Upcycle a Wedding Dress Into a Christening Gown: Introduction

Upcycle a wedding dress into a Christening gown . . . As simple as 1-2-3 and A-B-C! 

So you’d love to turn your beautiful wedding dress into a keepsake Christening gown, but you’re not sure where to start? Just remember it’s as simple as 1-2-3 and A-B-C! In this three-part mini-series, you’ll learn that once you’ve conquered your fears, the hardest part is over and it’s a fun project your family will cherish for generations to come.

For inspiration, feel free to read the story of my mom using her wedding dress to make the Christening gown my sister and I wore, and my baby wore after me.

Because it’s a real thing and a valid emotion, please don’t be tempted to skip over that fear part. If this is your own wedding dress or a family heirloom passed down to you, it may take some time to process all the feelings. If you find that you’d like to try this project, just not with your own dress, no problem. For example, my gown is still packed neatly away in the professional wedding dress pack I picked up from the dry cleaner over (ahem) 30 years ago. No judgment here!

Upcycle a Wedding Dress Into a Christening Gown: Project Overview

Part 1: Plan Your Project

• Select Basic Design Elements (dress silhouette, sleeve length, etc.)
• Choose Pattern(s)
• Consider Additional Materials (lace, trims, buttons, etc.)
  • I always love a good excuse to visit my local BERNINA Sewing Center!

Part 2:  Deconstruction & Preparation of Wedding Dress

• Deconstruct Wedding Dress
• Prepare Materials
• Select/Purchase Additional Materials

Part 3:  Construct Christening Gown

• Prepare Pattern(s), Combine Elements
• Lay Out Pattern and Cut Pieces
• Sew the Gown

Simple, right? Baby Quinn says, “You can do it!”

Photo Credit

• Upcycle a Wedding Dress into a Christening Gown

  • Introduction
  • Part 1: Planning
  • Part 2: Deconstruction and Preparation
  • Part 3: Construction