Lyla Dejesus
There are many ways to repurpose a wedding dress. Some people choose to sell their dresses, either to make some money back or to give their dress a new life with another wearer. Others donate their dresses, either to charities that repurpose them into gowns for babies who have died, or to someone in need. Some brides choose to repurpose their wedding dresses into family heirlooms, such as a christening gown for a new baby, a bridal garter, a wedding handkerchief, a bridal bouquet wrap, a ring bearer pillow, or a patch for the inside of a bridal gown. For those who are crafty, a wedding dress can be transformed into décor, such as a lampshade, a quilt, or a tree skirt and tree topper.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Donate | To someone in need, to a charity that repurposes them into gowns for babies, or to someone who makes custom items like lampshades |
| Sell | On preowned wedding dress seller sites like Nearly Newlywed |
| Repurpose | Into a christening gown, a bridal garter, a wedding handkerchief, a bridal bouquet wrap, a ring bearer pillow, a wedding dress patch for the inside of a bridal gown, a bridal bomber jacket, a quilt, a tree skirt, a tree topper, a tulle skirt, a blue formal dress, decor, jewellery, accessories, or family keepsakes |
| Preserve | To pass down to someone else |
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What You'll Learn
Transform it into a christening gown for a baby
Transforming your wedding dress into a christening gown for a baby is a wonderful way to repurpose your dress and create a family heirloom. You can work with a company that specialises in repurposing wedding dresses, or you can attempt to make a christening gown yourself.
If you want to work with a company, Unbox the Dress™ is a women-owned company located in North Carolina that offers a dress transformation service. They will work with you to create a bespoke design and will connect you with their design team to bring your vision to life. The process can take up to 15 weeks, and they also offer a storage service for any extra dress fabric.
If you want to make a christening gown yourself, you can find free or inexpensive wedding gowns online or in thrift stores to practise on before using your actual wedding dress. You can create a vision board on Pinterest to gather inspiration and decide on a design. It is recommended to use the highest quality materials you can afford and to ask for fabric samples to help with your planning. You can then make a mock-up of the gown, being careful to remove any beads from the fabric before sewing. Finally, you can lay out your pattern pieces and start cutting and sewing the fabric.
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Make a bridal garter, handkerchief, or bouquet wrap
One way to repurpose your wedding dress is to make a bridal garter, handkerchief, or bouquet wrap. Here are some instructions for each:
Bridal garter
A bridal garter is a fun and easy project. You can sew one yourself or have it made by a professional. If you decide to sew it yourself, cut a 52-inch piece of ribbon in half and align the ends of the wider lace with one piece of ribbon. Lay the straight edge of the lace on the bottom edge of the ribbon, overlapping the ribbon by 1/8 inch to 1/16 inch. Sew the lace to the ribbon, staying as close to the edge as possible. You can also add a coloured ribbon on top of the outer satin ribbon before assembling the garter. Consider embroidering the couple's initials and wedding date, or adding an appliqué.
Handkerchief
You can also create a handkerchief from your wedding dress fabric. Fold the left and right corners of the handkerchief towards the middle and press the fold with an iron. Cut out a wedding dress template from card stock and fold it in half along the dotted line. Cut out the neckline, then flip the template inside out, ensuring the shoulders are tucked in along the dotted lines. Open up the template and tape the handkerchief to the base using double-sided tape. Press both sides of the dress together and tie a ribbon at the waist.
Bouquet wrap
A bouquet wrap is a lovely way to include a piece of your wedding dress in your ceremony. You can custom design one yourself or have a company create one for you. If you decide to make it yourself, you can add your preferred designs and check out. You can also add charms, such as a Legacy Video Charm, which, when scanned, unlocks a special digital greeting.
There are many ways to repurpose your wedding dress, and these are just a few ideas to get you started!
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Create a lampshade or other home décor
There are many ways to repurpose a wedding dress into home décor. One idea is to create a custom lampshade. This can be done by wrapping the hem of the dress around the bottom of the shade and hot-gluing it in place. The rest of the dress can then be worked down around the shade, creating folds and scrunches for texture and interest. When the desired look is achieved, the dress fabric should be trimmed to sit about an inch above the top edge of the lampshade, and then glued in place on the inside. This method works best with stretchy fabric in a small size.
Another option is to use the wedding dress fabric as a covering for a lampshade. First, the fabric should be measured against the lampshade, with about two inches subtracted from the height. The fabric can then be glued to the shade with spray adhesive or craft glue. This method can also be done with wallpaper or scrap fabric.
If you are feeling creative, you could try decoupage. This involves cutting out shapes from free artwork found online and gluing them onto the lampshade with a decoupage medium. This is a great way to create a colourful collage of florals or scenery.
For a more subtle look, a plain lampshade can be dressed up with embroidery floss. Geometric patterns can be created with floss and a needle, with the ends tied on the inside of the shade. This method works particularly well with white fabric shades, as the coloured floss will pop against the white.
Alternatively, you could use a stencil and craft paint to decorate your lampshade. Stencils can be purchased from craft stores or made at home from vinyl or thick plastic. Choose your favourite design, such as damask, lattice, or honeycomb, and dab on the paint with a stencil brush or foam pad. Remember to let the paint dry completely before reattaching the shade to the lamp.
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Dye and restyle it into a new dress
Dyeing and restyling your wedding dress into a new outfit is a great way to repurpose it. This can be done by either hiring a professional or attempting it yourself. If you choose to dye your wedding dress yourself, you can follow these steps:
- Purchase enough liquid dye for your dress. For example, two bottles of liquid RIT dye were used to dye one wedding dress from white to black.
- Fill the sink with hot water and add the liquid dye, stirring thoroughly.
- Cut off a piece of the original white fabric before dyeing the dress. This can be added to the inside of the dress as a memento.
- Soak the dress in the sink, ensuring the garment can move around freely.
If you would rather not dye the dress yourself, you can send it off to a professional service. For example, The OWN Studio offers a dyeing and tailoring service for wedding dresses. They recommend having an idea of the shade you want before meeting with the dyer, as the variety of shades can be overwhelming. You can also cut off the bottom of the dress to make a cute cocktail dress.
If you are feeling particularly brave, you could attempt to restyle the dress yourself or with the help of a professional seamstress. This could involve using the train to make removable sleeves, or turning the dress into a completely different style.
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Sell it or pass it on
If you have no emotional attachment to your wedding dress, perhaps following a divorce or simply because you need more space, selling it is a great option. You can recoup some of the costs and give your dress a new lease of life. However, it's important to note that wedding dresses depreciate in value, so don't expect to get all your money back. You can sell your dress online on generic selling sites such as eBay or Vinted, or you might have more success on specialist sites such as Bridal Reloved, Still White, or Recycle My Wedding. If you don't want to sell it online, some bridal boutiques may also buy your dress.
Another option is to pass on your dress to a family member. Many brides choose to preserve their wedding dress so they can pass it on to a daughter or granddaughter. This can be a very special way to create new memories and start a new family tradition. However, if you plan to do this, it's important to store your dress correctly to prevent damage.
You can also pass on your dress to someone else in the form of a donation. Donating your dress is a great way to ensure it gets to someone who needs it and can be especially useful if you're in a rush or don't have the time, room, or energy to properly care for it. Many charity shops will happily take wedding dresses, such as Cherished Gowns, which turns them into clothing for babies who have passed away.
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Frequently asked questions
There are countless ways to repurpose your wedding dress. You can turn it into a christening gown, a bridal garter, a wedding handkerchief, a bridal bouquet wrap, a ring bearer pillow, or a patch for the inside of a bridal gown. You can also dye and transform your wedding dress into a blue formal dress or a bridal bomber jacket.
You can repurpose your wedding dress into a keepsake quilt, a lampshade, or a tree skirt.
You can repurpose your wedding dress into a gift for a loved one, such as a christening gown for a new baby or a bridal garter for a bride-to-be.
You can get your wedding dress professionally repurposed by companies such as Unbox the Dress™ and The Garter Girl.
