alexa zurcher

DIY Refashioned Thrift Store Dress with #tagsthrift

(sing to the little mermaid song)
I’ve got dresses and skirts a plenty.
I’ve got black shirts with stripes galore.
You want sweatpants? I’ve got twenty.
But who cares, no big deal, I want moooooooore.

But seriously, I can’t stop. Maybe it’s genetically programed into me or it’s because of all those summers I spent shopping with my fashionista aunt, either way I love to shop. Even more than shopping, I love buying drop-dead-hit-my-head-give-me-stitches gorgeous items without breaking the bank.
And that’s why I love shopping at thrift stores. If I add another striped shirt to my closet, I know I’m at least getting a good deal. My mom taught us the art of thrift store shopping at a young age. She’s the queen of finding good deals and good brands! And if we’re being honest here, I’ll tell you that over 80% of the clothes in my closet come from a thrift store. So when I heard about Tag’s Thrift Store opening up right down the street, I about jumped for joy! Except that I was driving, so I couldn’t really jump. 😉  Brian was the one who told me about it, and I’ve been stalking the store ever since, waiting for grand opening day. Am I crazy? Maybe a little. But you already knew that 😉

#tagsthrift Before and after thrift store dress refashion #tagsthrift

Anyway, I was beyond shocked to receive an invite to take a tour of Tag’s before it opened and compete in a little contest. Dream come true! (P.S. If you’re in Utah, definitely check out the grand opening today and tomorrow in American Fork. This is not your typical thrift store, they have a bakery! With the best caramel brownies I have ever tasted. Ever. Sounds tempting, right? That’s only the beginning, my friends! 🙂

For the contest, I found a navy, patterned dress and an off-white skirt to style. I was giddy over the bird pattern on the dress. And the lacey details on the hem of the skirt? Gorgeous! Unfortunately, both items were too large, and the dress was just a tad too short. Nothing a sewing machine can’t fix, right? I love how flirty and feminine the dress feels now – makes me want to twirl! (tutorial below)

thrift store dress refashion #tagsthriftthrift store dress refashion #tagsthriftthrift store dress refashion #tagsthrift

DIY Thrift Store Dress Transformationlevel: beginner

Supplies needed:
Dress
Lacey trim or fabric for hem
Extra fabric for ruching
Buttons
Matching Thread
Sewing machine and needle

before and after thrift store dress transformation #tagsthrift

STEP ONE: Cut the lace off the bottom of the skirt. As you can see in the photo above, the skirt I found did not have a straight hem line. This made it a little tricky, but I tried to just leave an inch above the lace part all the way around.

transform thrift store dress #tagsthrifttransform thrift store dress #tagsthrift

STEP TWO: Pin lace to the slip on the inside of your dress and sew all the way around.

transform thrift store dress #tagsthrift


STEP THREE: (not pictured) take in the dress on the sides and top. I flipped the dress inside-out and while wearing it, used pins to mark where I wanted it sewn. I also pinned the top part of the sleeves. The dress was very loose on the top, taking it in on the top of the sleeves fixed that problem
STEP FOUR: After taking in the dress, I decided to add a little more detail to the dress. I simply added one rectangular strip to the front of the dress in the middle. Then, I took some of the tulle that was leftover from the original skirt, and using my sewing machine, ruched the material. (I don’t have a tutorial for the ruching method, but they’re all over pinterest and google!) Pin the ruched tulle to the rectangular piece and sew. (You could hand sew this part, but I was too lazy and just ran it through my machine.) Lastly, I chose four, mismatched gold buttons, and hand sewed them onto the ruched material.
ruched thrift store dress tutorial #tagsthriftruched thrift store dress tutorial #tagsthrifttransform thrifted dress that's too big #tagsthrift

And that’s it! I love that this dress is such a great transitional piece from summer to fall. The dress is lightweight and bouncy for summer, but paired with boots and a sweater, it’s perfect for fall! And I loved how well these earrings complimented the dress. 
ivy lane accessories earrings #tagsthrifttransform thrifted dress that's too big #tagsthriftruched dress gold buttons- thrift store dress- #tagsthrift

Mismatched buttons? Be still my heart. I almost didn’t add the front ruffle to the dress, but I’m so glad I did. It wouldn’t be the same without it.
IMG_7432_2 #tagsthrift before and after thrifed dress transformation #tagsthrift

Are you a thrift store shopper or a bargain hunter? Do you have a favorite place you love to shop? I would LOVE to hear about your favorite find or latest DIY project. Now that I have this project done, I’m ready for more. Feel free to leave me link, I’ll check it out! HAPPY FRIDAY!
P.S. I mentioned above that I entered this dress into a contest. Every time someone leaves a comment on the post, or likes, pins, shares, etc with hashtag #tagsthrift, it counts as a vote. So…if you feel inclined to do any of the above, I will hug you! Virtual hug you, but know that I appreciate it, and appreciate YOU! This blogging community is AWESOME. Love you all. XO

Comments

  1. You are SO CUTE!!! It kills me!!!

    (do I need to leave the hashtag in this comment? I will anyways)

    #tagsthrift

    Reply

  2. Oh my goodness, this is so adorable! What a great idea for taking simple pieces and making them into something amazing and unique. Love this!

    Reply

  3. I love thrift store shopping and now I am inspired even more to try new things like this! Thanks for the inspiration! LOVE this!
    🙂 Rebecca
    caravansonnet.com

    Reply

  4. I do not have the personality to go thrift store shopping. I think I am just a little too OCD, and they are never organized how I would like them to be. Lol. But I am IN LOVE with this dress! It is so cute!

    Reply

  6. I love it so much!! I need to go thrift shopping more but am just not motivated enough to take the girls and then also have to find time to spruce up things when I get home. Really I just don't shop for myself nearly enough anymore though. I need to because I need some more adorable dresses like this!!

    Reply

  7. I loooooove what you did with this dress! LOVE! So stinking cute!
    And this really makes me miss living up north (insert the ugly cry emoji!) Ah! We need to get back up there!

    Reply

  11. I love it! You are so talented! I have a weird fear of sewing machines. They intimidate me and frequently make me want to cry but weirdly enough I still want to get one. Practice should help overcome my fear, right?!!

    Reply

  13. This is adorable. and I feel as though your finished product is what the dress was meant for!!!! Well done, and I'm a tad jealous, its soooo cute! 🙂
    (do I need the hashtag in this?? I will anyways)
    #tagsthrift

    Reply

  16. You did an amazing job with this dress! The buttons and the front ruffle are the perfect touch. I didn't realize the print was little birds until that close-up shot and now I am in love! 🙂

    Seriously, more style posts. Please. You're too good at them to not do them a little more frequently.

    Reply

  17. I love the detail of the mismatched buttons, such a cute idea! I just happened upon this navy/white striped bedsheet at goodwill and I don't have a bed that size but the type of material is what I couldn't get out of my head, so I decided I'm going to try and make a skirt out of it this weekend. And your tutorial is the exact motivation I need! Wish me luck!

    #tagsthrift

    Reply

  19. Oh so gorgeous!!! When I saw the picture I was like where did she get that I want one! You're so talented, I absolutely love that front ruffle!

    Reply

  21. Cute cute cute! And the fact that the store has a bakery makes it tempting… and it's just a short drive away… I've just got to tell myself I don't need more clothes >_<

    Reply

  22. What?! You sew too? Is there anything you don't do?
    Way to go on the dress! It looks perfect on you!

    Sue//Chevron and Lace
    susanstange.com

    Reply

  23. Love this! I ALWAYS find awesome deals at Clothes Mentor. They always have great prices, and lots of Loft petites!

    Reply

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