Hey guys! Watch the video below to see how I flipped this Salvation Army shirt into a $166 Camila Coelho bikini for just $8! It’s a super easy and fun project. Keep reading for info on materials, costs, and more.
So, I’m back today with another swimwear sewing tutorial (big surprise, I know). This one is a little bit different though because…
Today we’re upcycling!
I am a huge fan of thrifting and upcycling, first and foremost because it’s cheap, but secondly because it’s better for the planet. It’s also just plain fun to see what kind of great stuff you can find!
In this video, I decided to make a Camila Coelho bikini because I absolutely love her style and collection. The only problem is, it’s way out of my budget.
Since I know I’m not the only one with this issue, I thought showing you how to thrift/upcycle this suit would be the perfect solution.
For this swimsuit, I used a stretchy old shirt with a color that matched Camila Coelho’s bikini as closely as possible.
If you can’t find something like it, obviously you can use any color you want. Or you can even find giant old swimsuits at the thrift store and use those as your fabric!
It might seem gross, but the nice thing is that you know the fabric will hold up in water that way. So that’s probably what I would recommend.
Now, let’s talk about what else to look for in materials.
Materials:
Just so you know, I’ve added a link to most of the materials below so you know where to find them. I’m not an affiliate for any stores mentioned; these are just the products I use and shops I buy from.
- Fabric – I wanted to make this an upcycling project, so obviously I just used a giant Salvation Army t-shirt that cost $3.99.
But in general for swimwear, I’d recommend using fabric specifically made for swimsuits.
With that said, here are my favorite shops to buy fabric from:
- Fabric Fairy: This is probably my top go-to spot for swimwear fabric. (Though I’ve discovered lots of other great ones lately that I listed below).
But everything from here is super high-quality, soft, and not see-through at all!
- Knit Fabric: Another of my favorites with high-quality, quick delivery swimwear fabric.
- Nafeel – favorite Etsy fabric shop: They have some of the most gorgeous, feminine, high-quality fabrics I’ve ever gotten – and you can even make custom prints!
- Fabric.com: Another of my favorites, plus if you’re bundling this with other fabrics, they have tons of choices.
- Eco-friendly swimwear fabrics: Though they’re a bit pricier, they’re better for the planet and are super soft & comfy! Check out my full review of Repreve fabric here.
- Fabric Fairy: This is probably my top go-to spot for swimwear fabric. (Though I’ve discovered lots of other great ones lately that I listed below).
- 1/2 to 1 Yard lining fabric – I almost always just buy lining fabric in bulk from Joann Fabrics. They often have coupons online or in their app, so it’s a great place to stock up on it.
- Matching thread – I like to use 100% polyester thread for swimwear, since it’s nice and durable. You can find this at pretty much every fabric and craft store.
- Supportive tear drop-shaped padding – I often pull these out of thrifted or old bras/swimsuits or get them from Hobby Lobby because it’s the only place I can find them in town (though I tend to avoid shopping there if I can since the CEO’s beliefs differ so greatly from my own, but that’s beside the point).
- C-shaped hoops – I also found these at Hobby Lobby.
- Sewing machine, of course! If you’re new to sewing and need a machine or just want to know what my favorite machines are, check out this list of my favorite affordable options.
Total Cost for This Camila Coelho Bikini (Recreation):
I love to be as transparent as possible about everything, which is why I also wanted to share the cost of this project. That way, you can weigh it against your normal alternatives.
Salvation Army t-shirt: $3.99
Lining fabric: $2.99 for half a yard
100% polyester thread: $1.99
Tear-drop padding: $1.70 ($9.99 for a package of 6, which I cut into tear-drops)
C-shaped rings: $3.99
Total cost: $14.66
Although I realize it’s more work making a swimsuit than buying one, this way you can make it fit exactly right. Plus, it’s the same price or less than fast fashion brands!
That’s just something to keep in mind next time you’re considering buying from a fast fashion brand (no hate if you do, but just some food for thought).
Obviously the cost of materials will be lower for big brands buying in bulk. However, it’s important to point out that, if they’re using quality materials, it still won’t exactly be cheap. And that’s just for the price of the materials, NOT the craftsmanship behind the final product!
Now, imagine you’ve just bought a swimsuit for $20 from Forever 21. Do you think the person who made that swimsuit was paid fairly for their time?
I’ll let you decide, but if this isn’t the first swimsuit you’ve made, you know how much work goes into it!
Just something to think about. If you’re thinking about fully making the switch to sustainable fashion, check out these 6 easy and affordable alternatives.)
Now just watch the video above for step-by-step instructions
Go back to the top to watch the video right here or click here to open it in a new tab.
This bikini was honestly super easy to make and probably only took about 5 hours (including the extra time for filming). So be sure to give it a try!
Also comment below or on the YouTube video if you have any questions. I’d be more than happy to help.
Good luck and happy sewing!
Here’s the final product next to the Camila Coelho original (and yes, obviously I’m really at the beach in this ).
Clearly, mine isn’t exactly the same, but if I’d been able to find a slightly darker shirt and bigger rings, they’d probably look identical! So if you’re going for an exact look-alike, you might want to make those changes.
But honestly, this would look great with any color fabric and I’m actually thinking about making something similar in black for a good go-to bikini. So feel free to play around with it and have fun!
Thanks for reading/watching! Until next time.
Love,
Emily
P.S. – For similar upcycling/swimwear tutorials, head over to the swimwear tutorials page here.