How to Sew a Wedding Dress

Creating your own wedding dress ensures the dress will be unique and very special. A wedding gown the bride creates will add special joy to the wedding day and may also become a family heirloom. You may also make a wedding dress for far less money than it costs to buy a ready-made gown.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing machine
• White thread
• Fabric to create the wedding gown
• Scissors
• Pattern for a wedding dress
• Zipper if desired
• Straight pins
• Beads or pearls or other items to decorate the dress if desired

Instructions

1. Collect images of bridal gowns from magazines to get ideas of what style bridal gown you wish to create. As you collect images, it will become obvious which type of gown you favor. Mull over the images. You may even want to share the images with friends or relatives to get feedback and advice about your wedding dress ideas.

2. Check with friends who had a wedding dress you admired to see if you might make a pattern from their wedding dress. You may also want to make a pattern that replicates the style of an evening gown you already own. Craft and fabric stores have a myriad of bridal gown patterns available for you to browse.

3. Browse the fabrics at a fabric store to get ideas for the type of cloth you will use to make your wedding gown. Bridal gowns are often made of silk, taffeta, lace, cotton, linen, tulle, and other fabrics too. Look over the available fabrics and think about how each fabric would work with the style of dress you want to create.

4. Choose a fabric in a color that will work well with your skin tone. Also make sure that the fabric will drape properly for the style of dress you want to create. Determine how much fabric you will need for the dress. Then ask a salesperson to measure and cut the fabric for you. Purchase a bit more fabric than the pattern allows for to have extra in case of sewing mistakes. You may also wish to get extra fabric to make accent pieces like a headband or a small purse.

5. Start making the wedding dress slowly. Perform one step of the creative process each day, so that you proceed calmly and carefully. Begin by cutting the fabric into the pattern pieces for the wedding dress. Use sharp scissors to create neat edges to the fabric, which will make it easier to sew.

6. Pin the pieces of fabric for the wedding dress together, with the right side of the fabric on the inside as you pin the seams together. Also pin the fabric at the bottom of the dress to create a hem that will be hand sewn. Then sew the seams of the dress together. Remove the pins once the seams are sewn, then iron the seams down so that they lie flat. Sew the neckline of the dress to make a small turnover of fabric there.

7. Add sleeves to the bridal gown if desired. If a zipper is desired, hand sew the zipper into the center back seam. Finish the dress by hand sewing in the hem of the dress. You may also wish to sew in a small blue item to the hem or some other good luck item. If you wish to add decorative touches to the gown, hand sew beads, pearls, sequins or other items to the outside of the dress in a decorative pattern.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a sewing room where your dress fabric is safe and will not be disturbed by anyone. Sew carefully and slowly to ensure you are calm and do not make mistakes due to nerves.

• Be sure to remove all of the straight pins once you are finished sewing the dress. Once the wedding gown has been completed, be sure to store it in an area that is safe and free from risk of exposure to water, heat or sunlight.