These pretty skirts are ideal for a flower girl's wedding dress, for play, ballerinas in training, or just for fun. Have the kids help with this project—even if they aren't handy with scissors, they can help lay out the fabric and tie it to the elastic.
Cut the elastic to fit your child. Fold the elastic over so the ends meet and overlap. Pin in place. Use a needle and thread or a sewing machine to secure the elastic loop.
To determine the length of the elastic, measure your child's waist. Subtract 4 inches and then cut to that size. (For example, my son's waist is 21 inches, minus 4 equals a 17-inch piece of elastic.) The elastic will stretch when you wrap scraps of fabric around it.
For the best fit, always measure the child. But in case you don't have that option, here's a list of the average waist size for a child's age:12 to 18 months =15 1/2"; 2T =16”; 3T =16 1/2”;
Cut strips of tulle twice the size of your desired length. A good rule of thumb for length is:
For short tutus, cut three or four rolls of 6" wide tulle into 22" strips (more tulle =fuller skirt).
For long tutus, cut seven or eight 6" wide tulle rolls into the following strips:12 - 18 Months =24", 2T =30", 3T =35", 4T =38", 5T =42", 6T =46”, 7 years. =50”, 8 years. =54”. These sizes are not meant to go all the way to the floor, but to the ankles.
Long tutus are not recommended for children under 3 years of age, as they can be difficult to drag.
Once you've cut all of your tulle into strips, take the first strip and fold it in half so it forms a loop.
Bring the bow of your tulle up and over the inside of the elastic. The bottom of your tulle will be below the elastic waistband and the top of the loop will be on top.
With the loop still above the elastic, grab both bottom ends of the tulle strip. Pull the bottom ends of the tulle through your top fabric loop.
Pull tight to create a knot around the top. Repeat with the remaining tulle strips.
Once you've cut all of your tulle into strips, take the first strip and fold it in half so it forms a loop.
Bring the bow of your tulle up and over the inside of the elastic. The bottom of your tulle will be below the elastic waistband and the top of the loop will be on top. With the bow still above the elastic, grab both bottom ends of the tulle strip. Pull the bottom ends of the tulle through your top fabric loop.
Pull tight to create a knot around the top. Repeat with the remaining tulle strips.
As you add the strips of tulle, push the top knots from time to time. This will stretch out the elastic a bit to give you more room to add more straps for a really full tutu. Repeat until you go around the entire waist and you can no longer see the elastic.
If you want a two-tier tutu, cut two or three 6" wide tulle rolls into strips that are 8" to 10" shorter than your starting tulle strips.
Repeat the process of tying the tulle to the waist between the tulle knots that are already tied. Repeat until you've done everything around the waist and all of the first tier tulle color is covered.
You can also add a satin ribbon as an embellishment.
Now you have a fabulous classic tutu that your kids will love, and of course, it makes for great photos.
