Daddy's Shirts

• Using daddy's shirts for baby's christening dress is a beautifully sentimental way to include daddy in this special moment of baby's life. The shirts used should be clean, unstained white cotton or silk, pressed nicely for cutting. The shirts should all be the same shade of white and preferably all the same fabric content, as you will need to piece the shirts together to make one dress. Save any details on the shirts, such as special buttons, re-use them later.
  
  

Constructing the Dress

• Lay a shirt on a table and cut the front and back apart on the seams. Cut the sleeves open on the seams. Discard the cuffs, collar and placket. Press the pieces flat and repeat with another shirt. Lay a pattern on the shirt pieces and trace all the pieces. Try to cut all the front pieces from one shirt and all the backs from another. Sew all the pieces together according to your design and the pattern using a machine straight stitch. Add tulle to the underskirt to make the dress more puffy, if desired.
  
  

Embellishment

• The dress will be quite plain at this moment. Adding embellishment is a great way to make an otherwise plain fabric really sparkle. Sew lace to the bodice piece, beginning at the seam and extending upwards, and either cover the bodice completely or halfway. Use a cotton lace for a cotton dress and a shinier nylon or polyester lace for a silk dress. Add rhinestones or crystals for a sparkle. It's best to add them to the hem, sleeve or bodice so that baby is unlikely to grab on. Make sure that the rhinestones are securely adhered with a hot-glue gun. Use a home machine or an embroidery service to add beautiful white embroidery to the bodice, neckline or skirt hem. The design can be all your own if using an embroidery service, and can be a family crest, an image of significance in your family or a family name. Re-use daddy's buttons for the closure if desired.
  
  

Preservation

• Such a special dress should be preserved for generations of christenings to come. After the christening, have the dress laundered with all-natural components to remove any stains. Place the dress on a child's hanger, folded in half and draped over the straight bar of the hanger. Place the dress inside a muslin bag or cotton garment bag. These bags keep the dust from reaching the dress while allowing it to breathe, unlike plastic. Place the bag in the back of a dark, cool closet until next use.