12 Summer DIY Projects You HAVE to Make

I was teased with some blisteringly hot days when I was in Ottawa last week, so I'm definitely ready for summer.  Spring is still a little blah and brown here, but I can see little green buds!  I'm looking forward to crystal clear water, brightly colored flowers, and long hot days in light, summery dresses.  To get prepped for the season, I rounded up 12 can't miss summer DIY projects.

A Fun Embroidered Straw Sun Hat:

There are SO many variations of this embroidered straw hat DIY around and each one is really cute.  Use anything from ribbon to embroidery floss or sequins to create a sweet message.  Here's the perfect straw hat - with a wide floppy brim, tons of room for a quippy message! 

A Graphic Beach Towel:

No one will steal your beach towel when it's so personalized!  Or maybe this will be too cute and no one will be able to resist a little thievery.  Either way, it's a snap to make these graphic beach towels: all you need is a solid beach towel (the brighter the better) and some bleach!

An Adorable Straw Bag with Pom Poms:

I love the idea of adding some sweet pom poms to an old straw bag to give it a fresh new look for summer.  Pom poms are easy enough to make, but you can also pick them up for pretty cheap!

A Tassel Trimmed Tote:

Pom poms not your thing?  You're going to hate some of these summer crafts because poms poms and summer seem to go hand in hand.  But tassels have just as summery a vibe.  This turquoise straw tote - with it's 60s vibe - is begging for a little tassel action.

A Bug-Deflecting Citronella Candle:

Oh hey, this project looks familiar!  Keep those pesky bugs at bay and keep the party going long after sunset with these pretty DIY citronella candles.  They're easy to make and a clever way to re-use old china or dishes - I scooped this pair from the landfill!

A Pretty Embroidered Fan:

A little embroidered gives a basic straw fan some visual interest and is a fabulously stylish way to keep cool when the temperature sky rockets.

A Sweet Bathing Suit Cover Up:

How sweet is this adorable DIY bathing suit cover up?  I pinned this and totally planned on making this before our trip to Punta Cana but then I got lazy and ordered this cute strapless cover up (it's the BEST) instead.  I might just add pom poms to it for the summer and call it a day.  If you're not lazy like me, this turquoise pom pom trim would be so cute!

A Pom Pom Trimmed Beach Tote:

You know what looks perfect with that pom pom bathing suit cover up?  My easy peasy pom pom trimmed DIY beach tote!  This turquoise jute fabric would look especially summery.

A Chic Straw Clutch:

For those hot summer nights, a cute pom pom trim clutch made from - of all things! - a circular place mat, how clever.

A Pom Pom Trimmed Bikini:

So, is a pom pom trim bikini under a pom pom trim cover up with a pom pom trim beach tote too many pom poms?  I didn't think so either.  You can buy a pre-pommed bikini but it's pretty pricey - it's probably way cheaper to DIY this, plus then you can focus on finding the best fit. 

A Pretty Clothespin Holder:

Now, to hand wash, de-sand, and line dry all of those pom pom pretties: my DIY fabric clothespin holder.  I still love this handy little thing - and what says summer more than line dried clothes?

A Pair of Glitter Sunglasses:

The tutorial is a bit more complicated than it might seem at first glance, but it's worth it to get these glittery shades - imagine them sparkle in the sun!  Oooohhhh, aaaaaahhhh.  

What's your favorite summer DIY?  Are you tackling anything beachy, or just excited for those long, warm spray painting days?

Lake Life Lately: Take Me Back to Punta Cana...

We're back (kicking and screaming) from Punta Cana! 

Hubby and I had never stayed at an all-inclusive resort before and it was such a bizarre experience.  Normally we holiday by traipsing through Europe in the rain, trying to take in every last castle and museum.  This was different because we never left the resort - and our wallets never left the safe.  It was weird to walk up to the bar or coffee shop and not pay.  But wow, was it nice!
 

We had such a fun time vacationing in the sun with our friends!  We unplugged, we read.  We drank too much, ate too much.  We fell asleep on the beach and developed bizarre sun burns.  It was incredibly relaxing - especially because we stayed at Breathless, an adults-only resort.  We toured the neighboring family-friendly resort and it was such a different energy.  The only bummer was that the weather was unseasonably chilly and we had a few windy and rainy a couple of days - the beach was even closed for a bit.  But we still had fun just hanging out (remember, the drinks are free!), plus we found the tennis court, which helped warm us up.  Even when it was too cold to swim, we strolled the beach and just enjoyed our toes in the sand.

I was deeply committed to fully relaxing on this trip.  I didn't bring my laptop, I barely looked at my phone, and I let my brain slip into neutral.  I also wanted to put down the camera.  I wanted to live in the moment, instead of frantically trying to capture it on camera.  So much of blogging is about always getting things in pictures and it really changes my experience of thing.  There were a lot of people doing incredibly in depth, sexy "photo shoots" in the waves - for social media, I'm betting.  One woman was completely taken out by a wave while she posed for the 100th angle, with her poor Instagram husband snapping away.  Meanwhile, I was down the beach like...

In hindsight, I wish I had more photos of the four of us - especially because I seemed to be wearing the exact same dress in the few photos we did take (despite dropping a ton of money on six new bathing suits and summer dresses!)  But in the moment, it felt so freeing to leave my camera and cell phone in the room safe.  On a particularly cold and windy day, Hubby and I did stroll around the resort and I snapped a few photos to remember how beautiful it was.

We were upgraded for free to a swim up room, which was AMAZING!  There was a squiggly shaped pool right outside our rooms and because the pool was hardly ever used, it felt like like a private pool just for us.  We were across from the "party pool" so we could hear the music and feel the vibes, without having to fight for a sought after deck chair.  I loved this little luxury so much. 

The party pool was just incredible - there was a swim up bar, too.  The whole resort had lots of places to swim and sunbathe.  The grounds were impeccably maintained, too - such beautiful plants!  

The resort rooms were gorgeous, with a little open air courtyard to greet us.  I never snapped a photo of the inside of our room because we made a mess of it in seconds, madly flinging on our swim suits for a (prohibited) evening swim our first night.  After that we put up a travel clothesline so we could wash and dry stuff, and from then on it was gotch-city in our room.  But there are some great photos on the website - the rooms really are that pretty in real life.

Sick of this dress yet?  I swear, I also bought this white eyelet one, this pretty green ikat one, this strapless maxi, this watercolor inspired one... There was even a pair of turquoise wedge sandals I have no proof existed.

To be honest, we only gussied up for dinner because during the day we tried to squeeze in as much time in the water as possible!  The resort was right on the ocean so it was a two second stroll through the resort pools, bars, and restaurants to reach the beach.  We've heard other resorts are larger and some even require a bus to reach the water.  This was so close we could hear the waves from our room.  We spent a LOT of time on the beach - you know me and being by the water!  There were a few "red flag" days, which meant swimming was prohibited due to waves, but we recklessly jumped in anyway and logged long hours in the ocean.

The ocean was GORGEOUS!  Crystal clear and surprisingly warm (as long as the weather cooperated)!  Our friends did some snorkeling close to the coral reefs but I was too scared of cutting myself on the coral.

I'm a little bummed we didn't have the nicest weather - resort staff kept apologizing for the bizarre cold front.  After spending weeks carefully buying a summer wardrobe, I spent a couple of nights wrapped up in Hubby's hoodie or under a blanket.  Although we had a few perfect days, I definitely could have been warmer, but that's just the story of my life.  Some day someone will surely engrave that on my tombstone: "Daughter, wife, feminist. She led a full life, but she could have been warmer".

Luckily the restaurants and bars were so chic (and the food was delicious), so we didn't mind lingering over breakfast or lunch while we watched for better weather.  One section of the main restaurant had a wood, green and teal theme - with cactus sculptures that I need to make right now! - that quickly became my favorite (I already shared a peek on Instagram because I was so smitten):

I left feeling inspired and I am definitely going to be adding some more beachy accents to the lakehouse, that's for sure - something to tide me over until we can go somewhere warm again!  Any suggestions for where we can escape winter next year? 



I swear, I really brought other clothes.

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DIY Beach Tote with Zipper Closure + Pom Pom Trim

I'm counting the sleeps until Hubby and I are lying on a beach in Punta Cana with friends.  Last weekend my Mom came over and we whipped up this GINORMOUS beach tote for the trip.  It's been way too long since we got together to sip tea and make something.  The funny thing is that while we were in Fabricland, trying to pick out the perfect turquoise print, we ran into my Mummu there!  I love my crafty family.

Isn't this fabric the cutest?  And there's a surprise inside:

If the pretty turquoise print and pom pom trim don't make me smile, the polka dot lining definitely will.  Plus this tote has a zipper to keep our stuff a little more secure.  We can't risk losing our sunblock because Hubby is so fair, he burns like a lobster just puttering around the yard!  

Here's how we made this beach bag - in case your feet will reach a beach sometime this year!

Supplies:

• Cotton fabric (upholstery grade also works well because it's nice and sturdy)
• Light cotton fabric (for lining - optional)
• Webbing (for the straps)
• Pom pom trim (optional)
• Large zipper
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Olfa self-healing mat (optional)
• Olfa rotary cutter (optional)
• Ruler

How to Sew a Zippered Tote Bag:

Figure out the preferred finished dimensions of your tote and cut out two rectangular pieces of fabric that size, adding approximately 6/8 of an inch for a seam allowance.  We chose a size that maximized the print (neither of us wanted to cut the feet off the little birdies).  Using a self-healing olfa mat with an olfa rotary cutter and ruler makes cutting a straight line a breeze.   

With the two sides of the tote cut out, sew the top of the tote with a large basting stitch (this will be cut open later for the zipper).  For the space beyond the zipper location, use a regular stitch on the sewing machine to make sure it's secure.   

 

Next, insert the zipper into the top of the tote.  Open up the tote and place the zipper face down on the wrong side of the fabric (where it's sewn together) and then sew a rectangle around the zipper with your machine's zipper foot. 

In these photos you'll see we started with contrasting black thread but quickly changed our minds and found the perfect aqua in my stash.  Luckily we weren't too far along before changing our minds.

Remember that, at some point, you have to cut open the basting to move the zipper tab so the seam is nice and straight - you don't want the stitching to follow a weird lump around the zipper tab.  This might sound familiar from our tutorial on how to sew a pillow with a flapped zipper.

While the tote is still open, sew on the webbing straps.  We also sewed on a piece of contrasting fabric for a bottom (to tie together the black straps and pom pom trim with the pattern), which is where the ends of the straps are buried for a neat and tidy finished tote.  We used an existing tote to figure out the length of the straps (approximately 25" from the top of the tote, plus additional length for the sides). 

Anchor the straps into the bottom of the tote (under the black fabric in this case), first.  Then sew up along the length of the straps and sew to the front and back of the tote bag.  Sew along the edges, up to the top of the tote bag close to the zipper, then back along the edge to the bottom for strength.

Cut out two pieces of fabric for the lining, the same size as the tote exterior fabric.  Then lay out the tote, right side down (wrong side facing you) and sew together the lining - but only at the edges, where the zipper isn't.  Leave the middle, where the zipper will be, open.

Fold the raw edges of the lining underneath (making sure the zipper won't catch it when being used) and then iron so it lies flat for the next step.  By hand, baste the lining to the wrong side (inside) of your tote fabric, around the zipper.

Flip the tote bag over, and, on the right side, go over the same stitching for inserting the zipper to anchor the lining fabric to the tote, without leaving a second set of stitching.  So to the eye, it looks like the same row of stitching has affixed the zipper and the lining on the opening of the bag.

Open the zipper from this point forward - VERY important step!

Pin together the right sides of the exterior tote fabric - inserting the pom pom trim if desired (so the pom poms face inward at this point).  Pull the lining fabric in the opposite direction so it's out of the way for now.  Starting at the top of either side, sew toward the bottom, along the bottom and back up the other side to close the tote, leaving approximately a 6/8" (3/4") seam allowance.

Trim the seams and then sew the bottom corners to create a nice square tote bottom.  Basically, you create a triangle by matching up the bottom and side seam and squishing it flat.  Once the corner is sewn, trim off the excess fabric.  This step is optional, but it helps create a nice shape so it's less of a sack and more of a box.  With stiffer fabric, this difference is much more prominent and the tote will sit nicely.

Sew the lining now, with the right sides together, but leave most of the bottom open so the tote can be turned right side out.  Once the tote is flipped right side out, sew the bottom of the lining and then push it into the tote, lining up the corners so everything is nice and smooth.  If the bottom of the tote has a large box bottom, the lining can be sewn into the same box shape, but it's not necessary for a smaller tote bottom like this one.  We also anchored the strap to the lining, which you'll see in photos.

Happy sewing!

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