How to Reuse or Repurpose a Wedding Dress
After getting married, many brides may put their wedding dress in storage to pass down to a future generation or save it just for sentimental reasons. Some brides may find it more advantageous to reuse or repurpose a wedding dress instead of putting it in a closet. Giving the wedding dress a new life can be a much better option than to have it hidden for years.
Baby Blankets
Considering how large a wedding dress typically is, you can make several baby blankets out of it. You can make some for your kids, future grandkids and nieces and nephews. Another option is to make some to donate to a homeless shelter or hospital, which can be nice to give to parents of babies, especially if they do not have many possessions or are financially limited.
Shawls
A shawl makes a nice item for a woman to wear out for an evening or to a formal event. You can make several out of the wedding dress; they can also be wonderful to pass down from generation to generation. If your dress is beaded, consider making one or two extra special ones from that part of the dress.
Fabric Flowers
Fabric flowers are beautiful to make from a repurposed wedding dress. One option when creating the flowers is to make a bouquet of them. After you create the flowers, use a hot glue gun to attach them from the base to plastic stems. It will be nice to have a beautiful reminder on display from your wedding. Another option is to create hair accessories or pins from the fabric flowers. These flower hair accessories are perfect to wear to a casual outing or as something to give a bride as a “loan” or “borrowed” item for her wedding day.
Runners
One type of runner you can create from the wedding dress is an aisle runner to use during a wedding. If you have enough fabric from the dress, you can make one that goes completely down the aisle. Your future children may not want to wear your dress if it’s not their preferred style, but they can at least have a part of your wedding incorporated into theirs, passing along the tradition. Another option is to make a few table runners from the dress. They can make excellent decor for your dining room table on holidays or for special occasion dinners.
Donate
There are many places to donate a wedding dress for a woman that may not be able to purchase one at full price or has the funds to purchase one at all. By donating a wedding dress, you could help make a bride’s day memorable. Check locally for organizations that will accept previously worn wedding dresses.
Reusing or repurposing a wedding dress may be difficult considering the sentimental value, but it could be worth it. It helps you to get much more use out of an expensive and important item you may otherwise just wear once and then put away. You can also help pass on a beautiful item, or multiple items, to those that will love them as much as you once loved your dress.
