Do you have a bridesmaid dress that you know you will never wear again, but paid so much money for that you can’t part with? Sounds like the perfect fodder for craftiness, and Samantha Baldwin has a great idea for one:

How to make a ruffled pillow from an old dress:

(link and photo via Craftzine)

Yet another idea is to cut the dress into squares and make a quilt. In my case, a taffeta, shimmery bronze quilt. Might work with some other fabrics thrown in… And this would even make a great memento for the bride.

You can also alter the dress to be a cocktail dress, or something even less formal- but many fabrics used for bridesmaids dresses are a dead giveaway. If the fabric is super formal, how about a table runner or some dinner napkins?

If you’d rather skip all the work, there is also the Donate My Dress. They accept any formal gowns worn once (or so) to give to underprivileged girls who want to go to prom. Aww, so warm and fuzzy.