The classic white wedding dress is always a bit of a conundrum. You want it to be perfect, but when will you wear it again? I love this clever wedding dress transformation over on Colour Lovers. Erin had her dress altered, losing the sweeping mermaid tail, and then her mom did some incredible hand-painted flowers on the fabric. The result is simple and elegant and eminently wearable, without losing the special quality of the original dress. Well done!
Even better, Erin kept all the leftover fabric for other projects:

“The “butt bow” from the back is a single piece of fabric that’s perfect for a christening blanket. I haven’t researched patterns for a christening gown yet since I don’t plan on needing it for a few more years. I think I saw the tradition of using your wedding gown for a christening gown while researching Irish wedding traditions. I was looking at Irish and Slovenian traditions to see if anything spoke to me as being unique.”

Check out the Colour Lovers article for the exact tools, colors, and process Erin’s mom used for transforming the dress.