Keep your little ones out of the sun with a beach tent. Use our easy DIY beach tent tutorial to make your own and make your beach vacation even more fun. This easy tent is a perfect beach accessory to bring along to your beach or San Diego vacation.
DIY Beach Tent
We love everything about the beach! The combination of crashing waves, smooth sand and warm sun make the shore a perfect vacation destination. Make your day at the beach more comfortable with this simple and easy A-frame Beach Tent. It's perfect for keeping little ones out of the sun and keeping your spot on the beach easy to spot! It takes less than an hour to make, is extremely portable and very cute.
Beach Tent Supplies
3 yards of heavy weight fabric
Four 1” x 2” x 48” whitewood moulding
Three 3/4” x 48” poplar dowels
Drill with a 3/4" spade bit
Sewing Supplies
Beach Tent Frame
Building the frame only requires drilling eight holes. Measure six inches from the top of each board and mark the spot with a line using your pencil. Place the point of your 3/4 inch drill bit on the center of the line and drill a hole. Turn the boards over and measure 1.5 inches up from the bottom. Draw a line with a pencil. Drill a hole in each board using a 3/4 inch drill bit.
Build the frame by making an A-frame on each end of the tent with two wooden boards. Then, place the wooden dowels through the holes.
Beach Tent Cover
The cover is simple. If your fabric is about 44 inches wide already, you will NOT need to cut anything off the width. If your fabric is 60 inches wide, you will want to take about 16 inches off of the entire width of the fabric piece. This remaining scrap of fabric can be used later to create a carrying case! Turn the raw edge over about 1/4 inch and sew. If you didn't have to cut your fabric, don’t worry about this step.
Next, fold the top end of your fabric under about 3 inches. This is going to make the "pocket" that the wooden dowel will slide through. Sew across the folded seam. Place your first pocket on the dowel and stretch the fabric up over the center dowel and down towards the third dowel. You will see the tent shape form. Pull the fabric so it is very tight and pin along where your second pocket will be.
After making several tent covers, we have found that the tent is not necessarily square. Do not cut the fabric unless you have tested it on the tent and are certain that it will fit all the way across the dowel. Pin the fabric in place, sew along your pinned line, then cut the excess fabric away from the back. It's as easy as that!
Beach Tent Bag
If you had 60 inch fabric and want to utilize the extra piece you cut off earlier in the process, you can make a carrying bag for the tent. Fold the fabric in half with the right sides together so it forms a long thin tube. Sew along both sides. Turn the bag right side out. To finish the top, fold the top edge under about 2 inches. Sew it into place. Tie the top closed with a ribbon, rope, or twine. Enjoy your day at the beach with your homemade beach tent!
Be sure to check out all of our beach vacations. From the southern California shores of San Diego and Huntington Beach, to the islands of Hawaii and the coasts of Mexico, we will find the perfect vacation package for your family - and at the perfect price. Book online or call our vacation experts at 855-GET-AWAY!
Join the Conversation!
Leave A CommentAdelleMarch 27 2017
Jen, Duck Canvas would work just fine. I chose canvas for my tent. You don't want it to be SO thick that you can't sew through it. You could check with the fabric store helper if you are concerned. I have actually made one with cotton fabric and it was really cute too! Just not as durable for outdoor activities. Good luck!
JenMarch 25 2017
The materials list includes "heavy weight" fabric. I'm new to sewing and need more guidance with material to use. Would Duck Canvas fabric work well? Thank you for your help. I'm really looking forward to making two of these.
ChristinaJuly 27 2016
Loved making this project and cannot wait to use it!!! Thank you so much for the great tutorial!
Get Away TodayMay 12 2016
Hi Gigi, That should totally work. We'd love to see it when it's done!
GigiMay 11 2016
If your fabric is 60 inches long, could you just use longer pieces of wood and make a bigger tent?
Get Away TodayMay 06 2016
Hey Kerri, That's a great idea! Thanks for sharing and enjoy your tent. :)
Kerri May 05 2016
I just made this tent and love it!! The only thing I did differently was drill a hole through the ends of the dowel rods and used golf tees as a pin. My son kept knocking it down as he was crawling around, so Grandma offered a solution :)
Get Away TodayJuly 15 2015
Hi Brittany, It might be a little tight for two smaller adults. You could make two or squeeze in close. :)
BrittanyJuly 14 2015
Would this be big enough for a couple smaller adults?
AdelleJune 02 2014
The tents that I have made did not need anything to keep the dowel in place. It was a snug fit and there wasn't any slipping. If your dowel is not tight, you may need to wrap a little bit of tape around it to make the connection tighter. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.
AzureMay 30 2014
Do you use a pin or something on the dowel ends to keep them from coming out of the frame?