So I'm putting some ideas together. I've looked at patterns and fabrics, clearance racks and ebay, and I think I've figured out how a girl on a tight budget could actually make her own wedding dress with little sewing ability and at a budget price. Let's aim for less than $100. Remember, most people have more than $500 to spend on a wedding, but everyone is looking for ways to save. Maybe making your own wedding dress isn't something you'd want to do. That's great! But there are lots of women out there who really don't have the cash to spend hundreds on a dress, then the food, invites, pictures, cake, music, flowers, oh my gosh the list never ends.
The idea is mix and match fancy tops with fancy bottoms. Add the details, add the veil, add the jewelry. Piece together the masterpiece! First the tops. Here are some possibilities I found. The tanks are all from either
Body Central or
Victoria's Secret. You can use these, add the skirt and be done. But to make it more personal and more of a wedding gown, buy a nice white spandex tank top and pick your favorite tutorial below. Think of the tank top as your frame. The blank canvas for your bridal gown masterpiece!
As far as making this stuff goes, I'm not a seamstress either, but some of this I think you could handle. I think even I could handle it. It's about breaking it down into parts. Taking on one project at a time. First of all, you'll need a mannequin, try searching thrift stores or garage sales. Hit up Craigslist or Ebay too.
Here's one from Amazon.com
that might be a good deal.
Now, let's break down the ideas for the skirt part of the wedding gown. There are many options, depending on what kind of dress you're going for. The most popular are tulle, bustle, and sheath or A-line. We'll take a look on how to make those three types.
Here's a
free peasant skirt pattern. It looks fairly easy too and you can't beat free.
Got 20 minutes? Here's a
20 minute Simple Skirt Tutorial, would be better for a shorter skirt, maybe just below the knee.
Gotta love something that's called "super easy." Here's a
super easy skirt tutorial from Boulevard Designs.
How about a circle skirt? The fabric is literally cut in the shape of a circle which creates instant volume but also allows the skirt to move and is very elegant. This pattern can work for a wedding dress assuming you're not adding a bunch of extra stuff under the skirt like a petticoat. You'll see what I mean when you click on
this link. And remember, square dancing is cool so be nice. Here's another circle skirt tutorial from
Making Things.
Take for instance this tutorial on
how to make a tulle skirt. I think I could handle this and the cost is very reasonable.
How about a cute bustle skirt?
This crafty lady made one for her daughter in an hour. Come on, if she can do it, you can do it! Her tutorial is nice and easy too. You may, however, want to make yours a little bigger.
Here is probably
the best tutorial on how to make the bustle skirt. She made it for a theater performance I think so the fabric is obviously not a traditional wedding look but she's offered great pictures and instructions on how to make this design.
Now, the A-Line skirt which is probably the second easiest after the tulle skirt. Below are some easy tutorial links showing exactly how you can transform a simple A-line skirt a gorgeous part of your wedding gown.
Over at
Ruffles and Roses, she's got an easy A-line gathered skirt tutorial. It's really cute. Remember, you'll be making yours at any length you want. The tutorial gets you through the gathering on top, how to cut the fabric, where to put your seam, etc. Make yours long, short, whatever!
Here, a talented contributor talks about how finding fabric that already contains an intricate pattern can save you money and time down the road.
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Here's an example of an A-line skirt silhouette.
Pairing a strapless tank with a slim A-line skirt, then
sewing together the skirt and tank, then the entire
fabric frame covered in delicate lace with a white ribbon
belt and a flower embellishment makes an affordable
version of this dress. What do you think? |
If all of this seems like too much to handle, remember, it is perfectly acceptable and equally as creative to find a pattern and have a seamstress do the actual sewing. It's still a dress designed by you and will most definitely cost you less than off the rack at a boutique. Click
here for some more ideas on finding a pattern.
Have an idea? Share it here by posting a comment below. Let's all help each other out.
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Being asked to be a bridesmaid is a huge honor, but can be a little scary too. There's a lot to pay for as a bridesmaid. Most likely the list includes the dress, shoes, jewelry, hair/makeup, presents for the parties and showers, manicure/pedicure, and the wedding gift. Again, it's an honor, but something to consider. Maybe this is a good opportunity too to remind brides that they should be as considerate as possible with the expenses of the bridesmaids. Hint, hint. :)
So I had to improvise. I first browsed through magazines, found some ideas, then I would draw a design on a piece of paper, take that to the fabric store, find a pattern similar or mix two patterns together to find the exact look, and I took my idea to a seamstress. She made my dress and with the cost of the fabric, the whole thing was around $60. Not too bad for a dress that was totally original, exactly what I wanted, and didn't break the bank. And really, how cool is it to say you designed and created your own wedding dress?
If I could go back in time, I would absolutely create my own dress. My whole wedding, with 250 people and a budget, had to be planned completely in three short months. I do not recommend that kind of stress. But looking back now, I wish I would have taken the time to really look into other options. For instance, the blue dress with straps in the picture, this is a classic look that I believe could be replicated for a wedding dress. In fact, I'm going to try it this summer when I get my sewing/crafting room up and running. Think it's do-able?
