My sister is getting married this summer, and I’m one of her bridesmaids. A few weeks back she sent me an e-mail about bridesmaid outfits. Here’s what she had to say:

I would like to keep this as simple as possible and let everyone
pick their own navy blue skirt and white tank top.

To pull the look together, I would like everyone to have the same necklace:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/117533159/yellow-bubble-necklacedrops-of-water

For the skirt, pick any navy blue skirt. Keep in mind it should be
around knee-length and not a pencil skirt (don’t want to look like we
are going to work). I am thinking A-line. I found one that works:

http://www.modcloth.com/shop/skirts/effortless-is-more-skirt-in-blue

After breathing a sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to wear some poofy bridal shop confection, I hit the thrift stores in pursuit of the perfect skirt. And I found one rather quickly, except it was the wrong color. Rats!

I decided to try it on anyway – it fit perfectly and was only a quarter, so I decided to buy it and redye it to the color that I needed. Surely khaki would be easy enough to dye.

A quick trip to Walmart netted me a box of navy dye for around two bucks.

After reviewing all of the dying options, I decided the washing machine-method sounded like the way to go. I filled the machine with hot water, and added the dye and the cup of salt that was recommended for cotton.

Then, I rinsed the skirt in hot water, added it to the washer, and let it soak for thirty minutes.

After rinsing the skirt, and running it through the dryer, I had my navy skirt, and it was even better than I expected.

See the white stitching? Apparently the skirt was put together with a synthetic thread, so it didn’t get dyed blue. I love how the stitches stands out against the blue.

And the buttons kept their original color, too. I now have the perfect skirt for my sister’s wedding, and it only cost me around $2.25. Thrift stores come through again!

Want to try your hand at redying clothes? Save money by reworking second-hand finds, as I did; or rework things that you already own. Redying is a great way to cover up stains or to revitalize outfits that you’ve grown tired of.

Jewelry making is a fun hobby, but it can get kind of pricey. My solution? I look for old jewelry at yard sales and thrift stores that I can restring.

I made both of the bracelets that you see here from a bag of broken jewelry that I bought for $3 at the World’s Longest Yard Sale, and I still have enough beads left over to make several more pieces.