Swiftie Recreates Taylor Swift's Colorful Striped Crochet Minidress for $11 in Just 12 Hours: 'Crafting Era' (Exclusive)

• Kayla Benedetti was inspired by Taylor Swift’s VRG GRL Crochet Mini Dress to try and recreate the look
• It only took Benedetti $11 of yarn and 12 hours to bring the look to life
• The self-taught crocheter went viral on TikTok for her series recreating the singer’s trendy summer look

When Kayla Benedetti woke up on Monday, June 24, and saw photos of Taylor Swift in a colorful striped crochet mini dress on her social media, her jaw dropped.

Benedetti, a huge Swift fan who lives in Milford, Connecticut, started crocheting five years ago. She is completely self-taught, learning all the basic stitches – slip knot, chain stitch and granny’s cluster – from online videos.

Her crochet journey began with her grandmother’s square cardigan, but her favorite creation so far is the Persian tile blanket designed by Janie Crow.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, my worlds are colliding,'” the elementary school art teacher tells PEOPLE exclusively, recalling her excitement when she saw Swift’s VRG GRL outfit, complete with bell sleeves.

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Kayla Benedetti recreates Taylor Swift’s dress.

Kayla Benedetti

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Shortly after, the 27-year-old posted a video on TikTok asking if other Swifties planned to recreate the look. At first, she was unsure whether she would make it herself, but the overwhelming response convinced her otherwise.

“People said, ‘No, you’ve got to make it, you’ve got to make it,'” Benedetti says. “So that evolved into this whole series. I’ve been crocheting on TikTok, sharing every step of the process.”

Benedetti bought four balls of yarn for the dress and used a size four hook, which she already owned. She started crocheting at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, working most of the day while watching Swift’s Era’s Tour movie. By noon on Wednesday, she had completed the dress.

In total, it took her 12 hours to create at a cost of just $11.

“I know a lot of people look for patterns, but once you learn to crochet, it’s such a basic stitch that you can figure it out,” she explains. “It didn’t take me long. I also decided not to do the sleeves because it’s summer and hot here, but I know I can add them later if I want.”

Since sharing her 12-part TikTok series documenting the dress-making process, Benedetti has tagged other Swifties showing off her yarn choices and progress. She has also received numerous DMs asking for detailed instructions, which she is happy to provide.

“It’s absolutely beginner-friendly,” she assures. “You couldn’t find a more beginner-friendly project. There are some tricky parts, like reducing the neckline, but overall, it’s doable.”

“I was also teaching new people how to crochet, which was super exciting,” she adds.

Kayla Benedetti recreates Taylor Swift’s dress.

Kayla Benedetti

After attending two Eras Tour shows in Boston and New Jersey, Benedetti says she would “absolutely” wear the outfit to another show. Also keep an eye out for any future crochet items Swift might wear.

For now, with the extra yarn, Benedetti plans to make a matching dress for her cat.

“I’ve always been a Swiftie,” she says. “It’s so fun how this community grows, always finding new ways to connect.”

“We started with friendship bracelets, and now everyone wants to learn to crochet. [Taylor] it’s actually ushering in a new era of crafting,” she adds.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education