by Robin Degner

Created on: December 02, 2008   Last Updated: December 10, 2008

Prom. Dad's clutch their wallets a bit tighter. Boy's try to plan the perfect date. And the girls... the girls dream of having their own, unique prom dress. One way to ensure that yours is unique, and truly you, is to make your own. You can make the dress as formal as you'd like, and it can be any style and color you want. You can even wear it again for a cousin's engagement party or an older sister's wedding.

There are three main solutions if you want to make your own prom dress. You can design it and have someone else put it together, you can make it yourself at home, or you can go the duct tape route.

The duct tape route might now sound very classy, and it certainly wouldn't be appropriate for an engagment party, but it's a creative way to design a dress you like on a limited budget. It gives you the opportunity to make your own prom dress in the colors and styles you want. And if you get your date to do it, too, you are elligible for the Stuck-at-Prom contest, which can result in a $5,000 scholarship.

For a more elegant choice, you can design your own. Even small towns often have dressamkers. If you have a dress idea, you can bring your design to them, and they can make it for you (for a price). If that's not an option, there are places online that offer the service. The color and style are completely yours.

For a more hands-on approach to making your own prom dress, go to the local fabric store, and find a pattern you like. Find fabric that will work with it, that you like and is complementary to your skin tone. Purchase matching threads. Go home, cut out the pattern and pin it to your dress and sew it up. You'll have a beautiful creation that you made yourself - and you can make again. You might even find out that you enjoyed it.

Making your own prom dress can result in a dress that is as beautiful as if you purchased it with dad's money. Prom is special. You'll cherish the memories for years to come. And if you make your own dres, when you're showing your kids, friends or family members your prom pictures, you can proudly say, "I made that myself."

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