This diy beach coverup post is a paid collaboration with JOANN. All opinions and dance moves are my own.
Several years ago, I saw an ad for the simplest beach coverup I had ever seen. I immediately thought, “I could make that in like 30 minutes.” It only took me a couple of years, but I finally decided to try it out, and it really is so easy!
Thanks to the no-fraying nature of knit fabrics, there is very minimal sewing in this project. It lends itself to being a very beginner-friendly make. So head over to your local JOANN, and pick up the following supplies.
DIY Beach Coverup Dress Materials
- About 2 yards of knit fabric (I used this one)
- One yard of foldover elastic in a matching color (or contrast if you want some extra flair)
- Sewing machine (or hand sewing tools instead)
- Matching thread
The first step for this diy beach coverup, is the cutting. You basically need to cut a large rectangle. I played around with the fabric–wrapping it around me in a similar style to the final result–to see how wide I wanted it to be. I ended up wanting it to be about 65 inches wide, so I folded my fabric in half, and cut it about 32.5 inches from the center fold. (The final measurement was 65 inches by 34 inches)
My fabric is a 2-way stretch knit. I cut the it so the stretch would be perpendicular to the ground. So instead of the stretch wrapping horizontally around my body ( like I have usually done with knits), I had it run lengthwise up and down my body. When I cut it, the selvage edge was the top edge of the coverup where the straps were added. Due to the draping of the coverup, I didn’t want the extra stretch to make it too loose.
I used a tank top that fits me, and followed the angle of it to cut the underarm curve. I ended up making it just a little bit shorter since the straps I added are different than the tank top I was using.
After the curve was cut, I continued to cut the width of 32.5 inches from the center fold all the way down.
*If you have a serger, this is the best time to serge the edges before moving on. It’s optional, but may be useful in helping the coverup to last.
I waited to cut the length of the coverup until after I added the straps. I wanted to try it on first, then decide how long I wanted it to be.
For the straps, I took the yard of foldover elastic and cut it in half. If you have awesome muscles or otherwise curvy arms, you are probably going to want to have more than a yard of foldover elastic so you can alter the length to be the most comfortable for you.
After stay-stitching the underarm curve, I took each piece of foldover elastic, and sewed the ends together by using a zigzag stitch with the right sides together.
I then sewed the foldover elastic onto the coverup by aligning the middle of the elastic with the raw edge of the underarm curve.
After one side was completely stitched, I folded the elastic over to enclose the raw edge of the fabric completely, then sewed on top of it again. This time, I continued sewing until the whole elastic had be sewn with the fold in place.
With the straps attached, I was ready to try on my beach coverup. I used a pin to mark where I wanted the length to sit, then I cut the excess fabric. It ended up being about 34 inches long.
At this point, you can be done! If you are a perfectionist, you may want to stay-stitch the edges of the coverup. I tested several different overcasting and zigzag stitches to finish the edges on my machine, and they just weren’t working. I finally opted to simply stay-stitch the edges to give them a little bit more reinforcement.
You may also choose to round the edges of your coverup. I did this by gently curving the outside corners using my rotary cutter.
And then, it was done, and I was happy!
The coverup can be a little confusing to put on if you haven’t seen how it’s done before, so I made you this special gif with the help of my 6 year old and a special photobomb by my one year old. You’re welcome ;)
How to wear it
If you’re a fan of easy coverups, you may want to check this one out too.