The dress features a train made from playing cards as well as a 3-D heart shaped bustle crafted from pieces of cut cards.  Courtesy photo

When Kaylee Rodgers’ mom brought home extra decks of playing cards from work one day, the 16-year-old homeschool student didn’t see a game—she saw possibilities. 

What began as a small craft project made entirely from the cards blossomed into something much larger than she expected, eventually earning her unexpected online notoriety.

“I just started doing it for fun,” Kaylee said, recalling how her mom suggested entering her unique creation, an elaborate, full-length gown, requiring nearly 50 decks in total, into the State Fair of Texas.

Kaylee’s mother, Rebekah Rodgers, fondly recalled her daughter’s grandmother doing “fun” craft projects with Kaylee and her nephews. 

“One summer, they all made houses out of leftover (clean) food containers like egg cartons, cereal boxes and such,” she said.   

Unlike some of those childhood projects, this dress presented numerous challenges. Kaylee spent countless hours sketching rough designs, cutting up the cards and assembling the garment. She began with the corset, then built out the front and eventually made her way to the back. 

“There’s so much trial and error,” she said, explaining how she scrapped an initial bulky bustle that didn’t flow with the rest of the dress. 

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