do you have an old bikini top that you’re feeling very attached to so you don’t wait to get rid of it, but it’s quite plain and you’ve been really just finding yourself wishing that it had a little more visual interest or detail every time you wear it? Then we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Goldfish Kiss added some cute triangle cut outs near the top in just a few simple steps!
3. DIY ruffles and bows bikini
Perhaps you’re actually feeling up for a challenge so you”re thinking about making a whole new bikini style from scratch rather than just cutting apart a bathing suit you already have? Then perhaps you’d have a better time following the steps in a tutorial like this one from Make My Lemonade! They show you how to make an adorable little bow that matches the main material of the bottoms, as well as how to ruffle the edges of the bottoms and the top in a delicate, whimsical looking way.
4. DIY tri-kini from a one-piece
Perhaps you have an old one-piece that’s still in good condition, but that you don’t find yourself wearing very often because the colour, while nice, is quite plain and the cut of the suit is quite basic? Well, perhaps you’d get a little more use out of it if the style was a touch more interesting or on trend! That’s exactly the kind of old suit we had to work with, which is why we were so pleased to come across this great, informative tutorial from Buzzfeed more making a fashionable tri-kini with a metal ring.
5. DIY front-tying halter bikini
Were you quite interested in the halter top bikini idea that we showed you earlier on our list but you’re fairly small chested, so you’ve been wondering whether there might be a version that might suit your bust size a little better and fit more effectively? Then we think we might have found just the tutorial for you! Check out how One Avian Daemon created a very similar top to the one we showed you above but with a tie in the front rather than the back. We’re really big dans of the shorts-style bottoms they made to match!
6. Upcycled teekini
Are you very interested in making a bathing suit out of something you already own because you enjoy upcycling projects more than basically any other kind of DIY, but you don’t actually have a decent quality bathing suit in your closet that you’re interested in working with? Then grab an old t-shirt instead! Check out how Jungalow cut and tied pieces of a shirt to make a knotted bikini that’s just as cute as anything you’d find in stores.
7. DIY supportive swimwear for larger busts
Perhaps the issue here isn’t that you can’t find anything you like the look or style of in stores, but rather that you have trouble finding things that fit properly, since you’re larger busted? Then we have a strong feeling you’ll have much better luck making or altering your own bathing suits than you still shipping in mainstream stores. Check out howTrue Blue, Me and You added a sports bra to a tankini style swimsuit top to give it a little extra support.
8. DIY lace embellished bikinis
Perhaps you’re actually just looking for a quick, simple project that will help you embellish your favourite old bathing suit a little bit so you can keep wearing it this season over again without being clocked by your friends for fashion repeating from last year? Then we’d suggest taking a look at how Crafty Moods lace trimmed their bikini bottoms and twisted bandeau to in just a few easy steps!
9. DIY knotted bandeau bikini top
We’ve already shown you how to decorate a bikini top that has a cute twist at the centre of the bust, but that was just embellishment rather than actually making it for yourself from scratch. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but sometimes we’d just rather learn how to create something from the very beginning ourselves! That’s why we were so excited to find this step by step tutorial from BNNB Crafts that teaches you how to make that very twisted top we were just talking about on your own.
10. Halter bathing suit from a button down
Do you have a button down shirt that you’ve always loved the pattern of so much that you wish you had a bathing suit in it but you know you’ll never find that in stores? Then why not transform that very shirt into the bathing suit you want so much? We know it’s not made of bathing suit material, but it will still dry if you’re just wading and it’ll look great on the beach if you’re more concerned with fashion than function. Find out how to make an adorable buttoned down halter suit on Cut Out and Keep.
11. Crocheted bikini pattern
Perhaps your best DIY skills aren’t actually the ones related to sewing and altering clothing at all, but rather in what you can do with yarn? Well, grab your crochet hook because we’ve got an awesome DIY bikini pattern for you! Check out how Katrin Shine made this cute triangle bikini with a scalloped edge along the top of the bottoms. It’s the classic style you’ll have seen in old crochet fashion patterns from the 1960s!
12. Homemade deep V one-piece
If you’re going to make yourself a bathing suit that looks like it comes from another decade or era, would you rather make something that looks like it came out of a 1980s music video’s beach scene? Then we’re sure you can appreciate a “deep V” leotard style bathing suit when you see one! The issue is that we’re not sure you’ll see them all that often in the stores since the shape is kind of a throwback, which is why we were so glad to find this step by step tutorial for making an awesome leopard print version, outlined by Fringe and Frange.
13. Ruffled crochet bikini with a contrast edging
Were you very into the idea of making yourself a hand crocheted bikini but you’re actually quite advanced at crochet and you think you’re up for a little more of a challenge than the pattern we showed you above? Then perhaps you’d like to add a little bit of visual interest and detail to that same basic shape! Check out how Marinella Marifu6a created these fantastic shell shaped ruffles all over the top and along the top edge of the bottoms as well. We love the way they edged each ruffle with a contrasting colour for a very finished look that almost makes the suit look store bought.
14. DIY Victoria’s Secret inspired swimsuit cover-up
No matter what kind or style of bathing suit you decide to make yourself, would you like to make sure you have something stylish and comfortable to put over top that’s easy to get on and off when you decide to go for a swim? Well, we’ve had our eyes on this particular classic style from Victoria’s Secret for a while now but, because it’s so simple, we’d rather make it ourselves in the colour of our choosing. That’s why we have this straightforward dupe tutorial created by Simply Modish bookmarked!
15. Helpful tops for sewing with bathing suit fabric
No matter what style of bathing suit you decide to make yourself in the end, do you feel like you could benefit from at least a few tips and tricks for cutting and sewing with that particular authentic bathing suit fabric we all know so well? In that case, we think this guide outlined on Cucicucicoo will make a great resource for you! They show you how to handle the fact that the material is slightly slippery and needs to be stitched in a way that will allow it to stretch.
Do you know a fellow DIY enthusiast who adores making their own wardrobe as each season changes but you know they’ve been looking for some inspiration this summer? Share this post with them so they can try their hand at making their own beach wear too!
