You've been handed your diploma, thrown your cap in the air and graduated. Now what are you supposed to do with your graduation gown? There are many creative ways to dispose of your gown without throwing it in the trash. Instead, turn the gown into a gift for a younger friend, donate it back to your school or sell it to another person who might need it. If you're feeling especially creative, turn the gown into a memento, such as a quilt, that will always remind you of your graduation.
Step 1
Donate the graduation gown to an younger classmate at your alma mater who will be earning her diploma in the years to come. The school probably won't change its colors, so the gown can be reused when it's time for your friend to graduate. You could also save the graduation gown at home for a year and then give it to your friend as a graduation gift. She'll appreciate the thought, as well as the money saved by reusing your gown.
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Step 2
Give your graduation gown back to your school. Many high schools and universities have created programs to reuse gowns donated from graduates. These gowns might be given to low-income students who couldn't otherwise afford one, or to students who want to save the material from going in a landfill. Check with your school to see what kind of program it has in place for donating gowns.
Step 3
Sell your graduation gown. List your graduation gown in a newspaper's classified ad or on an Internet auction site. Make sure to list all the details of the gown, including its exact color and manufacture, so buyers will know they're getting the right make for their school.
Step 4
Create something from your graduation gown. Its long fabric can be used in a variety of projects, including as the base of a quilt or for pillowcases. Use a pattern to turn the gown into a fashionable dress. Most graduation gowns provide a few yards of fabric that can be created into almost anything you can sew.
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