DIY Monokini

A monokini gives you the all-over coverage of a one-piece bathing suit with the sexy cuts of a bikini. These flattering bathing suits can be made at home using existing one-piece bathing suits and a little patience. Knowing how to make your own DIY monokini gives you the ability to strut your stuff at the beach or pool knowing nobody else is going to be wearing your design. Does this Spark an idea?

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One-piece bathing suit
Marker
Scissors
Fabric roll
Fabric glue
Handheld sewing machine

Instructions

- 1
  
  Put on the one-piece bathing suit. Smooth it on comfortably, wearing it as you would in public.
- 2
  
  Use the marker or a wax crayon to mark a half-heart shape starting just beneath rib cage area of your right breast. Make the curve of the half-heart move inward toward your navel, but taper it inward before you reach your navel, making the end of your half-heart reach just above your right hip.
- 3
  
  Repeat Step 2 under the rib cage area just beneath your left breast. Remove the bathing suit when you are done.
- 4
  
  Spread the bathing suit out in front of you with the seams matched evenly. Cut out the half-heart from each side of the bathing suit, cutting through both the front and back sides of the bathing suit. When you remove the half-heart panels, they will each unfold into whole hearts if you have cut them out correctly.
- 5
  
  Measure the outline of the cut areas of the bathing suit. For instance, the cut-out outline on one side of the bathing suit may add up to 24 to 36 inches. Cut two strips of durable fabric matching this length and measuring about 1 inch wide.
- 6
  
  Squeeze a line of glue along the center of each strip of fabric. Fold the fabric edges inward over the glued area and press firmly. This creates perfectly hemmed strips of fabric that should measure no smaller than 1/2 inch wide each.
- 7
  
  Thread a handheld sewing machine according to your model's directions. This may include dropping a bobbin into a loader in some models or it may require extensive threading depending on what brand you use.
- 8
  
  Turn the bathing suit inside-out. Squeeze a line of fabric glue down the center of one strip of fabric that matches the circumference of the cutout of each side. Press this glued strip of fabric evenly over the edge of the cutout. This covers the edge so that it doesn't fray. Firmly wrap the strip of fabric around the edge, following the whole edge of the cutout on the one side of the bathing suit. Do this evenly so that 1/4 inch of fabric drapes on each side of the cut edge. Repeat this step with the other strip of fabric and the other side of the bathing suit.
- 9
  
  Secure the strips of glued fabric in place with the handheld sewing machine. Follow the strip of fabric that is hugging the outline of the cutout with the machine using a tight hook stitch.