How to Make a Tutu

Every little girl loves a tutu and whether you want one for a photo shoot, Halloween, or just the dress up box they are very easy and affordable to whip up.

You will need:

measuring tapeelastic I use anywhere from 1/4" to 1/2" wide elastic. Use thinner elastic for younger babies.
scissors
tulle I like to buy my tulle at tullesource.com you can get it on a roll there which makes cutting a lot easier. I don't recommend doing this kind of tutu with tulle straight off the bolt, the cutting is a pain in the neck! When I buy the tulle on a roll I either get 6" width, and cut it in half as I go, or 3" width and leave it that way.
sewing machine or safety pin

1. Measure around your child's waist and then measure from waist to wherever you want the tutu to hit (knees, shins, etc.)
2. Subtract 1.5-2 inches from the waist measurement and cut you elastic to this length.
3. Sew the ends of your elastic together, being sure to reinforce the seam with by going backward and forward on the machine a few times, or pin the ends together with the safety pin if you don't want to sew.
4. Double your length measurement and cut your tulle into strips of this length
5. Now tie your tulle onto the elastic waistband. I usually tie on two or three pieces at a time for a fuller tutu.
Note: there are two kind of knots you can use, one is a square knot which I prefer as I feel it allows for a fuller tutu. The other knot is kind of a slip knot where you fold the tulle in half, bring the tulle behind the elastic and bend over the top of the elastic. Draw the two ends of the tulle up through the loop created by the fold and then pull the ends to tighten around the elastic. This kind of knot lays a little flatter than the square knot, but it is bulkier so you can't get as much tulle on the elastic.
6. Continue to add tulle until your tutu achieves desired fullness

**If you want a multicolored tutu, experiment with the color ratios. You may need to use a 2:1 ratio for some color mixes in order to achieve the right balance.
**For a Layered Tutu, cut one color of tulle shorter than the other and tie onto the tutu, always being sure that the shorter tulle is lined up on top of the longer tulle
**Decorate your tulle by hot gluing on flowers or tying satin ribbon into the tutu