60 Beach Ideas

Flower Flip-Flops

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

How to Make Flower Flip-Flops

60 Beach Ideas

Souvenir Sling Chair

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

Make a Souvenir Sling Chair

60 Beach Ideas

Easy Kids' Beach Bag

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.

How to Make an Easy Kids' Beach Bag

60 Beach Ideas

Portable Windscreen

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.

Portable Windscreen How-To

60 Beach Ideas

Sand Castle Candles

Save some sand after a day at the beach and create a lasting reminder of summer fun using beach toys as candle molds.

How to Make Sand Castle Candles

60 Beach Ideas

Beach-Chair Strap

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

Make a Beach Chair Strap

60 Beach Ideas

Shark and Beach Cupcakes

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.

Get the Recipe for Shark and Beach Cupcakes

60 Beach Ideas

Seashell Soap Dish

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Hand-Towel Beach Bag

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

Make a Hand-Towel Beach Bag

60 Beach Ideas

Shell Mirror

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

How to Make a Shell Mirror

60 Beach Ideas

Fancy Shades

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Beach Bucket Cachepots

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Sea Glass Mobile

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.

How to Make a Sea Glass Mobile

60 Beach Ideas

Picnic Plates

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

Make Picnic Plates

60 Beach Ideas

Simple Sarong

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

How to Make a Simple Sarong

60 Beach Ideas

Beach Towel Tote Bag

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

Make a Beach Towel Tote Bag

60 Beach Ideas

Summer Skincare

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.

Get the Tips from Whole Living

60 Beach Ideas

Shell Sheets

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.

Shell Sheets How-To

60 Beach Ideas

Beach Towel with Pockets

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

Make a Beach Towel with Pockets

60 Beach Ideas

Embellished Sandals

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

Learn How to Embellish Sandals

60 Beach Ideas

Ripstop Towel Picnic Blanket

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

Make a Ripstop Picnic Blanket

60 Beach Ideas

Vanilla-Pecan Sand Castle

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.

Get the Recipe for Vanilla-Pecan Sand Castle

60 Beach Ideas

Sand Castle Tool Kit

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Waterproof Book Covers

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

How to Make Waterproof Book Covers

60 Beach Ideas

Sea-Glass Earrings

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

Sea Glass Earrings How-To

60 Beach Ideas

Washing Shells

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Bedside Seashell

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

Instructions for a Bedside Seashell

60 Beach Ideas

Towel Poncho

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.

Make a Towel Poncho

60 Beach Ideas

Roll-Up Beach Towel

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.

How to Make a Roll-Up Beach Towel

60 Beach Ideas

Summer Skin and Health Tips

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.

Get the Tips from Whole Living

60 Beach Ideas

Sea-Glass Bracelet

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.

How to Make a Sea-Glass Bracelet

60 Beach Ideas

Beach Body Scrub

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.

Get the How-To from Whole Living

60 Beach Ideas

Shower-Curtain Key Ring

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Pom-Pom Flip-Flops

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

How to Make Pom-Pom Flip-Flops

60 Beach Ideas

Raffia Tote Bag and Hat

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

Make a Raffia Tote Bag and Hat

60 Beach Ideas

Sand Bucket Angel Food Cake

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.

Get the Recipe for Sand Bucket Angel Food Cake

60 Beach Ideas

Shell Wreath

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

How to Make a Shell Wreath

60 Beach Ideas

Watering Can Shower

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Mesh Beach Bag

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

Make a Mesh Beach Bag

60 Beach Ideas

Terry Cloth Pillow Cases

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

How to Make Terry Cloth Pillow Cases

60 Beach Ideas

Kids' Beach Hat

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.

How to Make a Kids' Beach Hat

60 Beach Ideas

Strawberry Shellies

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

Get the Recipe for Strawberry Shellies

60 Beach Ideas

Beach Towel Bag

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

Make a Beach Towel Bag

60 Beach Ideas

Embellished Flip-Flops

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

How to Make Embellished Flip-Flops

60 Beach Ideas

Sea-Glass-Tiled Tray

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

Sea-Glass-Tiled Tray How-To

60 Beach Ideas

Protective Hair Treatment

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

Learn How to Make a Protective Hair Treatment

60 Beach Ideas

Shell Wind Chimes

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Shell-Covered Pots

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

Make Shell-Covered Pots

60 Beach Ideas

Custom Beach Tote

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.

Make Your Own Customized Beach Tote

60 Beach Ideas

Seashell Koalas

Transform your beach discoveries into an adorable shell creature.

How to Make Seashell Koalas

60 Beach Ideas

No-Slip Steps

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.

Instructions for No-Slip Steps

60 Beach Ideas

Seashell Mood Lighting

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

How to Create Seashell Mood Lighting

60 Beach Ideas

Sea-Glass Necklace

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

How to Make a Sea-Glass Necklace

60 Beach Ideas

Seashell Nightlight

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

Make a Seashell Nightlight

60 Beach Ideas

Printed Seashell Pillows

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

How to Make Printed Seashell Pillows

60 Beach Ideas

Kid Towel Tote

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.

Kid Towel Tote How-To

60 Beach Ideas

Terry Wrap

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.

60 Beach Ideas

Shell Candles

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.

Shell Candles How-To

60 Beach Ideas

Ticking Beach Chair

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. 

How to Make the Ticking Beach Chair