Crafty Ideas

I want to say I've heard of people having them made into fancy quilts/lap throws, but i have no idea if that would work or what would be involved.

Did you see the idea on Pinterest of having your toddler/ young child have their photo taken playing dress up in your wedding dress? A photo of that might be a cute way to commemorate and preserve the idea of the dress, if as others have suggested the material wouldn't hold up.

I'm wondering if the fabric won't degrade quickly in the sun as curtains. You don't say what sort of fabric it's made of... I think that has a lot to do with the dress's 'second life'.

If it's long and poofy decorative kind? maybe make a canopy thing to go over the top part of your bed? Or decorate your headboard? Romantic!!!

I would quilt it, personally.

Well, my husband and I are still building our family. If we have a girl, I'm planning on having a baptism gown made for her from the train of my gown. My son was baptized in my husband's baptism gown.

I would say that it all depends on the dress, the fabric, style etc. However, I am not one for "repurposing" wedding dresses personally I think the fabrics that *most* affoardable dresses are made of are more one time useage.

I'm using part of mine to wrap my daughter's wedding bouquet in her July wedding!!

Do you have granddaughters? I would make some stuff for them, doll clothes, Barbie clothes, a play clutch for now, enough materials put away in a safe spot to make a clutch or something later (prom, marriage, babtisim or christening gown for a future great grandkids).

Do you have grandsons? Just put enough aside for a future daughter in law present or baby gift one day. Not many ideas for boys sorry. Maybe a pillow (so they always have you near them even if there away (camp, grandmas, ect.)

Just crafty? Take some of the pretty lace and put it on top of a pretty paper, drawing , whatever that matches your decor, find a cool frame.... Instant art! Or paint the lace put it over white paper, frame. if the lace isn't very tight knit, put some over paper spray paint and remove lace. I can't remember where I saw this (google lace pottery). This lady uses lace as part of her pottery, haven't looked it up myself but article said there are instructions online to do it. Do you put up nativity scenes or Christmas village up for the holidays? Hello snow! Cristmas tree skirt, fluffy bunny land, corpse bride.... The list can go on forever.

I wouldnt personally only use the material to make stuff that at some point will be old and ratty and need to be thrown out. Make sure you do one little thing that you can keep forever.

Good luck! Have fun!

BTW I saw it was a forty year old dress, I assumed it was your originally, so I talked of grandkids, if you younger and this was your moms dress, don't take offense to me referring to grandkids...I'm not calling you old! Again, good luck and have fun!

Give it to someone who needs a wedding dress and can't afford to buy one.

Baby blessing dress or quilt for a grandchild.

What about making quilts with it. You can make several and give them as gifts to your chilren and grand children. You need only to incorporate a few patches into each quilt.

Toss pillows for your bed, or as part of a family quilt.

And save some pieces of it, a friend of mine showed me on her wedding day how she sewed a square of her great-great grandmother's (whom she never knew) wedding dress into the lining of her gown, it made her feel so special and connected to family on her day : )

frame it, using UVprotected glass! Makes a stunning piece of art!