You're going to need 2-8 yards of tulle, found in your local fabric store. Tulle seems to range in price from very cheap (I got mine for less than $1 a yard) to not really at all expensive for fabric (I saw some tulle for like $6 a yard - it was rather fancy looking). Two yards will suffice for a children's tutu. I doubt most of you are wanting to make one for a kid though. I used six yards for mine - my tutu is ridiculously poofy and has about a six inch gap with no material. One day, I'll fix that, but for now I just twist it to the side. Depending on how you cut your stripes and tie them on, you may need more or less fabric.
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First, you're going to need to cut the tulle into strips. My tulle just happened to be twice as wide as I wanted my tutu's length to be, so I decided it would be easiest to loop the tulle around the ribbon. I cut my stripes about 4 inches wide - the width of these stripes is going to determine the poofiness, so use my tutu to judge.
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After you have your strips cut, you're going to want to fasten them to a ribbon or elastic. If you use ribbon, make sure it matches the tulle - or at least compliments it. I forgot to buy ribbon from the fabric store and all I had laying around with some olive green piece. There are several methods for fastening the strips to the ribbon - you can sew them, tie them, or probably even use fabric glue. I opted to tie them on. Because my strips were twice the length I wanted, I just doubled them over and looped them around the ribbon.
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Because I am such a horrible explainer of what I mean by 'looping around the ribbon', I drew a picture. Unfortunately, I am also a horrible drawer. I opted to crop out the final result, which is what you achieve by pulling the ends tight, but I don't think it's a crucial element. Just know that in the drawing below, you are actually looking at what will become the inside of the tutu's waist. You want the clean part of the loop on the outside, as in the photo above.
You may want to play around with other methods of fastening the strips to the ribbon. -
If you have any questions, I will try my hardest to answer them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambrosialove/522118984/
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Posted By:ambrosialove »
January 21, 2008 16:48
Popular tags: Painting & Decorating, Dressmaking / Tailoring, Revamping, Christmas, Clothing & Fabric, Decorating, Gothic, and Halloween
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Cat Morley
21 Jan 17:05
This is gorgeous, thanks so much for sharing!
northernstar
21 Jan 18:47
ooh I love this, it's so gorgeous :) I do love tulle
'Gemyz
21 Jan 20:05
very pretty :]
Euqinom.
21 Jan 23:39
I saw this tute on flickr and made one for halloween. Thanksss, I love my tutu.
Vampish Brat
22 Jan 00:48
this is an awsome tutorial i cant wait to make one to go with my corset :D
April
22 Jan 05:31
i am going to do this one forsure!
brookie
22 Jan 18:04
Aw! My little girl will have a tutu by nightfall! Thanks so much!
Kimberly
22 Jan 19:21
So cute and easy! Thanks for sharing!
Lady Lolita
22 Jan 23:56
Your tutorial was excellent! I made a tulle skirt for a halloween costume one year, I wish I had thought to just tie my strips on to a ribbon! It would have saved me a LOT of work! Clever you!
She's R.
23 Jan 11:23
this is a bloody good idea dude. i would have never thought of doing this. well done!! smarttt!!! im so gonna do this soon!
Katey
27 Jan 18:13
I really like this idea. I have a million yards of tulle but I was too nervous to try making a tutu the hard way. I actually love this way...I like the way the knots look on top and it looks so easy.
Queen.Of.Dorks
05 Feb 09:52
awesome,
i've always wanted to know the best way to make one
now i know!!
xx
Rachael S.
17 Feb 06:26
I love love love love love love love tutus!
Maggers
25 Feb 02:35
Awesome. Definitely making this
outside in girl
08 Mar 19:09
I wanted a tutu and now I will have one!
SakuraLee
30 Mar 17:39
I'd seen this on flickr beforehand and I'm glad I found it here~ I will definately post up pics of the tutu I made sometime! ^^ Thank you for sharing this!
tessuhh
09 Jun 10:24
where did you buy fabric at?
chelsearaye
19 Jun 13:58
QUESTION: i am a size 0-2 so im pretty small, about how many yards of tulle of each do you think i need if im alternating between two colors?
Meredith W.
24 Jun 19:46
This project was a complete life saver. I'm in the process of making a Gothic Lolita dress for Anime Expo (which is in a week and a half) and I needed a petticoat to make the skirt poof. I'm making this project in white and this will be so much cheaper than ordering a petticoat online.
Goth Ninja
03 Jul 17:23
That's so pretty! Can you take a picture of the whole thing though? Thanks!
aley babyy
11 Jul 19:48
i already started making mine. =]
Miss lu
14 Jul 22:49
ahhh this is fab.. will be perfect for a drunken fancy dress party =]
Goth Ninja
26 Jul 20:16
Hm.... I should make one for an Ipod!♥
april k
12 Sep 23:38
i love this
Mickie
29 Sep 05:33
your tutu is so prettey I went out and buy me lots of tutuor
and be making me one for hallween
Mickie
29 Sep 05:33
your tutu is so prettey I went out and buy me lots of tutuor
and be making me one for hallween
80sobsesser
02 Oct 04:48
This is really going to help me
thanks
Mickie
02 Oct 12:55
I almost done with my. I use black purple and gray and this long in the back and short in the front. it already pretty can't wait to show it off
Emily
19 Oct 22:48
or halloween im going to be a tutu wearing dinosaur!
yay
ʎǝuʇɹnoɔ
01 Dec 06:20
QUESTION: the wider the tulle, the poofier it gets? i can't tell from the picture, actually... or maybe it gets less poofy? iunno.
dollicious
18 Dec 20:13
omg!!! it's so cute (and simple to make xD) *_* Thank you!
Jess-Chan
11 Jan 21:23
This is so great :D i made one for my friends tu-tu party :D
Thanks.
DarkAshHurts
28 Apr 21:55
I've always wanted a tutu! Now i can make one!...or many. O.O
hooray! I'm so happy.
Brittany
07 Oct 21:15
That knot is called a "lark's head" lol. But I love it! NO SEW! woo :-D
Sunkissed♥
30 Oct 09:55
lol, i made one for my friend and made her wear it all day at school :) now to make myself one!
NKOLLIO=)
03 Nov 19:32
awwwww thats so cute
Siomha R.
06 Nov 20:42
Really good,where would I find Tulle?x
Rahma M.
13 Nov 23:24
I made one of these but i didnt use tulle, i used a different light fabric, it drapes lovely, but it sheds something awful lol