10 Easy Ways To Make A Tutu That Are En Pointe
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If your kids are getting a little tired of the dressing up box, a tutu could be the fluffy, twirly, sparkly item needed to jazz it up!
So if you have a prima ballerina currently missing their ballet lessons, or perhaps just some girls and boys who love a tutu (or two! ), we have listed some easy ways to make a beautiful tutu at home.
Tutus are not only fun for playing dress-up, and a million imaginative role-play games, but they also make a lovely prop for a cute at-home photoshoot and a fabulous outfit for a walk around the block!
Don't worry if you are not a keen sewer; most of our methods below require minimal sewing! You can make a catwalk-worthy tutu with just a few materials - the main item being tulle, which you can buy reasonably cheaply in rolls (tutus for all!)
or by the meter. Many haberdasheries and small fabric stores now offer local delivery or pick-up options.
This video tutorial shows the 'looping method' used in the tutorials below:
This page has some super helpful charts to assist with measurements and working out how much fabric you will need.
1. Tutu With Elastic Waistband
This no-sew method for making a tutu could not get much easier, and once you've got the hang of it, you could recruit some helpers!
You will need:
Tulle (any color)
Scissors
Elastic
Tape measure
Ribbon (optional)
How to make your DIY tutu:
Take the waist measurement of the recipient, subtract 8-9cm from this, and measure the elastic with a little extra to tie a knot. You could sew the elastic to make it a bit neater or with a machine.
Measure from the waist down for the length of the tutu; double this measurement and add 2.5cm. This is the length of the tulle to cut. Cut multiple lengths of tulle; you can cut more as you go along when you can see how many it will take to fill the elastic to desired puffiness!
If you would like to add ribbon to the tutu, cut this slightly shorter than the tulle and cut quite a few lengths.
The easiest way of adding tulle and ribbon is to stretch your elastic around the back of a chair.
To add the fabric, take your strip and fold it in half, place this behind the elastic with the loop at the top, bring the loop over the front, pull the ends of the tulle or ribbon through the loop, and pull to secure! Repeat this step around the elastic.
Depending on how full you want the tutu to be, you can keep bunching up and adding more tulle to the skirt.
Once complete, do a quick check of the bottom edge, neaten up with scissors for a polished look, or cut more haphazardly for a more boho vibe!
2. Tutu With Ribbon
It is very similar to the method above, but this no-sew tutu can grow with your child as it is tied at the back with a ribbon. If you leave the ribbon long enough, you can add more tulle loops to the skirt as they grow.
You will need:
Ribbon
Tulle
Scissors
Tape measure
How to make your DIY tutu:
Take the waist measurement and add approximately 122cm; the extra length will be for tying the tutu with a bow. Cut the ribbon. If you snip the ends of the ribbon at an angle or an inverted triangle shape, you get two points instead of a straight edge, which will stop it from fraying.
Decide on the length of the finished tutu and measure/cut the tulle to this length as above instructions.
Fold your waist ribbon in half; from this midway point, measure half the waist measurement and tie a knot on each side.
You could tie the ribbon around a chair to loop the fabric through, or a solid pillow or cushion also works well. Knot all of your tulles along the length of the ribbon between the knots, sliding each piece up to make space for the next until the ribbon is full.
Tie the ribbon around the waist with a bow, ta-da!
3. Scrap Fabric Tutu
This is such a cute no-sew way to up-cycle old clothes or use up fabric you may have leftover from other projects. You could even use an old pillowcase or duvet if you like the pattern.
You will need:
Elastic or ribbon
Scrap fabric
Scissors
Tape measure
How to make your DIY tutu:
Gather measurements for waist and length as above and decide if you would prefer an elastic or ribbon waist. Cut your desired waistband option to the right length, adding approximately 122cm for the ribbon and subtracting 8-9 cm for the elastic method.
Cut your scrap fabric into strips of the length you would like the finished tutu.
As before, secure your ribbon or elastic and begin looping the fabric along/around until you have the volume of puffiness you would like!
4. No-Knot Tutu
Another easy method includes some sewing, which can be done with a needle and thread or on a machine. This tutu uses strips of tulle or fabric like the methods above; however, if you aren't keen on the slightly more 3D waistband the knotting technique can create, this results in a smoother finish.
You will need:
Fabric or tulle to cut into strips
Ribbon
Safety pin
Scissors
Tape measure
How to make your DIY tutu:
As with the ribbon method number 2 above, take the waist measurement, add 122cm, cut this length of ribbon, fold it in half and mark halfway each side of this to create the waist measurement in the center of the ribbon. Mark the edges of the waist measurement.
Decide the length you want your finished skirt to be and add about 6cm. You do not need to double the measurement for this method. The width of the strips can be whatever you like, but around 8cm creates an excellent volume. Cut the strips of fabric out.
If you want a more polished look, you could hem the edges of the strips here, but the boho festival effect of the raw edge looks great too.
Fold the top of your fabric strip by 3cm and sew this down to create a space to thread your ribbon.
Attach the safety pin to the end of the ribbon and thread all of the strips of fabric onto the ribbon until it is suitably voluminous.
Top Tip: You could use fabric glue instead of sewing, creating another no-sew tutu! However, check if it can go through the wash- although tutus with raw edges should perhaps only be spot cleaned, they could get a little too frayed in a washing machine.
6. Simple Sewn Tutu
If you have a sewing machine, this will be a super quick DIY!
You will need:
90cm to 270cm of tulle (this amount does depend on the waist size and how much gathering you would like the tutu to have, you will be folding the tulle to make the layers, so 270cm seems like a lot, but you would fold it up to 4x!)
2.5cm wide elastic, cut to the waist measurement plus around 1cm
Tape measure
Thread
Pins
Sewing machine
How to make your DIY tutu:
Fold the tulle. Depending on how long you want the skirt to be, you can fold it in two, three, or four layers. If you need to cut it to change the length, then cut along the bottom edge with it still folded. Cut desired length plus 2.5cm.
Pin one of the long edges and run a gathering stitch (longest stitch setting, also called a basting stitch) about 1.5cm from the edge.
Pin sides and stitch with a 3/8' seam allowance. (Make sure not to catch the gathering thread!)
Gather the skirt by carefully pulling on the ends of the thread you have just stitched. The skirt should start to bunch up!
Take your elastic, stitch the raw edges together at around 1.5cm. Zig-zag stitch is great for elastic.
Pin the tulle to the inside of the elastic. Move the gathered fabric along to space out, then attach nicely to a zig-zag stitch.
Top Tip: If the tulle is a little itchy on the inside of the elastic, you could enclose it with bias tape or sew a length of ribbon or soft fabric around the inside.
Beautiful Tutu Design Ideas
Now that we have listed the methods for making a tutu skirt, you can create different designs using the above methods. You can make these designs with fabric or tulle, and the strips of material could be narrower or wider depending on the look you want.
You could also use lots of different pieces of ribbon, which would create more of a Hawaiian skirt effect. Read on for some trendy tutu design ideas to dress your baby for any occasion.
7. Rainbow Tutu Skirt
If you are looking for a Halloween costume or a fun idea to dress your baby up, use any method and create a rainbow skirt with colorful tulles. You can customize the length and pattern as per your needs. Use a different color combination to make a Unicorn tutu dress. Complete the look with handmade rainbow fairy wings.
8. Mermaid Tail Tutu Skirt
One of the unique ideas for your stunning diva is to make a mermaid tail tutu skirt. This is a design that would require sewing. You can use mermaid scale fabric and colorful tulles and adorn your mermaid skirt with shimmery trims, sequins, and seashells. Makeskes a perfect evening dress or a party dress for your baby.
9. Pom Pom Tutu Skirt
We've added one of our favorite color craft items to the tutu mix for this DIY version. Make your regular tutu skirt using any method.
Use colorful pom-poms of any size to accessorize and decorate your tutu skirt. You can also add layers of tulles and create a fluffy layered skirt with pom-poms sewn to the frills. Add a shimmery elastic waistband for that extra bling.
10. Lace-Trimmed Tutu Skirt
Just add a satin late or any lace as per your need and watch it weave magic into your perfect tutu skirt for your little wonder! Line up your simple sewn tutu skirt with beautiful lace ribbon, and voila! You have a lovely dress for your baby. The satin ribbon gives slight curves to the skirt, making it heavenly.
The color combinations and designs you may want to create are endless.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Fashion/Apparel Design
Amy LinesBachelor of Arts specializing in Fashion/Apparel Design
With a degree in Fashion Design from Falmouth University, Amy has a passion for textiles, tiles, art, ceramics, and houseplants which she enjoys filling her beautiful home in Hampshire with. She also has a keen interest in infant and child sleep patterns and mindfulness for adults and children, inspired by her energetic and chatty three-year-old daughter. When not exploring the outdoors, Amy can be found painting, knitting, and dancing at home.
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