How to Make a Tutu: 3 Different Techniques

Tutus are appropriate for everyone from little girls to little old ladies. Show off your style in a trendy, everyday tutu or make one for your ballerina to wear for a dance recital. Making tutus is easier than most people think and will save you tons of money. All you really need is a couple hours of time and some creativity.

Filled Four Layers Tutu

Get 2 years of tulle cut straight off the bolt. Sew the two short ends of the tulle together so it forms one big tube of material. Fold the tube in half so the seam faces the inside of the tube. Then fold the tube in half again. The top should have 4 layers of tulle folded over and on the bottom 2 layers connected and 2 unconnected. The two connected layers should be on the outside of the tutu skirt. Pin the top edge of the tutu skirt. Mark two button hole spots on the skirt for where the ribbon will pass through to tie the skirt on. Unfold the tutu and cut these two buttonholes through two layers. Insert your filling between the unconnected layers. Some good fillers include silk flower petals, feathers and silk miniatures such as butterflies. Sew the casing for the ribbon all the way around the top. Measure out a piece of ribbon that is 2.5 times longer than the length of the waist. Thread the ribbon in through one buttonhole and push through all the way to the other hole. Tie around the waist for wearing.

Tied Strip Tutu

Measure out two yards of tulle. Cut several layers depending on how full you want the tutu to be, for a fuller skirt you need more layers. Stack the layers on top of eachother. Roll the tulle into a cylinder and then cut the cylinder into sections, each about two inches thick. Unroll the strips, you should have a bunch of pieces to make the tutu from. Measure out a piece of ribbon 1 1/2 times the size of the waist of the individual who the skirt is for. Lay the first strip over the ribbon. Loop the top part of the strip over the ribbon. Put the two ends of the ribbon through the hole made by the top of the strip. This forms a knot of sorts. Repeat with all the strips until you have a full tutu skirt. Then tie on the skirt to wear.

Rocker Tutu

Choose an old skirt that you don’t mind ruining. Alter the silhouette of the skirt by pinning it up if you want to make it shorter or tighter. Remove the pins and put a couple quick stitches in to hold the skirt in place. Rip up or cut some small pieces of tulle. Choose multiple colors for a rocker rainbow look. Bunch up the tulle sections and pin them onto the skirt. Continue to add tulle to the skirt until it is completely covered. Then slowly remove the pins and sew the tulle onto the skirt, one section at a time.