A Tale of Two Dresses

The story of a thrifted Christmas.

On our twins’ first Christmas, I wanted to find great party dresses on a budget— not always an easy task! As luck would have it, I found two red poufy Christmas dresses at my local Salvation Army thrift store. The size was too big but I knew I could make it work. Here are my tips for extending the life of kids’ clothes: Is it an item that can be hemmed or slightly altered? I hemmed the bottom of the dress by hand the first year with thread and doublesided tape, and you’d never know. The second year, I let the hem down. Could you pair with clothing or accessories that fit? I used a white sweater over top the first year that was the right size, along with tights and a bow to complete the look. The second year, I was able to use the matching black sweater as it finally fit. Remember, kids grow up! Hold off donating clothes right away. If you find the perfect holiday dress but it’s a little bit too large, have no fear. They’ll eventually fit! We are going into Christmas number three with the same dresses! The twins don’t wear holiday attire every day, but thanks to my local Salvation Army thrift store, these are the dresses that keep on giving.

(left) Tijana McAllister is the frugalista behind A Plentiful Life, a lifestyle blog that shows readers how to live their best life on a budget. She is also a creative expert for The Salvation Army’s thrift stores. Find a thrift store near you at thriftstore.ca.

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