to succeed in making sth good out of material that does not seem very good at all
MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOW'S EAR
Meaning of MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOW'S EAR in English
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005