Creative ideas for an old wedding dress


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You walked down the aisle in a wedding dress that made you feel special. For once in your life, you had the opportunity to say “Yes, I Do” to the man you’ve always wanted to spend the rest of your life with. After the wedding day ends, what you have left with is a bridal gown you’ll never wear again. That is also especially true for divorcees looking to get rid of their wedding gowns. But here’s the deal:

You can repurpose your bridal gown into something more meaningful following your wedding.

Creative ideas for an old wedding dress include donating to charity and upcycling it into children’s clothing or evening wear. Renting it out for profit, and keeping it as an heirloom to pass down to future generations. You can also create keepsakes and decorative items, such as album covers and throw pillows, from the dress.

We’ll look at these and more ways to repurpose an old wedding dress in this guide. So keep reading to learn more.

6 Creative Ways to Repurpose Wedding Dresses

Tearing up and burning your bridal gown is the worst way to get rid of it. Keeping it in your closet with the rest of your clothes isn’t a good idea either. So what is?

Well, here are five creative ideas for an old wedding dress that can get you more value for your bridal gown:

1. Sell It

A bridal gown is the most expensive dress you will ever buy. But it’s a piece you can wear only once in your lifetime. Now that the big day is over, and perhaps you don’t feel like giving the dress away as a gift because you’ve spent a lot of money on it, you can sell it online fast and get back a portion of its total cost.

You can sell the dress fast for 50% (or more) of its original value. But it would be best if you were upfront about the quality of the dress before you list it for sale.

Some of the best places to sell your old wedding dress fast are:

  • Wedding Bee: Besides solid advice and helpful tips for couples planning to wed, Wedding Bee has a marketplace where you can sell your old wedding dress fast.
  • Nearly Newlywed: The Nearly Newlywed is suitable for those who don’t mind paying high commissions. They make the selling process hassle-free by doing everything, from shipping to payments, for you.
  • Stillwhite: You’ll pay $20 per listing. Or you can opt for the $30 option that includes a home page gallery. Use this calculator to find out how much you’ll get if you sell your old bridal gown on Stillwhite.
  • Tradesy: With Tradesy, you set your price. It’s free to post a listing, but you’ll pay a 19.8% commission if your dress sells.
  • Poshmark: Post your wedding gown for sale on Poshmark at zero cost, but be ready to pay a 20% commission if your dress sells.

To increase your chances of selling the dress fast, have it professionally cleaned and preserved. Then, take some great photos to incorporate into your online listing.

2. Rent It

If you’re looking to recoup some of the cost of your wedding gown, but you don’t want to sell it out completely, consider renting it out. Unlike a one-time sale, renting out your bridal gown provides you with a steady stream of income.

Companies such as Borrowing Magnolia and Rent My Dress can help you with the rental process. The trade-off is that you have to devote some time to managing the rental process, including determining how long you’d like to rent the dress.

3. Donate the Bridal Gown to a Charity

Donating your wedding gown is a great way to share some of the joy you had on your big day.

You can send it to organizations that resell bridal gowns at rock-bottom prices to assist new brides and donate the proceeds to a dedicated charity.

You can also donate the dress to institutions that provide dresses to women in unique circumstances, such as those serving in the military or those recovering from a serious illness.

4. Preserve the Dress for the Future Generation

Cleaning and storing a wedding gown properly can ensure that it remains in beautiful condition for decades.

Have the dress washed immediately following your wedding day to keep sweat and food stains from setting in and ruining the fabric. Then, store the gown in an airtight container to avoid oxidation. This is similar to rusting, except that it concerns the harm that air can do to delicate clothes.

If you follow the cleaning and preservation process to a tee, your gown will remain in good condition for decades.

5. Upcycle the Gown Into an Evening Wear or Children’s Clothing

You can upcycle an old wedding dress into a completely different type of cloth that you can wear from time to time.

If you have some sewing skills, you can convert the gown into a special occasion cocktail dress, a lacy sundress, an evening attire, or a silky kimono.

You can also contact companies that repurpose wedding dresses to upcycle the gown for you. Unbox the Dress is a good example of an agency that can transform your wedding gown into a new design that you’ll love for a lifetime.

Alternatively, you can upcycle the old wedding dress into children’s clothing. For example, you can repurpose the gown into a silky blanket for a newborn; a christening gown for a one-year-old, or a beautiful headband for a baby girl.

Upcycling your old wedding dress into a child’s dress is easier because you’ll use a much smaller fabric. Also, repurposing the dress into a child’s clothing is a great way to demonstrate the importance of your marriage to the next generation.

6. Repurpose the Dress into Occasional Wear by Dying

Many modern wedding gowns are made of synthetic fabric, such as polyester satin. Re-dying synthetic cloth is not straightforward, but it’s possible with the help of a chemical called Disperse dyes. With Disperse dyes, you can easily transform your wedding gown into a stylish red dinner gown or a bright blue sundress.

Conclusion

There are many creative ideas for an old wedding dress. So think of what you would like to turn it into and have it repurposed.

If you opt to keep your wedding dress at home, either as an heirloom to pass down to the next generation or as a gift for your daughter to wear on her wedding day, make sure you preserve and store it properly so that it stays in good condition for 20+ years.


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