Anyone who’s ever been a bridesmaid in a wedding knows full well what happens to that poofy, sad dress after its moment has passed.  It ends up in the back of the closet in its original dryclean plastic never to be seen by human eyes again (until you clean out your closet or move).  But it doesn’t have to be a total waste!  Here are some ideas on how to find a wearable place in your wardrobe for your old bridesmaid dresses.

Turn a poofy dress into a cool skirt.

Turn that poofy dress into a cool cocktail skirt

Dresses that have that indescribable “scratchy” taffeta material can find new life as a fun cocktail skirt.  Just get your seamstress to chop off the top portion and to shorten the skirt portion to a length that hits just at or above the knee (depending on the skirt’s structure and length).  If the dress has an attached sash, keep it as a built-in belt or remove it as a separate piece that you can wear with other outfits.  Wear your new skirt with a turtleneck in the winter or a simple, solid-colored cotton tank in the spring and accent with an awesome strand of pearls, layers of chains, or a long pendant necklace.

Take it off

Chop off the sleeves, shorten it, or make it strapless.  With the help of your seamstress or a crafty friend, you can find a number of simple ways to make the dress work just by reducing it to its best parts.

Break out the paintbrush and go to town!

Get REALLY crafty

Remember that adorable Kenley from season 5 of Project Runway?  She got really creative with paint and won rave reviews from the judges.  You can do the same and have a ton of grade-school art-class fun with fabric paints.  This will especially work well on those dresses with that aforementioned “scratchy” taffeta material.  Just be sure to plan out your pattern on paper first and sketch it on the dress or use stencils to create cool designs on the front, to the side, or on the bottom.

You can also add different materials to create completely new looks.  Take the top from a strapless dress and add straps or have a separate knit or woven material sewn for the bodice, keeping the bandeau part in tact.  Shorten a dress and add a cool contrasting but complementary material as a border on the bottom.

Bare essentials

Strip the dress to its bare minimum by removing all those extras (floral attachments, sashes, lace, etc.).  Add a crinoline skirt underneath a stiff and shortened cocktail-like dress.  Top off with a cool sash belt in the same color in a whimsical pattern like polka dots or stripes for a retro look.  How about shortening those gloves and wearing them out for a night on the town?  Or you can slim down a dress to create a simple sheath.

Get creative, work with your friends, look through magazines, and consult with your seamstress to get some great ideas on what to do with that dress.  It’s fun, it’s green, and it’s the best way to get more bang for your buck from that $200 dress!