TuTu Tutorial

Here's the tutorial I promised my wonderful friends on how to make tutus for the little girly person you love.

**Please read the entire tutorial before beginning - this way you won't have any surprises**

1. This is a no sew project that could certainly be done with your little girly person. It's so easy my husband has made one. Really. He made the tutu that Kindle is wearing at the bottom of this blog!
   
2. This should only take about 30 minutes to an hour from beginning to end and makes a great last minute birthday gift.
3. You can use more than one color per tutu if you'd like. Just alternate the colors as you put it together. You're only limited by the color tulle you can find - and I'll provide you with a link to a great place for tulle later in the tutorial.

You will need:

1. Two 25 yard rolls of 6" tulle in any color or color combination you'd like. You could certainly use more if you'd like. Two rolls takes care of any size up to probably a 4T-6. (For a 20" waist I usually use closer to three rolls because I like my tutu's longer and fuller.) You could also have it cut from the bolt if you can't find the rolls. It's actually much cheaper, but I prefer the convenience of the rolls - they save a lot of time and effort. If you do use tulle off the bolt, just cut it in 6" widths and then in half lengthwise. you have less options with length also, but still works great.
   
2. 1" elastic ribbon - enough length to go around the girl's tummy.
3. Any embellishments you would like. Such as Ribbon bows, Ribbon to add between tulle, Flowers, etc... you can find a lot of great inspiration online.
   
4. Scissors or rotary blade/cutting mat.
5. Your thigh.

On to the TuTu making!:

• The first thing you need to do is measure your girl's tummy. Deduct 3" from this measurement and cut your elastic ribbon to match. So, if her tummy was say 20" around then I would cut my elastic to 17". Got it? Good. After it is cut, you want to sew in with a zig zag stitch on your machine to make it a waistband. (It can be done by hand too).
• Next, you need to decide how long you wish your tutu to be. Do you want it short and poofy or long and puffy. Take your measuring tape and measure from her waist to where you want the tutu to end. Double this measurement. For instance, in this tutorial I want this tutu to go down to about 15" when it's done. So, I cut the tulle at 30". I like to lay the two rolls together and cut them at the same time.
  
• I like to have a seat on the couch and prop my foot up on the coffee table. I slip the elastic on and pull it up to my thigh - like a garter.
• Next the tulle! Take one piece of the cut tulle and slip it under the elastic and even up the ends so that each side has equal amounts of tulle.Now tie a double knot. If you prefer, you can also fold the tulle in half and make a loop knot around the band instead of the double knot. (This is why we doubled our length earlier before cutting the tulle.) Be careful not to stretch or fold the elastic as you tie all the way around. That's all there is to it from here on out. Just take them one by one and tie it on the elastic in a double knot until it fills up.
• For an extra full tutu, stack 2 pieces of your tulle strips and tie them both onto the elastic together.
  
• Try to aim the knot part towards the bottom so it will lay nicely. Fill it up as much as you wish or as little.
  

The cheapest place I have found good quality tulle in an extensive number of colors is Paper Mart. This link should take you right to the tulle. They also have different varieties and widths so feel free to experiment.

Care Instructions:

If your tutu becomes wrinkled, the best solution is to hang it in your bathroom while showering. The steam will help in removing the wrinkles. To keep fluffy, hang on a hanger. If it becomes dirty, spot clean your tutu with cool water as needed. DO NOT dry tutus in the dryer! All tutus must hang dry. Prevent static cling by placing a dryer sheet over the tutu while hanging.


If you make a tutu of course I want to see pics!

Have FUN!