With warmer weather just around the corner, I’ve been working hard on some swimsuit DIY ideas for you! You will be sooo surprised how simple it is to make this bandage bikini top. Seriously. You could even pair this bandage bikini with this swimsuit coverup and this bag for a complete beach look.

I came up with the idea for this bandage bikini after swimsuit shopping… again… and leaving the store with nothing. Bikini shopping alone can be stressful and frustrating enough… but when you have to bring the kids along…. it’s just ridiculous. Between the bad store lighting and the arguing kids outside my dressing room door, I left feeling like I should never buy another swimsuit again.

After I got home, I was able to whip this bandage bikini top up in about thirty minutes from this fabric. It has just the right amount of stretch so it won’t create extra creases in your sides and is the most comfortable swimsuit I’ve ever tried on.

The best part? Since you are making it yourself, this bikini can be as sexy or as conservative as you want. Make the straps wider for a more full-coverage look or keep them extra long to wrap around your torso again and again for a dramatic look.

Bandage Bikini Supplies:

• At least 18″ of ITY Stretch Fabric (I cut mine into three 6″ strips)
• Matching Thread
• Dressmaker Shears
• Ruler
• Basic Sewing Machine I will be using this serger but any sewing machine with a zig-zag stitch will work as well.

Bandage Bikini Steps:

First, cut your fabric into 6″ sections. If you are larger busted, you may want to make 2 of these strips wider to cover your breast.

Take one 6 inch section, fold it in half lengthwise (hot dog style) sew it, and flip it inside out to make a finished tube. Next, pin the short ends together to create a circle.

Slip the circle on as pictured below so it goes behind your neck and across your back. Shorten and pin the fabric to a length that is comfortable. You want it to be snug, but not too tight to strain your neck or dig into your armpits.

Sew the circle closed where you have pinned it.

Now that your circle is complete, pin the end of one 6″ strip to your circle. Sew into place. Repeat on the opposite side of the circle as well.

You should be left with something that looks like this:

Put the circular tube on again and wrap the long strips across your chest and tie in the back. You could decide to keep the strips long so your bandage bikini can keep wrapping around your stomach as well. Trim any excess you don’t need off. To get mine to wrap once around my body, I ended up trimming about 12″ off the strip ends.

When you are done, the back should look like this:

With the front looking like this:

Feel free to sew in Bra Pads for extra lining or Self-Adhesive Bra Liners for an extra lift and shape as well. It’s your bikini top! You decide how it looks.

As for me, I’m so excited to mix this tutorial up with different prints and colors. On a brave day, I might even pair it was some palazzo pants or a high-waist maxi skirt and style it as a crop top. Who knows. haha!

Thank you so much for reading this DIY! If you liked it, be sure to check out my full DIY Clothing Library HERE.

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