A Homemade Tutu for Your Little Princess

My little princess loves to play dress up. Her attire usually consists of a fancy outfit with a variety of jewelry, sunglasses, a tiara and of course a tutu. How could any outfit be complete without a fluffy and sparkly tutu! You can purchase said tutus in stores and online, however, they can be pricey and pretty generic. After a little research, I decided to try my hand at making homemade tutus for my little princess. Here is an easy and fairly inexpensive way to make adorably unique homemade tutus.

By the way, this is a NO SEW tutu. It can't get any easier.

Supply List:
Crochet Headband
Tulle (can also use fabric strips)
Measuring Tape or Cutting Mat
Scissors
Embellishments (such as ribbon, flowers, buttons)

Step 1: Gather materials. For the waistband, I used an infant 1.5" crochet headband. I already had some of these on hand but you can purchase a variety of styles, sizes and colors for super cheap online. I originally bought mine at www.girlscrochetheadbands.com.

The tulle and ribbon can be purchased at any local craft store. Tulle can be bought by the yard or in spools. If you buy tulle by the yard, simply cut into 6" wide strips. I bought oodles of tulle and didn't use half of it. Darn, I guess I'll have to make more tutus. The amount of tulle you'll need really depends on how long and fluffy you want to make your tutu. I suggest buying anywhere from 2-4 yards of tulle. I used 1.5" wide ribbon.

Step 2: Cut the tulle. This part takes the longest. You will need to take your tulle and cut it into strips. Before you do this, you must decide on the length for your tutu. Here's a chart for tutu length recommendations.

Age of Child	Tutu Length	Tulle Strips
0-3 months	4”	8”
3-12 months	6”	12”
1-2 years	8”	16”
3-4 years	10”	20”

I chose to make an 8 inch tutu for my tall 2.5 year old. Each piece of tulle was cut 6"X16". The number of strips you need to cut depends on the number of holes around the crochet headband/waistband. I like to use the second row up from the bottom of the waistband to tie my tulle. That row has 30 holes all the way around, so I need 30 strips of tulle. If you use more than one color, then divide accordingly. If you want to make a super fluffy tutu, simply fill two rows of the waistband with tulle. I know for my little princess, one row of tulle is plenty.

Step 3: Tie the tulle. Place the waistband around an object to hold it in place (leg, box, jar). You are basically going to make slip knots with the tulle around the waistband. Take a single piece of tulle and fold it in half. Push the folded end through the hole in the waistband about an inch. Separate the folded end to where it makes a loop. Send the open end pieces though the loop and tighten. Repeat for every hole in that row.

I actually tie my tulle upside down because I think it is easier. Then I simply flip the tutu inside out after I'm finished. It works like a charm. Just make sure the knotted side of the tulle is facing out.

Step 4: Embellish your tutu. I decided to simply tie a bow onto the middle of my tutu with 1.5" ribbon. For a different look, you could add strips of ribbon instead of tulle to every fourth or fifth hole or tie small bows to the middle of the tulle pieces. You could add flowers, hearts, mascots, etc. The possibilities are endless! Being able to personalize the tutu for your little princess is what it is all about.

Pirate Tutu

Here's a different take on making a homemade tutu. I made a pirate inspired tutu for my daughter to wear for a Halloween party this year. I used strips of skeleton fabric for every fifth hole and varied the lengths of tulle to give it a more tattered look. The whole family is going as pirates! Arrr! See the tutorial on homemade pirate costumes for the whole family.

I hope you are inspired to try this fun and easy way to make a tutu. If you have any questions, please just leave them in the comments below.

Happy Crafting!