Add color and pattern to your summer table by simply sewing tea towels together to create table runners.

Protect your table from cold summer drinks with these embellished cork coasters.

Whether you're seeking shelter from the hot sun or a midsummer storm, our handcrafted, perfect-for-summer ideas will keep you busy all afternoon.

Crochet these open-stitched summer bags, ideal for transporting items to the beach or to a picnic.

Whip-stitch lanyard around leather to make accessories like a mouse pad, card wallet, pen case, or sleeve for an iPad.

Give decorative pillows a summery makeover with a sleeve that slips right over them.

With just a can of silver spray paint, you can transform straw hats, slippers, and totes into chic make-it-yourself accessories you’ll use all season.

These cool accessories find their inspiration in summer camp projects. Grab some traditional lanyard and start crafting!

Perfect for summer table settings, these napkin rings were inspired by the cuff of a seersucker shirt.

Add a breezy, bighearted poppy to your summer wardrobe with these easy-to-make fabric poppies. Attach florals to belts, dresses, and hats, or tuck into hair.

Stitch a pretty sun hat with a floppy brim for you or the kids using fabrics of your choice.

Gather ornaments of all shapes and sizes and stitch them to a linen backing for a showstopper necklace. When selecting your specimens, look for a range of sizes and styles, but make sure everything is lightweight.

These whimsical little samplers only require a few supplies and are small enough to pack up and take with you to the beach or the airport. Choose from our animal, gardening, fashion, and sewing clip-art motifs, and start cross-stitching!

Create a fresh flower necklace with the kids by linking flowers to make a long bohemian strand, a demure choker, or anything in between.

Make seersucker cocktail and dinner napkins for your warm-weather party in no time.

With the help of the sun, you can capture the silhouettes of flowers and plants on pillow cases and enjoy botanical beauty all year long.

Summer sips entice everybody -- even insects. These covers, above, prettified with bandanna-style paisleys, can keep them out.

Wrap glass candleholders in textured plant leaves, and your meal will have the feel of the tropics, no matter your latitude.

Bleach is usually off-limits where colored fabric is concerned, but this decorative application gets our full approval.

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

Colorful pinwheels, made out of coordinating sheets of origami or lightweight paper, stand tall against a blue summer sky, poised to whirl at the slightest suggestion of wind.

The same oilcloth that covers your kitchen table can transport your children's lunches -- or your own -- in leak-free style.

We gave these terra-cotta pots an aged look, then trimmed them with seashells.

The scallop shell's iconic shape turns pillows into inspired home accessories.

Birch disks, stained in a variety of hues and then treated with a coat of matte polyurethane, can be used as decorative and functional trivets, coasters for drinks, and mini hors d'oeuvre trays.

The cheerful origami tops of these drink umbrellas provide a gentle shade for all your summer drinks.

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

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

Dress a serving tray or two in jaunty summer stripes.

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

Collect white clamshells to form a pretty souvenir wreath for your home.

Add a terry cloth slipcover, so plastic beach pillows will feel soft and dry, not hot and sticky.

Dressed in pretty stickers, jars of homemade preserves make delicious gifts long after the weather turns cool.

Adorn beachwear -- the kids' or your own -- with charming starfish, shell, and sea horse motifs. 

A round cotton tablecloth printed with huge monstera leaves in something close to their natural color makes a summery statement.

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

Applique sea star motifs onto a canvas tote for a seaside-inspired touch.

For cheerful containers, stain pots in colors that complement their contents.

You can waterproof a cotton or wool blanket by adding a protective backing of water-resistant fabric such as ripstop nylon or oilcloth, and safely lounge on damp grass.

Mini raffia pom-poms atop bamboo skewers create a stir. Bright-green raffia wrapped around the pitcher provides more texture.

Give an orphaned pillowcase a new home -- over your shoulder.

Rinse away grit after a beach trip -- or a wrestling match with the mower. This outdoor shower hooks right up to your garden hose.

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

Use this simple fish-print technique to make a one-of-a-kind T-shirt that's perfect for adults and kids alike.

Bamboo is as handsome as it is versatile. So it seems only natural that the material should join us at the table in the form of sturdy napkin rings.

Canvas sneakers are comfy and cool, but you may not find them in colors you want. Put a spring in your step by setting the shade yourself.

Fold your tablecloth in half a few times, and it can be easily stowed for your trip to the picnic spot.

Protect your party clothes while serving guests or whipping up last-minute treats -- without donning an outfit-obscuring coverall.

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

These fashionably printed grocery totes will have you saying "no thanks" to plastic bags.

Star-topped s'more sticks make this fireside treat even more special.

Encased in luminous yellow jars, these charming votives add an inviting glow to any summertime table.

Found objects -- seashells, stones, and the like -- can become party-perfect place cards when you use an ink pad and rubber stamps to dress them up.

A patterned trim can tie together almost any assortment of colored towels.

This windproof holder ensures napkins will stay stacked during your next outdoor party.

Brighten your tabletop with these cheerful gingham batik-print napkins.

Baking potatoes turn into custom stamps for fabric paint.

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

Even if the only water in sight is in a pitcher, you can still bring the feeling of the beach to your table with these napkins featuring vintage shell designs.