Measure the height of the wearer and the width of her shoulders. Cut a rectangle of fabric twice as wide as the shoulder width and as long as the height.
Finish the edges of the rectangle with a narrow hem or by cutting the edges with pinking shears. You can use hem tape or a sewing machine to make the hem.
Sew upholstery trim with shiny red dangling balls to the top edge of the garment, the edge that is twice the width of the wearer's shoulders. Sew the band at the top of the fringe to the edge, so the balls hang off the edge.
Make pins for the dress by threading gold-colored shank buttons onto safety pins. Make two to fasten the shoulders and five for the side of the dress.
Fold the top edge of the fabric rectangle, the edge with the fringe, down 15 inches. Wrap the fabric around the wearer under her arms so that the edge of the fold with the fringe is on the outside and the side edges are both on one side. Pin these edges together under one arm with a row of the pins you made, making a loose strapless dress.
Have the wearer hold her arms out to the sides. Pull the fold at the top edge of the fabric up over the wearer's shoulders and pin it on each side of her neck with one of the the pins you made, making a sort of shoulder strap.