Our best beach ideas for summer, whether you're lounging by the shore, or just inspired by its beauty.

Need a no-fuss beach cover-up? This one is a breeze to make. Stitch two cotton scarves together for a V-neck frock that's both stylish and simple.

This towel isn't just for drying off at the beach. It's crisscrossed with grosgrain ribbon for a giant tic-tac-toe board that's sure to produce hours of enjoyment in the sand.

Flip-flops adorned with fabric flowers are the perfect accessory for brightly colored shorts and bathing suits.

Camp chairs with sling seats are ideal for lounging by the sea, especially when they've been updated with beach-worthy prints.

Summer means lots of water, lots of swimming -- and a backpack for carrying things such as towels and sunscreen to the beach or pool. Your child could use her school backpack, but why not make a fresh, pretty one -- you can even coordinate it with her bathing suit.

Don't let a stiff breeze chase you off the beach. Bring along a windscreen to protect yourself from gusts and blowing sand, as well as to enjoy a little surf-side privacy and shade.

Carry a seat to the beach without loading up your arms.

Look out for blue paper fins slicing through icing waves. Some might prefer a sandy beach, so stand a drink parasol in a dune of icing dipped in finely ground graham-cracker crumbs.

Want to put your beach finds to practical use? Turn a pair of pretty shells into a soap dish. Clam or scallop shells are ideally shaped for holding bars of soap. Wash one big shell and one small shell. Make a ring of crumpled newspaper to cushion them as you work. Attach the big shell to the small shell, back to back, with a dab of two-part epoxy. Place the shells in the ring of newspaper, small shell down, so the paper supports the top shell and keeps it from slipping out of place. (Be sure the epoxy doesn't touch the paper.) Let dry thoroughly.

With ribbon, Velcro, and a few basic supplies, you can transform an ordinary towel into a stylish beach accessory.

Put your beachcombing treasures to good use by creating a pretty decorative mirror.

Embellish plain sunglasses with sequins, seashells, or confetti hand-punched from colorful paper. Just apply craft glue to the object, then press it onto the frame. (For heavier items, an adult should use craft cement.) Let dry completely before striking that movie-star pose.

Free from gritty sand and briny water, beach pails are pleasing to the eye, with their sturdy proportions and bold palette. So put them to decorative use, on display as cachepots hiding less attractive flowerpots within. Collect your favorites from the local discount store.

Sea-glass pieces and ceramic shards, another beach find, can be combined in a Calder-esque mobile, producing a charming effect when hung by a window.

A picnic at the beach deserves the proper dishes -- what could be more fitting than colorful plates posing as a lobster, sun, and seagull?

Cover up with a breezy beach wrap made from a favorite fabric.

Turn bathroom towels into an all-in-one beach mat and tote bag.

Be aware of the dangers of too much sun, but instead of stressing your way through summer, take action to build up your skin-cancer defense with our tips.

In the summer, crisp white sheets look even more inviting edged with prints made from a few flawlessly shaped scallop shells -- beachcombing for the perfect candidates is half the fun of this project.

Keep track of beach essentials -- sunscreen, novels, flip-flops -- by sinking them in a corner pocket.

With summer in full swing, our favorite footwear is flip-flops or sandals.

With a few yards of ripstop fabric, you can transform an ordinary beach towel into a durable, all-weather picnic blanket.

Ice cream and the beach are two of the best things about summer. Bring two favorites together in one sand-castle-shaped cake that's sure to delight adults and kids alike.

The beach is the perfect place to indulge any hidden architectural impulses. A little wet sand is just right for building a simple castle, an intricate palace, or even something more exotic such as a human figure, a face, or an animal. But to do the job right, you'll need to equip yourself with the proper equipment, including lightweight shovels, such as feed scoops; a bucket; funnels to create a roof for the castle's top; putty knives for fine detail work; brushes; straws for blowing sand out of tight spaces; ice pop or craft sticks; and a pouch in which to keep it all. Look for all these items at hardware, toy, or pet stores.

Protect your summer reading at the beach or pool with these stylish covers.

It's easy to transform gently wave-worn remnants such as sea glass into beautiful earrings.

Like a swimmer at the beach, seashells need a good shower before they're ready for the house. Getting all the grit out of the shells by hand is a challenge; instead, slip them into the utensil basket of the dishwasher, and run them through a cycle. They'll be clean and ready for display when they come out.

A wide-mouthed, spiral nautilus shell can double as a pearlescent vase for bedroom bouquets.

Nothing feels better than terrycloth after a swim, and a towel poncho is everything that a towel is not: It will not require one hand to hold it when its wearer is eating ice cream, and it will not unceremoniously unwrap.

Sunglasses, a book, sunscreen, and money are necessary items for a day at the beach. A convenient way to hold them all is by adding pockets to the bottom of a beach towel.

Maximize your fun -- and minimize your health risks -- with our best natural solutions for summer ailments for the beach, your yard, or wherever you spend your sunny days.

Glass and ceramic are used to make this ocean-blue-green bracelet. You'll need sea-glass pieces of the same size and color for this project.

This indulgent Orange-Jasmine treatment is made with wet sand and essential oils you've packed in your beach bag. Once you've applied this skin-softening scrub, you can rinse it off in the ocean.

Losing a set of keys in the jumble of a beach bag -- or worse, in the sand -- can put a damper on your day. But it is easy to keep them close at hand with a steel shower-curtain ring. Simply clip the ring onto the handle of your bag and slip on your key ring; you'll always have your keys in sight.

Dress up standard summer flip-flops with these whimsical decorations.

A plain canvas tote and a straw beach hat are turned into bright, sunny creations using touches of raffia.

Crabs crawl across a sweet sand dune topped with a starfish in this sculpture that looks as if it was just tipped from the pail.

Add a breezy beach house feel to any room with this clamshell wreath.

To avoid tracking in sand or soil after a day at the beach or working in the garden, set up a rinsing station just outside your door or at another convenient location. A teak bath mat provides slip-free footing and good drainage. The steady stream from an ordinary watering can cleans every unwanted speck from your feet and flip-flops or waterproof garden shoes.

A day at the beach needn't end with a bag full of sand.

Inflatable pillows make lounging at the beach even more relaxing, and they're easy to tuck into a tote.

Whether you use a baseball cap or sailor's hat to make beach headgear, your kids will love wearing it -- and their delicate skin will be protected from the sun.

Store-bought madeleines sandwiched with strawberry ice cream look just like delicate shells.

With very little alteration, you can turn one of your beach towels into a tote.

Give your flip-flops a one-of-a-kind look by decorating them with trim and embellishments.

Bits of sea glass introduce organic shapes to mosaic tiles in a tray or a geometric tile arrangement on a table.

With a little advance preparation, you can use the hours spent relaxing on the beach to actually improve the condition of your hair.

Any beachcomber will enjoy this project. Find two sticks 6 and 3 inches long. Use cotton string of varying lengths; tie one end around a shell or piece of sea glass and the other end to one of the sticks. Use two same-size pieces of string to connect the sticks. Tie a 24-inch string to the top one to hang.

Embellish clay pots with shells for a beautiful -- and practical -- container that gardeners will love.

Tote bags always live up to their name, whether they're taking towels to the beach, fruit from the farmers' market, or gardening supplies to and from the shed. They needn't look humble, however, the addition of a bold initial or vivid pattern can make a canvas bag newly stylish -- and unique to its owner.

Transform your beach discoveries into an adorable shell creature.

A few handfuls of beach sand brought home from a day spent at the shore can be used to create homemade sand-paint for no-slip outdoor steps.

You can use oversize shells to bring a touch of the seashore -- and a bit of romantic atmosphere -- to an evening at home.

Sea glass can be combined with ceramic shards and shells to form a beachy necklace.

Substitute the usual plastic shade of a night-light with a shapely beach treasure.

The scallop shell's iconic shape turns pillows into inspired accessories. The linen covers can be store-bought or hand-sewn. 

This homemade satchel has quite a few tricks up its sleeves -- er, pockets. For one thing, it's not simply a tote bag; it's also a beach towel.

Turn your towel into a sarong with Velcro closures. Wrap a towel around your waist. Pin one side of Velcro inside towel flap; position corresponding strip on towel's facing side on the diagonal. Stitch Velcro in place.

The shells that the ocean cast at your feet this summer -- the ones you so fastidiously collected -- make lovely remembrances of the season with candles formed inside them.

Over the years, the seats of old, reliable beach chairs may begin to tatter, fray, or show other signs of wear and tear. If you need to replace a seat or simply want to customize your chair, try ticking -- a washable, durable, and attractive fabric traditionally used to cover feather mattresses and pillows as well as to line suitcases and suits.