How to Make Something Beautiful Out of Your Wedding Gown

Many women have hopes of handing their wedding dresses down to their daughters and have carefully preserved them for that reason. However, there are many reasons why this may never happen. The dress may be from a previous wedding, you never had a daughter or your daughter would like to choose her own dress -- these are just a few scenarios. Make something beautiful out of your wedding dress by recycling the fancy fabric, lace and embellishments. The things you make can be used as gifts for someone's wedding or items for your home.

Things You'll Need

• 8-by-10 picture frame
• Lightweight cardboard
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Spray adhesive
• Stick glue
• Wedding announcement
• Craft glue
• Measuring tape
• Iron
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Seam ripper
• Satin cord, 3/4 yard
• Safety pin
• Measuring cup
• Lavender

Instructions

Framed Wedding Announcement

1. Remove the back from the picture frame. Place the back on lightweight cardboard and trace around it. Cut out the shape.

2. Apply spray adhesive to one side of the cardboard cutout. Place a flat section of the wedding dress over the cardboard, with the right side up. Smooth the fabric with your hands. Turn the cardboard over and cut the fabric, using the cardboard shape as your guide.

3. Apply stick glue to the four back corners of the wedding announcement. Center the announcement on the fabric side of the cardboard.

4. Cut small pieces of lace, appliques or other flat embellishments from your wedding dress. Apply craft glue to the backs of the embellishments. Place them glue side down, on the fabric board, surrounding the announcement.

5. Place the decorated announcement in the frame and replace the frame back.

Wedding Dress Sachets

1. Cut one rectangle of fabric, tulle or lace, from the wedding dress, 5 1/2 inches wide by 16 inches long.

2. Fold the short ends to the wrong side 2 inches and iron. Pin the folded ends. Sew along the folded edges 1/4 inch from the pinned cut edges. Sew along the folded edges again, 1/2 inch from the pinned cut edge. This will create a casing for a drawstring with a 1 1/2-inch header.

3. Fold the rectangle in half, with the right sides facing and the short ends matching. The casing ends are the top of the sachet. Pin the side edges. Sew a 1/4-inch seam allowance along the pinned edges. Turn the sachet right side out.

4. Insert the tip of a seam ripper into the casing, beside a side seam. Cut a 1/4-inch opening with the ripper. Repeat on the other side of the seam and on both sides of the other seam. These are the openings for your drawstring.

5. Cut two pieces of satin cord, 14 inches long. Tie one end of one cord around a safety pin to use as a guide. Insert the pin through one slit and through the casing. At the opposite seam, bring the pin out the first slit and back in the next. Continue through the casing to the first hole. Tie the ends together in an overhand knot. Thread the other cording in the same way, starting on the opposite side edge of the sachet. Tie the ends together.

6. Fill the sachet bag with 1/2 cup of lavender. Pull the drawstring ends to cinch closed.

Tips & Warnings

• Embellish the frame of the announcement with sequins, buttons or beads from the recycled wedding dress.