A few weeks ago, I made a tutu skirt myself for the first time. The whole craft took me maybe an hour. It's a great way to make a cheap skirt for costumes.
It was surprisingly easy, so I thought I would share the process with you!
You will need:
- Tulle spool of the colour of your choice, enough to make your skirt (see Step 1)
- A ribbon / an elastic band / an old belt for the waistline
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Some space and a chair as support (optional)
STEP 1: Choose the length of your tutu
Measure how long you would like your skirt to be, from where the waistline will be to the end of the skirt.
My tip: if you want a very long skirt that falls to the floor, as I did, think of the shoes you're gonna wear it with. I planned on wearing heels and so I measured the length wearing the heels so I would know where it would fall, as long as possible but not that long that I wouldn't be able to dance with it.
Once you have the length, double it: that measure is how long the strips of fabric have to be to achieve your desired length.
Plan for enough strips to tie all around your waistline.
I used 24 strips, but you could use more or less according to your size, and how transparent or full you want the tutu to be.
My tip: you should measure these factors before buying your fabric, so you don't find yourself short of material. If you're not sure, make your tutu in advance, to have the time to order more fabric.
STEP 2: Cut your strips of tulle
Remember each strip has to be TWICE as long as your desired length for the skirt.
My tip: As this was pretty long for me, I simply unrolled the spool on my bed (a table would do) next to the measuring tape, cut it at the end, and then repeatedly unrolled the spool on top on the first strip to cut the next ones on the same length.
If you are not sure how many strips you'll want, don't worry, just cut a few to begin with and come back to it later.
STEP 3: Start your skirt
My tip: You can use a chair as support for easy knotting, but that is not mandatory at all if you don't have one. If you decide to do so, simply tie your elastic band / ribbon / belt around the back of the chair as if it was your waistline, and you're set!
Your first knot:
Take your first strip, fold it in half - yes, that's why we took double the desired length! - and hold it by the fold, aka by the loop.
Pass it under your ribbon / elastic band / belt waistline and put the two loose ends of the strip inside the loop. Pull - it's done!
STEP 4: Knot & repeat
Repeat the same knot with all of your strips. It is very easy to push the strips around, especially if you're working with an elastic band or belt, to make space for the new ones.
STEP 5: Try it on and finish the skirt
Your skirt is pretty much done!
Only a few steps left to make it perfect:
Turn the waistline around to show the other side of the knots. (It looks prettier.)
Check on yourself that it fits and that it's full enough for your taste. You can add or remove strips to suit it to your needs.
Once it looks just as you like it, finish the waistline: tie the ribbon or sew the elastic band to fit you, or check that your belt fits well. You can slide the knotted strips around to make sure the volume is the same all around.
TADAA! Your Tutu is done, congratulations!
