Prom Dresses on a Budget

Organize a dress swap for your daughter and her friends. A gown worn by one girl to junior prom might be perfect for someone else's senior prom. Make the event more fun by inviting girls from different schools.

Local charities like the Cinderella Project have shops full of gently worn or donated prom attire and accessories. Girls in financial need can stock up on prom essentials for free.

Creative types can make dresses, then enter Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store's "Sew Jo-Ann Prom Contest." The winner gets $1,000, a sewing machine, and a dress form.

Originally published in the May 2009 issue of Family Circle magazine.