At the risk of sounding bepsf-ish, I think a horrible bridesmaid dress only makes a pretty horrible pillow. The sample shown looks like it should be in a coffin! Sorry.

Great idea, if the bridesmaid dress is a color that will look good in your house. Unfortunately, the color of the next one I have to wear is so hideous that I can't even do this with it! I'll keep it in mind for the next time, though.

Normally, I love love all your reuse projects.

But. (I know don't you hate the compliment followed by criticism) In this case I don't agree with turning a perfectly functional dress into a pillow. Please please please donate it instead and let someone here (and if not sold here those clothes are shipped overseas) have something 'pretty' to wear. You wouldn't believe the things I've seen proudly worn in India/Pakistan that are obviously 'ugly' dresses here.

That said, torn, ruined, stained clothing...l'm on the case, pillow case that is :)

Yeah so um...I would've liked to link this article to my recently married friend's FaceBook page, but you used the word "UGLY" in the title. And she's recently married, which means SENSITIVE AS ALL HECK and there's just no way I'm going there. Great idea tho.

This could be a cute idea for a housewarming gift for the newly married couple. Or, a passive-aggressive jab if they stuck you in a hideous color. Lucky me, I have lovely women in my lives who have chosen dresses I actually will wear again.

You can also donate dresses to an organization like the Cinderella Project (http://www.cinderellaproject.net/); that dress may not be something you want to integrate into your wardrobe, but it could let a high schooler go to their prom/winter formal/fancy dress event of choice.

I agree with edgardo60: Ugly in -> ugly out

There's also a group here in Minneapolis and St. Paul that upcycles unwanted or unused dresses and turns them into works of art.

http://countercouturedesigns.com/

@edgardo60 --

Ouch!
A guy takes a vacation and next thing you know...

Just save the dress, your daughter can wear it when she dresses up as Carrie for Halloween in high school.

My friend's who like to dress in drag would be very upset if I did this.

Oh welcome back bepsf!

It's a great idea- and a lovely cushion cover in the pic!

Of course it was more years ago than I care to remember, but the peach satin with organza overskirt? No. The multi-color blue/green/white "watercolor" pattern "seersucker" fabric? Oh, GOD no! The mint green satin... nope.

Let's face it, the wedding industry is out to get our money, and there is no hope for anyone who is honored to stand up with their friends!

Lori & Zoee--

Thanks everyone!

It's amazing how a long vacation makes you look at your home differently:

I've been itching to get started on some projects - first one was new draperies for the bedroom this weekend, the next one is repainting the kitchen...

My grandmother used to go to the Gunne Sax outlet to buy lacy dresses for pillows to put on her antique french bed.

OK, if it was an ugly bridesmaid dress you probably didn't feel that great in it, so why would you want to perpetuate that particular memory of an event? The frills are often the cause of the problem.

Best bet with old bridesmaid dresses, since they're only worn once, is to donate them to one of the groups that offers dresses to high school girls for prom. Before that option became known I remade some of mine into a quilt titled 'Revenge of the Bridesmaid' and gave it to my friend to line her dog's bed (he shredded it to death and I was never so happy). A word of wisdom to brides: bridesmaids never consider you a true friend again after you've made them wear dayglo orange!?@!

You know, I'm all about giving clothes to people who need them but I just don't think there is a shortage of unwanted bridesmaids' dresses in the universe. And really, they're not practical for anything except formal occasions, which are not what most needy people are worried about dressing for anyway.

And edgardo60: I think you have out-bepsf'd bepsf. Hopefully he came back from vacation in fighting form!

i did this 4 years ago. im not a DIY person so i took it to a seamstress and gave her a drawing. then i gave it to the couple as part of their wedding gift. fortunately the dress was a deep chocolate brown and that was also a color in their home decor. they loved it... a special memento of their wedding day. even the best bridesmaid's dresses never get worn again. definitely a lemonade out of lemons deal.

I love this idea, in theory, but I really don't like that pillow. Blech! Not my style at all. Wonderfully creative idea, though!