6 Sewing Projects for Summer Beach Trips

Summer is officially here, and we are ready to hit the beach! There are so many fun handmade projects and patterns available to make your next adventure filled with homemade goodness. Keep reading until the end of this blog as we have included a Zipper Bag Tutorial just for you.

Handmade Bags, Headbands, Sun Hat, Napkins and Picnic Blanket for a Day at the Beach

1. Squad Tote

The first item you will need for your beach vacation is a bag to hold all your stuff – sand toys, lunch, drinks, sunblock, and towels to just name a few. The Squad Tote Bag is the perfect size to carry your “must haves” to the beach while you find the perfect location to hangout for the day in the sand. It is lightweight, yet sturdy. This bag will quickly become your go to travel tote.

We have created this pattern so that you can personalize your fabric with your own style. We chose the Anna Maria Horner Bright Eyes fabric collection for this bag. The bright flowers and vibrant prints really get us in the mood for a day at the beach. This fabric collection was inspired by Anna Maria’s travels to New Zealand and a beautiful garden at the farm she stayed at. This entire collection is a shop favorite.

2. Inkling Quilt

We love to bring a quilt to the beach. A throw sized quilt is just perfect for laying out on and enjoying a picnic lunch. Cotton quilts wash-up nicely and always add comfort to a day away from home.

This Inkling Quilt is a fat quarter sewing pattern. It is beginner friendly also. The large blocks sew up quickly and the pattern is well-written. Patchwork & Poodles designed this quilt pattern. There are many different size options to choose from. We went with the large throw. Also for this quilt, we once again used fabric from the Bright Eyes collection and added a scrappy binding to finish it off.

3. Earth Day Napkins

Napkins are an important item to take with you when you travel. They are great for surprise spills and keeping everyone neat and tidy. Cloth napkins are also environmentally friendly as they can be washed and used over and over again!

Little Fabric Shop has a fat quarter friendly Napkin Tutorial that we created for Earth Day. Head over to your stash and pick-out some fun fabrics. This is a super-easy and super-fast project. As a bonus, these napkins also make great gifts!

4. Beach Hat

This Reversable Sun Hat tutorial is perfect for beginners and a must for day in the sun. The large brim will help protect your face from the rays. You will be sure to get lots of compliments on your one-of-a-kind accessory!

Mollie Johanson created this fun tutorial. She is a professional crafter with over 10 years’ experience sewing. She is the author of “Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small.” We created this cutie using Essex Linen fabric and also fussy cutting the Optimistic Cream Wideback 108” fabric from the Bright Eyes Collection.

5. Beach Headband

The wide band Beach Headband really helps keep your hair in place! We like how quickly the tutorial comes together and there are even three different size options! Little Fabric Shop created this simple pattern. It requires just two materials - a fat quarter and elastic. That’s it! You will be whipping out headbands for yourself and friends in no-time.

Checkout our Reel on Instagram for a quick example of how this headband comes together. While it will take more than 30 seconds to sew, you can see the basic construction in the video.

6. Zipper Bag Tutorial

This Zipper Bag is a great size for storing all of your small beach items – headband, brush, comb, car keys, cellphone, hair ties, etc.… It will keep you organized after a day soaking up the sun. The Zipper Bag pattern is beginner friendly, but experience with box pleats and attaching zippers will be helpful. Click on the link below for the PDF Zipper Bag Tutorial.

PDF Pattern Download: Zipper Bag Tutorial

The finished bag measures: 6” (H) x 9 ½” (W) x 4” (D)

This Tutorial Requires the Following Materials:

One Fat Quarter (H: 22” x W: 18”) for Exterior Fabric in Quilters Cotton, Linen, Woven, Canvas or Duck Fabric

One Fat Quarter (H: 22” x W: 18”) for Lining Fabric in Quilters Cotton, Linen or Lightweight Woven Fabric

One H: 22” x W: 18” for Fusible Fleece (such as Pellon 987F)

One 9” Zipper

You Will Need the Following Supplies: Ruler, Scissors, Rotary Cutter, Mat, Pins, Binding Clips, Iron, Zipper Foot or Walking Foot, and Pointed Tool (such as the Clover Point 2 Point Ruler)

We, once again, went with Anna Maria Horner’s Bright Eyes fabric collection for this bag. The exterior fabric is called Visitation Lilac. This large-scale print fabric is just perfect for fussy cutting. For the lining we selected Facets Aqua. The yellow/green pigment provides the perfect “glow” to brighten-up the inside of the bag.

We love to create patterns and tutorials for you. Please let us know if you make any of these fun Beach Trip projects and tag us @little.fabric.shop so we can see your work and you can inspire other makers. We wish you fun adventures and sunny skies for your next trip to the beach! Happy Sewing!