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The 2-hour, $30 Formal Dress

Have you been shopping for a formal dress lately? If you have, you're probably suffering from sticker shock!

But don't despair: here's an idea for a formal dress that you can make in a couple of hours. And it will only cost you $30-$40.

You'll need a fancy shirt that's made out of a stretchy material, and two yards of 45" or 60" wide material. A slinky metallic lame or jewel-toned satin will work great.

Here's what you do.

The shirt will be the bodice of your dress. Try the shirt on and see if you need to make it shorter (for the dress, it should reach to your waist or a little below). If you need to make it shorter, mark where you need to cut it.

Measure from the mark where the bodice will end, to where you want the dress hem to hang. This is the skirt length.

Take the top off. Shorten it if necessary, cutting where you marked (all the way around the shirt).

Cut a piece off your material that is the skirt length plus 1".  Hem the bottom. Gather the top fit the bottom of the black velvet shirt. Sew the sides together to create a tube. Sew the gathered edge to the bottom of the black velvet top, and your dress is done.

To make the wrap, cut a rectangle about 15" long (or however long you want) across the whole width of the fabric (45" or 60"). Hem all four sides, and your wrap is done. Drape it over your shoulders to tie everything together.

Enjoy wearing this great outfit, and give yourself a pat on the back for being frugal and creative!

This information provided by ModestProm.com. Visit our web site today for more ideas on inexpensive formalwear.

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