SUPER EASY DIY BIKINIS
Bathing suits are making a huge comeback in the style game! We DIYd two of the hugest styles this year, the halter top bikini and the scalloped bandeau. The halter is perfect for anyone looking to up-cycle some old bottoms and the bandeau is amazing a beginner sewing project!
Cost: $5 – $10 each
Difficulty: ✂
The Halter Top Bikini
We just had to share with you this high neck bikini DIY we’ve seen floating around the internet. This would be really easy to make from scratch but it’s even easier and possibly cheaper to do with a bathing suit bottom!
You’re going to need a full bathing suit bottom that has ties on the sides. We purchased an XL and you’re want an even larger size for larger busts. We got these from an Ardene outlet for under $6. The first step is to cut off the strings on the front portion of the swim suit. We will be using these later so make sure to keep them! Next cut the bathing suit directly in half at the crotch. If there’s a seam, cut directly below that. You’ll no longer need this front part of the swim suit. Where this cut is, is going to be the part of the swim suit closest to your neck.
Fold this over and hem a simple straight line for a clean edge. Next we are taking the strings that we cut off earlier and sewing them to the top to be our neck ties. Sew them on securely using a needle and thread with the string facing vertical, rather than horizontal or out on an angle.
Repeat this on the other side. It’s that easy! Tie it up around your neck and back and you’re good to swim and look cute while doing it.
The Scalloped Bandeau
Now we’re going to show you how we made this scalloped strapless bikini. This second method is a little more complicated, but we love the result so much!
We purchased a 1/3m of nylon fabric “swimsuit material”. We’re using two triangle bikini inserts from an old bikini we already had but you can easily find new ones at a fabric store as well. Start with your fabric folded in half with the good sides together, place on of the inserts on top about 1 inch away from the fold. The fold will be the center line of the bikini top. Next, pin around the inserts to keep the fabric together and to roughly figure out the size of our bandeau top. Start to draw on the scalloped edges with a fine tipped marker. Our scallops were about ½ in tall and about 1 ¾ in wide. We made 5 full scallops, which took us about 11 in out from the center fold. Make sure when you do this, it’s in a straight line and not in the rounded shape of the final bikini. When we gather it later, it will create the curve.
After you’ve gone roughly 11 in out from the center, you can begin to slope downwards to create the tie. Since we want the top and bottom of our bikini to be symmetrical, fold your fabric in half again, this time lengthwise. Re-pin to hold your fabric together and then begin cutting out the scalloped edges. After the scallops, we cut down on a slight angle for about 17 in until we reached the folded edge. This will be the tie up straps at the back of the bandeau. Next take some of your scrap fabric and fold it in half and then again in half lengthwise to simulate the fabric we just cut. Hold it together with some pins. With this, we’re making an inside lining piece that will hold our inserts in place. Make sure this fabric is wide enough to cover both of your triangle inserts but not taller than you scalloped piece because we don’t want it peeking through. Once you have the size right, you can cut it now. You should now have a large rectangular scalloped piece and your smaller rectangular piece.
Using some more scrap fabric, cut out a small rectangle. Sew this to each side of your inserts to connect them together. We made them about 2 in apart. Now place your inserts in the middle between your large piece and your small piece. Pin this whole sandwich together. Sew all the way around your inner lining piece so that your inserts can’t fall out. The final step is to gather the bandeau in the middle. Using another piece of scrap fabric, cut it into a long rectangle about 3 in by 6 in. Fold it length wise in thirds to hide all of the raw edges. Wrap this around the center of the bandeau until it’s as tight as you’d like. Cut off any extra length and then stitch the ends together on the inside to make a perfect little gather. Now your strapless scalloped bikini is ready to be tied up and you’re ready to get your beach on!
Check out the full video below for more detailed steps!