Jump right in and turn your favorite old T-shirt into a new play dress for your little girl in the same amount of time it takes to load the car, drive, find and buy one--all for less than 6 cents.

I dug out an old favorite shirt of mine this week, and my 4-year-old dove at it, begging to wear it. The neck was so stretched out it slid off her shoulders, drowning her. She looked like a rag doll, and I contemplated using it for just that--rags. But then, why not whip this faded summer camp shirt I'd tie-dyed hundreds-of-washings-ago into a fun play dress?

So we did. And if I can do it, you can too.

First you must know, I'm not about perfection here. I'm about being practical. You're busy and barely have time to read this article, let alone press, measure, excessively pin and hem a dress, which is why I didn't do any of those things. Let's jump on it.

Step 1: Lie the T-shirt out on the table or floor (right side out). Lay a sundress that you know already fits your child on top of it. This dress will serve as a pattern. Match the bottom hem of the shirt with that of the dress. This will save you from having to hem the bottom edge. 

Step 2: Cut about 1 inch or more outside that of the dress. I didn't pin this and just eye-balled the measurement.

Step 3: Remove the "pattern". Flip both sides of the material over and match up edges so the insides of the shirt are lying together. Pin front and back sides together. Pin the shoulder straps. Sew using 5/8-inch seam the two sides and then the two shoulder straps.

Step 4: Keeping the wrong side out, pin a little lip (1/4 inch to 1/2 inch) around the armhole. Sew starting under the arm.

Step 5: Turn the neckline in to the wrong side, just like the armhole. Sew. (In my case, I used part of the existing neckline, which saves additional time.)

Step 6: Have your child try it on to check the length. Hem to the desired length (turning under 5/8 inch). You're done if the length is correct and you were able to use the bottom of the T-shirt.

See? Wasn't that quick? Your daughter has a new dress. You recycled a favorite shirt, and you can't help but feel accomplished when that little doll looks up at you and thinks you can work magic--in just 16 minutes.

Bonus tip*: Take the scraps of the shirt and make a belt or use a sleeve for a headband.

*Bonus tip brought to you by my sidekick and model.