woman wearing sun hat and loose beach cover up holding beach bag

Easy DIY Beach Cover Up

Week 22

Earlier this week I learned about the environmental impact of sunscreen and how harmful convential sunscreen ingredients are for marine life. There are low-waste, sustainable suncreen options, but one of the best ways to protect the environment is to cover our skin to protect it so we don't have to lather on the lotion.

I plan on spending a lot of time at the beach this summer, so I used an old, cotton sheet to make a long sleeve beach cover up. I'm going to show you how to make it, without needing a pattern. If, however, you prefer to use a pattern, this Free Dress Pattern from Martha Stewart has a similar look.

What you'll need:

  • Lightweight fabric - I used a full flat cotton bed sheet that was headed to Goodwill. You would need 1.5 - 2 yards of 44" wide fabric.
  • 1/4 inch elastic - 46 inches
  • Sewing machine and supplies
  • Optional: serger for finished edges
  1. fabric rectangle cut out on table

    Cut two 24" x 20" rectangles for the sleeves and two 32" x 26" rectangles for the body.

  2. fabric on measuring grid with marks at 6 inches and ten inches

    Fold each rectangle in half, long sides together. Along one corner of open edges, measure 6" across the short side and 10" down the long side. See next picture for clarification.

  3. drawing of what the rectangles and measurements should look like

    Draw a straight line between the two measured points - the dotted line on picture above.

  4. triangle cut away from fabric

    Cut away the triangle you just measured out.

  5. close up of serged edge

    Make sure each sleeve is folded right sides together and sew or serge the open long edge. Put the two body pieces right side together and sew or serge down both long sides.

  6. body fabric piece inside out next to sleeve fabric right side out

    Keep the body inside out, but turn the sleeves right side out.

  7. close up of fabric sleeve pinned inside fabric body pieces

    Put the sleeve inside the body, seam to seam, and pin the open edges together as pictured. Repeat on the other side

  8. sleeve sewn to body piece

    Sew or serge to attach the sleeve to the body.

  9. close up of serged edges

    Serge or zig zag stich around the neck, cuffs, and hem to keep the edges from fraying.

  10. fabric edges pinned down

    Pin the neck, cuffs, and hem up about 5/8", wrong side to wrong side. Sew each pinned edge with a 1/2" seam allowance. On the neck and cuffs, leave a 1" opening for the elastic.

  11. scissors and strips of cut elastic

    Cut two 8" pieces of elastic for the cuffs and one 30" piece for the neck.

  12. safety pin stuck into elastic about to go into fabric slit

    Insert the elastic into the cuff and neck pockets, using a safety pin to help guide it through.

  13. elastic pulled through cuff causing fabric to gather in tight circle

    Stitch the elastic ends together and stitch the 1" gap closed to finish your cover up!

You should have a few fabric scraps left over from this project. Save them to make reusable cotton rounds!

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