A tutu is a very nice gift for a little girl, but you can also make it for yourself. The beauty is that it is very simple to create, even without a sewing machine.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Rubber Band
Step 1. Take your waist measurements
Ask the person wearing the tutu to stand straight, with their back straight.
- With a tape measure, measure from the waist to the part of the leg where the tutu should end.
- Most tutus fall between 28 and 58cm from the waist.
Step 2. Cut the elastic
You will need a piece of elastic that is about 10 cm shorter than your waist measurement.
- Glue the ends of the elastic together.
- Use a generous amount of glue on the area to make sure the elastic doesn't come undone.
- At this point, you should have a circular rubber band.
Step 3. Ask the person wearing the tutu to try on the elastic
This ensures that it fits well around the waist. If necessary, fix it.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Tulle
Step 1. Choose the tulle
It comes in many different colors and you can buy it at fabric, fine art or hobby stores. It should have a width of 180 cm, and the color is your choice.
Most tutus are plain colored, but tulle of different colors can be combined
Step 2. Buy more tulle than you need
It's best to have extra tulle on hand in case you make mistakes or make corrections.
- For a tutu intended for a little girl, buy at least 9m of tulle.
- For an adult woman, buy at least 14m.
Step 3. Cut the tulle
The length depends on the final result you want and the height of the person who will wear it. Generally, you should take the desired final length of the tutu and multiply it by 2. Then, add 4 cm to this number to get the length of the strips. Each strip should be 8cm wide.
- So, for example, if the length of the finished tutu will be 50cm, cut the tulle into strips 104cm long and 8cm wide.
- It would be better to make a tutu 8-10cm longer than the result you think you will get, because when it starts to swell it will look much shorter. You can always adjust the skirt to make it shorter, but you can't lengthen it once you've cut the tulle.
Step 4. Use a piece of construction paper to help you easily cut the tulle
Wrap the tulle around the cardstock and thread the scissors underneath, on each end of the card, to cut the tulle on both edges.
Remember that the pre-cut tulle is 180cm wide, which is the right width for the skirt. If you are using pre-cut tulle, simply unroll it and cut each strip to the appropriate length as you go
Step 5. Cut the ends of the tulle strips at an angle to add dimension
Sometimes tutus that are flat along the bottom can look a little dull.
Cut several strips at a time at an angle to speed up the process. Don't worry about creating very precise edges, because the tutu must have a good texture
Part 3 of 3: Creating the Tutu
Step 1. Attach the tulle to the elastic with glue
Do this by folding the tulle strips over the elastic. Then, glue the two layers together right under the elastic with glue stick or hot glue.
Repeat this process for all the tulle strips until the circle is complete
Step 2. Tie the tulle to the elastic
If you don't have glue sticks or hot melts available, you can tie one strip of tulle at a time to the elastic.
- Take a piece of tulle and fold it in half. Wrap the closed end around the elastic, while pulling the 2 loose ends up, around and through the closed end. Then, tighten the tulle tightly, securing it around the elastic.
- Repeat the knots until the entire elastic is covered with tulle. Make sure you gradually push the knots around the elastic to bring them together, so if the elastic stretches, there will be no open parts in the tulle.
- Feel free to mix and match or layer the tulle colors on the elastic for a unique look.
Step 3. Check the tightness of the skirt
Ask the person in question to wear it to make sure the length is suitable and that it is easy to move or dance.
Step 4. Add touches to complete the tutu, such as ribbon or flowers
Add ribbons by tying or gluing them to the elastic. If you want to decorate it with buttons, flowers or other embellishments, simply attach them to the tutu or elastic.
