How can I reuse or recycle a wedding dress?
We’ve had another question from Ruti:
How could I recycle a wedding dress? I sewed it out of white satin and it is a skirt, bodice and separate train, also quite a bit of spare material and some small bits of netting (I’ll keep the veil).
I don’t really want to give it away, but I’m not going to wear it a second time!
So far I’ve thought of christening gown (if I ever had a girl), undies/nightdress and kiddy angel costumes. I’d kind of like to make some really frilly baby room accessories if I ever had a girl, but has anyone got any non-clothing suggestions?
If you’re want to keep it – but not bothered about keeping it in one piece, I’m sure there are loads of lovely keepsake craft sections – the satin might make a nice cushion or as the lining of a jewellery box. Or to pull in a suggestion from last week’s post on picture frames, you could use the net in an old frame to make a jewellery display for earrings and the like.
Any other suggestions?
(Photo by lumix2004)
While I donated my wedding dress I kept the 10 foot train and veil. From that I made 2 pair of pillowcases, used lace edging to trim wedding gift towels, used the veil and lace to make bathroom window curtain – matched the towels. Used more of the train to make a couple of lingerie cases to use for travel, several small cases for jewelry and about a dozen sachets with lace trimming for gifts.
Look at the dress as yardage, then decide what to do with it.
You could make a beautiful collage out of the different elements of the dress, maybe adding bits of your invitation, program, wedding date, etc. It would make a perfect Valentine’s gift for your hubby.
i think pillows for yourself are a wonderful idea.. so you can remember your wedding every night.
mmmm – cute : )
Sew parts of your dress with something that your husband wore into a quilt.
Cover a photo album for your wedding pictures.
I love ALL the ideas and comments. How fun can this be! One other thought, since you sewed it yourself, you could also make a miniture version. I see wonderful doll size outfits made by fashion’s most creative names in many international fashion events. They include everything in minute detail. Also, as another sewing project, a beautiful white blouse, in a combination of the fabrics always looks striking with a pair of black slacks or a slim skirt. Good luck!
Nancy
Yes, there’s some really good -and very romantic ideas : ) I think whatever I do, I’ll save some for a little doll’s dress too, just in case I ever have a girl.
My Colleague sooooo loved this doll idea and said she ill do the same : )
wonderful!
Why not dye the dress and shorten it – a perfect cocktail dress.
Thanks- it can’t absorb dye though, because of the fabric type.
My mom had a beautiful wedding dress that I used to take out and admire. Then one day it was gone and she said that it had shredded and she threw it out. So you may want to consider just saving it, packed away, as it may carry a different meaning as time goes on. After all, you made it yourself. (By the way, I also made my wedding dress and still have it.)
I kind of made 2 lol! This is because I had a legal ceremony as well as a Christian one. I’m keeping the dress from the legal one because it is yummy crushed gold satin (and better sewn), but the other one I’ve decided to keep only the veil (mainly because I hand sewed 6 meters of ribbon to the fine netting and it took absolutely ages, all those little little stitches!
My daughter’s biolgical mom passed at age 29. When my daughter married, I took the gown apart and used the fabrics to cover ring-bearer pillows. I then restitched the lace, beading, etc. onto the pillow as embellishment. I made two — one for her and one for my son when he marries. They turned out really nice and will serve as a wonderful reminder of her Mom as well as her own wedding. Enough fabric, etc. remain to make Christening gowns.
I keep checking back to read the stimulating and interesting suggestions, expereiences and thoughts for your project. I savor the part of the creative process that is the thinking of ideas, the mulling them around, the pre-action — and this is all happening here! Ruti you’re revealing more details and we’re being pulled into it, so don’t leave us stranded, share with us your decisions whenever that happens!
I’m thinking a bit of each! The doll thing is definately a goer (along with PJs, christening gown and angel costumes (if I had a girl!). I love the ideas in the first post as well as the quilt (always wanted to try that 1 day)and a lacey pillow (again, maybe if I had a girl, cos it wouldn’t go with our bedroom. I keep on checking!!!! I don’t think I’ll have the free time to make till about a year or two’s time, so I’ll store all the ideas and see how much I can get out of 1 dress!!!!! Am loving all the ideas – well done everyone!!! Love Ruti
I made an Elvis costume for my grandson when he was about 5 out of a beautiful satin wedding gown, using the appliques on the yoke, belt and bellbottoms. We took him to the photo studio and they took a great picture of him with a black background. He still likes Elvis at 18 and is proud of that picture of him with his arm in the air, pointing to Elvis in heaven!
I bought a beautiful full skirt in a moire large check at a thrift store once because I thought it would make a nice round sidetable’s tableskirt for the Christmas holidays. I will have to cover the actual round tabletop with a large circle, probably of a coordinating fabric, and will cover with a round piece of glass for protection. Don’t know if this would work in your home’s decor or not but thought that I would throw the idea out there. (Of course the skirt is still in my “projects” box – but someday!)
You cant really recycle it but you CAN make new clothing from it. Or possibly sheets for covers. xx
I am going to design and make Bridal Hair Pieces out of my wedding dress. The dress has alot of decorative pearls with lace. It’s really hard to find unique hair pieces. All I will have to buy are the bases for the pieces.
Why not use parts of it to make storage for the veil and dress you are keeping? You could easily make a couple of drawstring bags, or cover a paper hatbox, or even make a zippered case out of the other dress.
My mother cut down an old wedding dress for me to wear as a costume one Halloween. One of the few costumes I vividly remember.
I’m getting married this year and I plan to get my dress put into a frame so I can hang it at the top of my stairs.
I’m loving the idea of the bag for the veil. Elvis idea made me laugh! Very creative. How about 3d stuffed fabric dove or angel ornaments? anyone know where I can get a pattern?
love Ruti
About 30 years I bought a greyt/beige moire taffeta, and around the same time bought a complete circle sort of patchwork skirt in three shades each of cream/pricot/beige, with a blouse made to go with it.
It was gorgeous back, but this is now. Couldn’t bear to part with it, so I have decided to pull all three articles to pieces and intend, ambitiously, to make a crazy quilt with the pieces, plus a few embellishments to go with it.
That might be a thought.
Adrienne Lewis.
Melbourne.
Australia.
That might be a thought.
We were donated a wedding dress from 1967 for our communal rag rug and I have been using the flowers from the bodice on it http://abscraft.blogspot.com/ but as yet can not find a use for the wedding dress itself as it is velvet and will fray too much if rugged. Might use on the windows.
Many years ago my mom made very simple star Christmas ornaments from my aunt’s wedding dress. The dozens of stars have since been passed down to her daughters. We just love decorating our trees each year with memories.
I love the Christmas ornament thing! That way you could enjoy the dress every year. Mine is packed away in a box collecting dust. I don’t think I could bear to cut it up though. One of my sisters did where our Mom’s dress however and I have two daughters so maybe. . .
Another sister of mine has a ruined/stained wedding dress and so she wants to do something with it so I’m looking for her. Hopefully she will like some of these ideas!
i saw in a magazine where somebody made a christmas stocking from the satin and along the top they had used a piece of mink that they had recycled from another piece of clothing. if i was a crafty type person i would make this for my daughters. another thought would be to maybe make a xmas tree skirt? that would go well with the ornaments from a previous person.
Hi, I cut up your old wedding dress to make fabric flowers used to design a keepsake flower bouquet. You can enjoy it in a vase instead of storing the dress in a box under the bed. I recently completed a project where the mother provided her and her mothers wedding dress which I used a design a bouquet for the daughters wedding day.Check out some of my designs on the website.
oh,,,,,here is me website http://www.floralalternatives.com
Recycle your old wedding dress into fabric flowers.
I have started a company that will recycle your wedding flowers,
Repurposed Petals. Repurposed Petals is an Atlanta based eco-friendly boutique company that is focused on assisting eco-conscious clients recycle flowers used during their events and facilitate the donation of these blossoms to others so they may capture the essence of joy that flowers bring. Most importantly we do all the work!
Feel Free to contact me at 404-667-5476.
“Recycling Blossoms to Brighten The Day”
Use it to create special pillow cases, etc. for the bedroom.