tutu diy :: for the little dancer or fashionista in your life

Oh, that dreaded moment when at bedtime, your child says to you, “Mom…I kind of forgot to tell you…I need four dozen cupcakes for the class party tomorrow…” Your date with Netflix and a glass of wine suddenly comes crashing down around you. Your evening plans have drastically changed.

In this family, we homeschool, so I don’t contend with the surprise cupcake sign up. Apparently though, failure to clue mom in about important details, seems to be a universal kid trait. Last night, while tucking my daughter in for the night, I was informed about how over the top excited she was that her next dance class was going to be “Tutu Day!” Yeah, that dance class is today! Not wanting to break her spirit, I kindly told her that mommy really, REALLY needs to know these details a little bit sooner, and proceeded to ask her what her favorite tutu colors would be. In that moment, I realized my plans for relaxing the evening away had completely changed.

Sigh. Time to get to work. Luckily, I had a few rolls of tule on hand in my craft supply stash. And bonus, they were the colors she had hoped for! Fantastic. Tutu’s really aren’t that difficult to make, just a bit time consuming, and to a little princess, they are magical! Though my plans for relaxing had changed for the night, I knew my daughter’s reaction in the morning would totally make the last minute project worth the effort and sacrifice. The truth is, tutus are a fashion that little ones wear for such a precious fleeting amount of time. While my impromptu project was underway, I snapped some photos of my and thought I’d share a quick tutorial on the blog. After all, every little girl needs a tutu, and every mommy needs to be a superhero every once in awhile.

Supplies…

• tule – 6″ rolls or by the yard if you’re willing to spend more time cutting it
• elastic for waistband
• scissors or rotary cutter
• sewing machine or needle and thread

The details…

• Measure your model’s waist.
• Cut elastic one inch shorter than waist measurement.
• Sew elastic so it creates a waistband. I prefer to use a zig zag stitch on my sewing machine, but this can also be hand stitched with a needle and thread.
• Cut tule into strips. Think about what you want your tutu to look like when you’re finished. Do you want it to be long or short? Figure strip length accordingly. (The tutu pictured has strips cut at 21″.) You can cut your strips with scissors, but if you have access to a cutting mat and rotary cutter, you will save a lot of time on this step!
• Tie tule onto elastic. This step is so very basic, but there are a couple things that help the process along. Netflix for one. Seriously, put something on that you can at least listen to. It will help pass the time more quickly! This step takes awhile. It’s easiest to put the elastic on your leg, similar to a garter, and then tie the strips on. Fold your strips in half, take the “loop” end and put it over the elastic. Then, pull the tails through the loop, and tighten. Repeat until the elastic is covered, and ta-da! You have a tutu!
• Pass the tutu off to your little princess, and let her wear that fashion statement for as long as she can! Take a photo while you’re at it. Little ones grow up way to fast! Enjoy the sweet moments!

Is your little fashionista into wearing tutus? Is she a dancer, or does she just like to rock out a fabulous tutu just because? If she’s not into tutus, what is her favorite go to outfit?