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.

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.

Keep your everyday items safe from the summer sand and splashes of water with a log cabin patterned iPod cover or eyeglass case.

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.

Embellish Dr. Scholl's sandals and turn them into fashionable -- and functional -- works of art.

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.

Bedecking small household objects, such as these terra-cotta planters, with china fragments adds a delightfully unexpected flourish -- and requires only a few plates per pot.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

These coasters will give your home a summery feel, suggesting the casual atmosphere of the seaside with their cheerful hues and nautically inspired coils of cotton rope.

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.

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

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.

A perfect gift for a Memorial or Independence Day host, these patriotic tumblers are created using a process similar to eglomise -- the 18th-century French technique of painting directly on the reverse side of glass.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.