Over spring break I had a few spare moments to work on a small project. Sometimes I don’t have time to sew an entire dress from scratch, but I’m always making alterations on pieces that I pick up at the thrift store. Keep scrolling to see a vintage dress transformation.

Before:

Personally, I would argue that there is not necessarily anything wrong with this dress in its original form. However, the length is not very practical and the sheer amount of pattern contained in this skirt is not very wearable unless I were attending some kind of clown-prom. I loved this quirky dress, but I knew that I would not have many occasions to wear it if I kept it at this length.

After:

I gave my six-dollar dress a chop at the finger tips. Who doesn’t love a mini dress? Now the dress is more playful and can be worn on a daily basis.

This was such a simple alteration. I just hemmed the bottom to a length that is flattering on me. There was so much fabric left over that I even made this cute lil’ matching scarf. Thrifting is so much more fruitful when you are able to sew. Instead of looking for items that are perfect, I often look for items that have potential and then make them perfect for myself.

Let me know if you guys are interested in more handmade pieces and thrift shop transformations!