How to Preserve Baby Dresses
Your baby has outgrown one of your favorite little baby dresses; with the proper steps and methods you can preserve her baby dresses for the generations yet to come. Whether those dresses get worn again or are sewn into a keepsake quilt, preserving them until you are ready to reuse them is vital.
- Wash and dry the baby dresses thoroughly. If there are any stains on the dresses, spot treat them and wash again. Ensure the dresses are completely dry before you begin any storage procedures. It is best to allow them to air dry overnight.
- Purchase acid free paper to pack the dresses in if you don't already have some. You will also need a storage box or plastic tote. There are storage boxes sold specifically for clothing preservation, however if you'd rather use a plastic tote, that is acceptable as well. Make sure that the plastic tote is made from polypropylene (PP) to ensure it will stand the test of time.
- Wash and dry your hands before handling any of the acid free paper or your baby dresses. Gently stuff the acid free paper into the sleeves of the dresses so that they are lightly packed. This helps the sleeves keep their shape over the years.
- Lay the dresses on a couple layers of the acid free paper and begin gently folding them just like you would fold them to put in a drawer. Each time you make a fold, cover it with the paper so that no part of the dress touches another part of the dress. You want to be sure the acid free paper is all that dress touches.
- Gently stack each wrapped dress into the storage box or bin. Once you have all your baby dresses wrapped and folded in the bin you can now put it into storage. You want to keep this box up off the ground as well as away from extreme temperatures.