How to recycle a bridesmaid dress

Find new uses for that old bridesmaid dress hanging in your closet.

You Will Need
* A used bridesmaid dress
* Ingenuity
* Imagination

Step 1
Take apart your dress and use the fabric by sewing the material into throw pillows, chair covers, or a runner.

Simple pillow patterns are available online.

Step 2
Sell the dress at a consignment shop, online, or at a garage sale.

Step 3
Donate your dress to a high school’s prom dress charity. Other charities and local thrift shops also accept special occasion dresses.

Check online to find local dress donation drives.

Step 4
Shorten it to a cocktail dress or alter it into a blouse or simple skirt. If these projects are beyond your skill, hire a seamstress to do the alterations.

Step 5
Lend the dress to a younger sibling or relative for a school dance.

Step 6
Wear an old bridesmaid dress as part of a Halloween costume. Be a proper Southern belle or rip the dress and go as a prom queen zombie.

Fact: Did you know? Historically, bridesmaids protected the bride against evil spirits by wearing similar clothing to confuse them.