See this bride's genius idea for showing off her wedding dress after the big day
All you need is a handy husband
After the excitement of walking down the aisle, it seems a shame to hide a wedding dress away in the cupboard. However, one bride and groom came up with an ingenious way to turn the dress into a wedding day memento.
Related: DIY pro shows how simple paint effects can transform furniture
Daniel Webb and his wife Megan, from Essex, decided to frame Meghan's wedding dress as a lovely reminder of their wedding.
'My wife saw a frame wedding dress when scrolling through the Pinterest app and immediately had her heart set on having the same done to hers,' Daniel told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.
Wedding day memento
However, after doing some research, Daniel found that most online companies were charging thousands of pounds for frames. 'I obviously understand that there is a lot of craftsmanship that goes into them, but couldn't help but feel that the prices were inflated due to the word 'wedding' being associated with them!' he explains.
To keep costs down, Daniel decided to make the frame himself after watching YouTube videos.
'I did some light research on how to make a basic frame, learning techniques via YouTube videos,' he explains. 'Once confident I'd actually be able to pull it off, I sourced all of my materials for our local B&Q using the click and collect service.'
Get the Ideal Home Newsletter
Sign up to our newsletter for style and decor inspiration, house makeovers, project advice and more.
Daniel used lengths of treated timber to make the base and side of the frame so that it was deep enough to house the dress. Due to the large size of the frame, he had to use adhesive to join some of the timber together.
'Clamps make this process easier,' he explains. 'To achieve the effect on the front of the frame I actually used door architrave which I attached to the timber frame with No More Nails adhesive. Once this was done I used filler and sanding paper to achieve a smooth finish across all joints.'
He drilled a hook into the top of the frame for the dress to hand from. Then painted the finished frame with three coats of Dulux eggshell paint, before fitting a UV resistant perspex sheet in the front.
All that was left was to hand the dress in place from a special 'Mrs Webb' hanger. The entire project cost just £100.
'Seeming the frame complete and in place gives me a sense of achievement and it's also great for us to have a visual reminder of one of the happiest days of our life,' says Daniel.
'It only took a few evenings to achieve this finish, and we feel this is a far superior alternative to keeping such a beautiful dress in a box in the cupboard.'
Related: Mum makes impressive DIY window seat for less than £30 – using an old wooden pallet!
Have you been inspired by this gorgeous framed wedding dress?
Rebecca Knight has been the Deputy Editor on the Ideal Home Website since 2022. She graduated with a Masters degree in magazine journalism from City, University of London in 2018, before starting her journalism career as a staff writer on women's weekly magazines. She fell into the world of homes and interiors after joining the Ideal Home website team in 2019 as a Digital Writer. In 2020 she moved into position of Homes News Editor working across Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home covering everything from the latest viral cleaning hack to the next big interior trend.
-
Is an expensive mattress protector worth it? This is how much you should be paying for one, according to sleep experts
Mattress protectors can help make a mattress last long, but how much should you be investing in one?
By Zoë Phillimore
-
I tested an air purifier that doesn't need filter replacements – here's why I'm convinced 5 months on
Is it a game-changer or just a gimmick?
By Jullia Joson
-
5 calming Christmas scents recommended by fragrance experts - take the stress out off the festive season this year
Smell your way to a stress-free festive season
By Vanessa Richmond