I love projects and I (almost) always finish them. When it is time to procrastinate, I turn to arts and crafts — my favorite being sewing.

During the Easter holiday last year, instead of completing my mountain of lab reports, I took to the World Wide Web in search of a new project. I came across the video, “Ex-men’s shirt as new dress for you.” While I had not recently gone through a breakup or felt the need to mutilate an ex’s belongings, it looked like fun and gave me some ideas.

In the video, a girl took an oversized men’s dress shirt and transformed it into a wearable dress that looks like it could be straight off the racks at Urban Outfitters.

For those who want to create their own men’s wear masterpiece, watch the video and get to the nearest Goodwill immediately. I was so eager to begin procrastinating, I may not have thought through my design entirely. Here are some things I wish I did differently:

The shirt I chose looked like it came straight out of a Gaston’s hunting lodge with this really cool elk pattern. It was the unique shirt I was looking for, and after I laid eyes on it no other shirt could compare. The fact that it was brand new with its original tags still attached made me think I was getting a super steal.

Because the shirt was brand new, it was incredibly starchy. I did not see this as a problem until I finished the dress. It was so rigid it stuck out in the back, and no matter what I tried I couldn’t get it to cover my butt.

I sent it through the heavy-duty washer cycle and soaked it for 24 hours. However, when it dried it was starchier than ever. If you are buying a shirt to use for this project, get one that has been well worn because it will be the easiest to work with.

With such a simple idea, there is a lot of room to get c

By Johanna Walther

reative. That day, I was fully committed to leaving those reports blank, so when I finished my new dress, I decided to add some personal touches. I trimmed the width of the sleeves and snipped the cuffs off to make them easier to tie in the back.

Earlier that week, a group was handing out recycling awareness drawstring bags in the CUB. The drawstrings were made out a rustic looking cotton braid that made the perfect halter straps. I later used the rest of the bags to make another shirt. While I don’t think this was the type of recycling they were talking about, the bags went to good use.

If I had more time (and more cash), I would have taken a trip to Joanne’s and bought a spool of lace to attach as a trim to the bottom. Since I sewed the back closed, there was not longer a need for the buttons so I took them off. It would have been cute to replace the empty holes with mismatched buttons.

If you are stumped, think about what you would wear your shirtdress with. Take a classic red lumberjack shirt and pair it with some tights and black boots. In need of a sundress for your spring break trip to Cabo with the ladies? Find the tackiest Hawaiian shirt and pair it with some bright colored sandals for a beach ready homemade swimsuit cover up.

Getting crafty with a Goodwill shirt is a cheap way to add a new dress to your closet that takes little to know time, depending on how fancy you want to get. It is also a great idea to do in a group with your friends. Go grab a shirt and happy crafting.