Summer means lots of water, lots of swimming -- and a backpack for carrying things like 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. Ours is washable and lined with water-resistant nylon, and it takes only an hour to complete.

Tools and Materials
Preshrunk cotton (one 14 1/2-by-32-inch rectangle)
Nylon (one 14 1/2-by-32-inch rectangle)
Pins
Cord (two 4-inch lengths,plus two 50-inch lengths)

Beach Bag How-To
1. Stack 14 1/2-by-32-inch rectangles of preshrunk cotton and nylon, right sides facing; pin and sew shorter ends together using 3/8-inch seam allowance. Turn inside out to hide seams.

2. Stitch across ends again, using 3/4-inch seam allowance, to create a channel. Fold end to end (nylon-side out); pin sides. For bottom loops, fold 4-inch cords in half; place inside the bottom corners, ends aligned with fabric edges. Stitch sides, catching ends of loops (do not sew channels closed). Starting on one side, thread each end of a 50-inch length of cord through each channel. Repeat from the other side.

3. Turn bag right side out. For straps, thread an end of each drawstring through the loop below it and tie ends.