Easy Upcycle: Too-Big Skirt to Cute Strapless Dress

This is probably the easiest upcycling project you'll ever find. In order to make this strapless dress, I sewed two tiny seams. Well, I also added the wide white belt. Either way, this project takes significantly less than an hour to complete.

I purchased this flouncy skirt for 75 cents (really) from St. Vincent De Paul. It was two sizes too big, too long to be flattery and in general had way more fabric than I'd like. What it did have going for it: a cute polka-dotted pattern and pink trim, and flouncy layers that would be perfect for a short party dress.

In order to upcycle the skirt into a dress, I tried it on and pulled it up to where I'd like it to sit. I pinned and stitched darts to shape the bust. Literally, that's all the sewing I did on the actual dress. It still was pretty shapeless however, and while the slouchy, non-fitted look may be in at Forever 21, I don't really think I'm trendy enough to pull it off. I thought a wide plain white belt would be cute, though, so I sewed a long rectangle from some white cotton, which gave it an instant dress-shape.

And that's it. A nearly instant party dress which cost me less than a dollar. Not a bad deal at all. I've only worn it once this summer, but it was definitely a hit, and everyone was surprised to hear that it started out as a secondhand skirt!