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How to Make a Tutu

June 5, 2019 by girlinspired 77 Comments

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a tutu for your little one that is soft on her skin and simple to sew, this is the tutorial for you. Tulle is inexpensive, hence making this a cheap sewing project, but the satisfaction of being able to sew a tutu skirt for your little one is invaluable!
How to Make a Tutu like this white tutu with white ribbon

I’ve made a tutu or twenty in the last few years.  They’re great for dress-up and also serve as a nice pettiskirt under big, fluffy dresses.  I needed to make a new one in a bigger size to go under Olivia’s costume for the Nutcracker, so I took a few extra minutes to snap some pictures of the process.  

Tutus are inexpensive to make , but take a little time since you’ll be gathering quite a lot of tulle to get the desired puff effect.  I finish the gathered skirt with a soft lining and knit waistband so that the tulle isn’t scratchy against the kids’ skin.  Have someone in mind that would like one?  You can use this same set of instructions to make a baby tutu and even a tutu for an adult.  I’ll show you how to make a tutu for anyone right now!

How to Make a Tutu that won't scratch your little girl's skin!

Supplies:
5 yards lightweight tulle
1/2 yard lining fabric
1/4 yard thick knit
1 yard 3/4″ elastic
How to Make a Tutu

Begin by cutting your tulle into at least 10 sections.  For this longer tutu, I cut each section 18″ long, giving me exactly 10 lengths from the 5 yards of tulle.  The length to cut the tulle will depend on how long you want the skirt – measure from your child’s waist to the desired finished length of the skirt and cut all lengths of tulle according to this measurement.  Fold the tulle on your cutting mat, matching selvage edges and then folding one more time – this makes it easier to cut with a rotary blade.  Use a rotary cutter for the smoothest edge on the tulle.

How to Make a Tutu

Next, gather each section of tulle along the long side.  Feed each piece of tulle into your sewing machine right after the previous so they’re all connected.  I like to use a ruffling/gathering foot (affiliate link) to gather the tulle quickly – if you don’t have one, you can set your machine to a long, loose stitch length and then pull the bobbin threads when you’re done to gather the tulle by hand. 

Regardless of the method, gather all of the tulle as tightly as possible.  Next, we’re going to fold the gathered length of tulle back and forth on itself to make one skirt piece.  Measure your child’s waist and add 7″ to find the skirt width.  Fold the skirt back and forth on itself to make one skirt piece equal to this determined skirt width and stitch the layers together across the top.

How to Make a Tutu

Cut one piece of lining from selvage edge to selvage edge and about 3/4″ shorter than the tulle layers.  If you’re going to hem the lining (e.g., if the fabric frays), cut the lining piece the same length as the tulle layers and hem with a narrow hem so that it’s just slightly shorter than the tulle.  Join the short ends of the lining and stitch together to form a tube.  Sew a gathering stitch around the top of the lining and gather it until it measures your child’s waist measurement + 7″.

How to Make a Tutu

Stack the lining under the tulle and stitch the two together around the top.

How to Make a Tutu

For the waistband, cut two pieces of knit 5″ wide by 1/2 the waist measurement + 4″.  Sew the short sides together on one side with a 1/4″ seam allowance.  On the other side, sew 3.5″ down one side, leave a 1″ opening, and sew another .5″ to the edge.  This is the opening we’ll put the elastic through later.

How to Make a Tutu

Now, fold the waistband wrong sides together and press a crease into the top.

How to Make a Tutu

Open the waistband up, match the raw edge and right side of the the waistband to the raw edge of the right side of the tulle/lining skirt and pin.  Be sure that the side of the waistband with the opening is further away from the waistband (so that it will end up on the inside of the skirt when finished).  Stitch the waistband to the skirt using a straight stitch and 3/8″ seam allowance.

How to Make a Tutu

How to Make a Tutu

Turn the waistband up and to the inside along the top pressed fold.  The raw edge of the inside waistband should fall over the stitch lines on the inside of the skirt.  Pin if needed.  From the TOP of the skirt, use a zigzag stitch to finish the waistband, being sure to catch the raw edge on the inside of the waistband.  Remove the gathering stitches from the tulle if you wish.

How to Make a Tutu

Measure a length of elastic equal to or 1″ shorter than your child’s waist measurement.  Use a safety pin to feed the elastic through the opening on the inner waistband.

How to Make a Tutu

Join the two ends of elastic together and stitch with a zig zag stitch back and forth over the elastic several times.  Pull the waistband to slip the elastic back into the opening and you’re done!

 

How to Make a Tutu that won't scratch your little girl's skin!

Filed Under: Patterns and Tutorials, Sewing Tagged With: no-itch, sew, sewing, tulle, tutu

Peacock Costume

October 21, 2015 by girlinspired 2 Comments

Once you have learned how to make a tutu, the costume options are endless.  Have you ever sewn a tutu? Be sure to read through the tips in my original tutu tutorial that will teach you how to make a tutu that won’t scratch your little one’s skin! Then read on for this tutorial on a stunning twist on the traditional tutu where you can make all your daughter’s dreams come true by whipping up this homemade Peacock Costume!
Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!I struggle with Halloween costumes.  I can get really, REALLY into sewing up something spectacular, but I’m also acutely aware that the amount of time that a costume will be worn is about 1/20th the amount of time that it I might spend making it.  Nevertheless, I usually make at least one of the girls’ costumes, if not all.  And almost every year, someone wears a tutu.  Maybe it’s because it’s just so easy to make a tutu or that they are so versatile – from princess to bumblebee, all you have to do is switch up the color and you have a great costume foundation!  Once you sew your tutu, you can pair it with a plain top or leotard and some tights; add a few accessories and you’re set!  You can also adjust the costume for the weather.  The overall time/money investment is drastically reduced (in my house, at least) if I can figure out a way to make a costume out of a tutu. This year….we’ve turned the tutu into one mighty fine PEACOCK!

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Please excuse me while I gawk at the gorgeousness that is my daughter.  She transformed into a dramatic, little peacock for our photo shoot and, as so often happens, completely takes my breath away.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!Ready to make a tutu?  Get ready to wrestle some tulle, but don’t worry, it’ll all be worth it!

For this Peacock Costume, you will need the following supplies which are available in Jo-Ann or online at Jo-Ann and my Amazon affiliate links below:

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!4 yards each, of 5 colors of tulle**
1 1/2 inch black knit elastic, 1 yard
black thread
Maker’s Halloween Peacock headband (optional)
feather trim, 1 yard (optional)
Tulip shimmer face makeup
black leotard, tights, shoes (use items already in the closet!)

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 1:  Begin by measuring your child’s waist and the desired length of the tutu – for example, I measured from the waist to the ankle for a long, dramatic tutu.  Make a note of the waist measurement and set that aside.  We will begin by cutting the tulle into sections according to the length measurement.  Fold the tulle along it’s width (typically 56″ for tulle).  Your yardage will drape off the cutting mat.  We need to cut five sections of tulle at the desired length.  My measurement was 26″ from waist to ankle, so I cut five sections of this cobalt blue tulle to measure 26″ long (and 56″ inches wide).  **If you are making a shorter skirt or sewing for a toddler, you will want to measure the length and multiply that by 5 to determine the amount of tulle to purchase.  For example, if your desired length of finished skirt was 12″, you would only need (12″ x 5=) 1.75 yards of each color of tulle.  Be sure to add 6″ or so on to your finished yardage to make sure you have a little excess.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 2:  Continue to cut your other colors of tulle so that you have 5 pieces for each of the five colors – 25 sections in all.  Line them up next to your sewing machine in color/hue/saturation order.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 3:  Now it’s time to gather the tulle sections.  The quickest way to gather the tulle is by letting your sewing machine do the work for you.  Using your regular presser foot, adjust the sewing machine settings so that you are using the longest stitch length and the highest tension.  With these adjusted settings, you simply feed the tulle through and the machine gathers it for you.  Also, since it’s stitching on tulle, you will be able to adjust the gathers later even though you’re tension is set high.  Be sure to leave about 7″ of thread hanging at the beginning and end of each sewn layer so you can adjust the gathers later.  Begin with the lightest shade of tulle (I started with the aqua as seen two pictures above) and stitch along the long edge of the tulle (the side measuring 56″).  The machine should gather this section and when it is gathered, it should measure around 5-7″.  That’s a lot of gathering, right?!  Stop when you have just about 1″ of tulle left to gather and keep your needle down in the tulle.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 4:  Pick up your next shade of tulle.  Place the new piece of tulle to overlap the previous piece by 1/2-1″, as shown.  Use your fingers to guide the tulle under the presser foot and continue gathering until you get within 1″ of the next end.  You will notice that by overlapping the ends, the machine continues gathering the fabric seamlessly.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!Step 5:  Continue with subsequent shades of tulle until you have five pieces gathered together.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 6:  Now, it’s time to gather up the sections for the next layer of skirt.  We are going to rotate the color order of the tulle so that when the final five layers are set on top of one another, the colors all vary for each layer.  Start with “Shade 2”, sew/gather, continuing to add “Shade 3,4,5” and so on until you finish with “Shade 1.”

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 7: Once you have all five layers of tulle stacked on top of one another, you can see how the colors shift down one for each layer.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 8:  When you have all five layers gathered, it’s time to adjust the gathers for the waist measurement.  Take the waist measurement of your child and add 5″.  Now divide that new measurement by 5 (for the 5 colors of tulle) to determine how wide each gathered section should be.  So, my waist measurement was 20″, I added 5″, divided by 5 and found that each of my gathered colors should be 5″ wide each for a total skirt width of 25″.  Pull the bobbin threads gently and shift the gathers to adjust the section widths and make the layer the correct overall width.  Adjust all 5 skirt layers so they are uniform in width.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 9:  Time to sew the layers together!!  You probably won’t be able to sew all five layers of skirt together at once, but you may be able to do 3 layers and then 2 layers and then sew those together.  Using these clips to hold the tulle together is helpful in the tulle wresting game!  Match the raw edges the best you can and sew them together using a regular stitch length and tension.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 9:  Pat yourself on the back once you’ve wrestled all five layers into a neatly sewn strip.  You’re almost done!

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 10:  Time to sew on the elastic waistband.  Cut a section of black elastic to the exact length of your child’s waist measurement.  This should be 5″ shorter than the prepared skirt.  Match the center of the elastic to the center of the skirt and pin it so that the elastic is on top of the skirt, with the raw edge of the tulle coming up behind the elastic no more than halfway.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 11:  Sew the elastic waistband onto the tulle skirt using a wide zigzag stitch.  Stretch the elastic as you sew so that the end of the elastic extends  about 1/4″ past the end of the skirt, on each end.  I found it easiest to sew out from the middle where I had pinned the elastic, stretching as I sewed.  Also, be sure that you’re catching the tulle underneath with your stitches and that the raw edge of the tulle remains about midway up the back of the elastic.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Step 12:  Finally, overlap the raw ends of elastic waistband and stitch them together using a zigzag stitch.  DONE!!!

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

Use accessories and makeup to get your little peacock ready for trick ‘o’ treating!  This Tulip Shimmer Makeup worked REALLY well.  It was much thicker and provided better coverage than the cheap costume makeup that you get in the Halloween section at the big box stores this time of year.  I’ve never ever done face painting before and I think it turned out great for my first try!  She thought it was super glamorous, too!  It takes some work to remove it completely, though, so keep that it mind.  I’m sure makeup remover would come in handy.  We just used a warm, soapy washcloth, which removed almost all of it, though the blue right around her eyes took an extra day to come off completely since we didn’t want to scrub on her eyes.

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

I added this feather fringe trim around the neckline of the leotard with just a few quick basting stitches.  That way, it looks festive for Halloween, but I can take it right off when it’s time to head to dance class!

Make this dramatic tutu for a simple, but stunning Peacock Costume!

After I’ve spent a couple hours wrestling tulle, it is so nice to find a few ready-made accessories to pair with the ensemble.  I loved this Peacock Headband to complete the outfit – it was in the aisle with all the hair accessories at Jo-Anns.  You can also find it online, which I linked to above.

What costumes are your little ones dreaming up this year?  If you get to work a tutu into the ensemble, I’d encourage you to also visit this Soft Waistband Tutu tutorial, which is great if the tutu is going to be touching their skin – you can use this same Peacock Tutu tutorial and just incorporate the knit waistband and lining.  Have fun!

More Halloween Costume Tutorials

Little Red Riding Hood

Mickey Mouse costume

Petite Princess Sewing Pattern

30-minute Mermaid Skirt Tutorial

Dorothy Dress Tutorial

More DIY Halloween Costume Ideas

Filed Under: Crafting, Halloween, Holiday Inspiration, Patterns and Tutorials, Sewing Tagged With: costumes, Halloween costumes, peacock costume, sewing tutorial, tutu

Doll Tutu

July 23, 2015 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!Well!  We are completely moved out of our home and temporarily set up until we move into our next home.  Things are going to be a bit sporadic here while I navigate a new city, summer schedules, and having most of my things in storage!!  The girls and I are trying to do lots of exploring and creating new traditions and routines, but we will surely continue to spend time doing crafting at home!  These darling doll tutus are the perfect summer craft to do with your kiddos – they’re simple and require just a few supplies!   Kids can sew these tutus mostly on their own, but they will need a little assistance with the hot glue gun from an adult!

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!

Let’s get started!  For one doll tutu, you will need:

1/3 yard tulle
embroidery needle and floss
1 yard double-fold bias tape or ribbon
hot glue gun and gluesticks

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!

We are going to work on a tutu sized for an 18″ doll, but you can easily adjust your measurements to create a tutu for any size doll.  Cut one piece of tulle 10″ wide by the entire length of the tulle from selvage edge to selvage edge.

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!

Next, fold the strip of tulle in half, lengthwise and clip/pin along the folded edge to ensure that the raw edges are even across the length.  This will give the tutu a double layer and result in a fuller finished skirt.  Cut a 20″ length of embroidery floss, thread one end through the embroidery needle and tie a knot in the other end.  Now, it’s time for the kids to start sewing!  About 1/4″ away from the folded edge, begin sewing up and down through the layers of tulle.  Take a few stitches and then pull the thread all the way through to the knot.

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!

Continue sewing and scrunching the tulle down the embroidery floss.  Setting the tutu on the table to work on it made the task a bit easier.

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!

Once the entire length of tulle has been stitched onto the embroidery floss, even out the gathers.  Measure the doll’s waist measurement.  You will want to tie the loose end of embroidery floss into a knot to form a gathered length that is about the same as the doll’s waist measurement.  When you have your floss knotted off at the correct length, even out the gathers once more.

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!

To attach the tie/waistband, an adult can hot glue a strip of ribbon or bias tape to the top edge of the skirt.  Match the center of the skirt with the center of the ribbon and glue.  If you wish to use double-fold bias tape (not pictured), open it up and glue the skirt in between the fold of the bias tape.  Sandwich the bias tape over the top edge and glue it shut for a nice finished top.  For single fold bias tape or ribbon, simply glue the skirt to the wrong side of the ribbon.

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!

That’s all there is to it!  Wrap the skirt around the doll’s waist and tie the ribbon into a bow!

Kids can make this adorable Doll Tutu with just a little help from an adult!

Congratulations!  Another successful kids craft session is complete!  Happy Sewing!  

Love sewing doll clothes?  You’ve got to see this doll clothes sewing panel!

If you’re ready to get your own sewing project going, you can use this complete tutorial to learn how to make a tutu for your kiddos or for yourself!

 

Filed Under: Crafting, Patterns and Tutorials, Sewing, sewing for girls Tagged With: doll tutu, kid crafts, sewing tutorial, tutu

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