search this blog

10.27.2012

fabric tutu



My niece, Sadie, was in desperate need of a fabric tutu...Who isn't? They're just so cute! I saw a lot of different tutorials online, but I just ended up doing it my own way. I wanted a lot of little strips with fun colors and patterns and I think it turned out pretty cute. Look at her adorable little face...she liked it! :)

____________________________________________________

Here's what you'll need to make your own:


a variety of fabrics (scraps work great too)
elastic for the waist band
pinking sheers or rotary cutter
sewing machine to make waist band
____________________________________________________

Start by making your waist band (If you need help with sizing check out these measurement suggestions from create kids couture). I had my sister in law send me Sadie's waist measurements - 15". I cut my elastic a little longer than 15", stitched the ends together and then secured them to the waist band by stitching down the loose ends.


Next, you'll want to decide on the length of your tutu. Here is how I figured out how long to cut my fabric strips:

I wanted Sadie's tutu to be 10" long. I doubled that number and added an inch for tying the knot (10 + 10 + 1) for a total of 21". I made these strips about 3/4" wide (and had to make A LOT). You can choose whatever width you'd like. Also, I chose to use pinking sheers because the fabric tends to fray less this way, but you can cut straight strips if you choose. 


Once all of the strips are cut, it's time to get tying! I put the elastic around my leg and got to work. I loosely tied a simple double knot around the elastic (making sure not to smash the elastic). 


Here's a quick look at how I tied my knots (in case you need a bit of help):


I alternated colors and tied knots all the way around until the entire elastic band was covered. I think I used close to 85 strips (I had a lot more than a normal tutu because I used really skinny strips of fabric).


I'm so happy with how it turned out and my sister-in-law had Sadie wear it in her 6 month pictures :) Too cute! I hope this tutorial was helpful for anyone looking to make their own fabric tutu.




Photobucket
[p.s. this post may be linked to any number of these blogs]

18 comments:

  1. O my goodness! So stinkin' cute! I love the skirt and your niece is just too cute for words. Thanks so much for joining in on the Bloglovin Hop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! She's a doll :) thanks for hosting the bloglovin hop and I look forward to the next one!

      Delete
  2. How adorable! And it looks fun and easy to make. Your niece is such a cutie :)

    Hugs,
    Stephanie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! The skirts are so fun to make, especially when they get worn by someone so cute :) Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. So cute! I love the look of the scrappy tutus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I agree - they're so cute and help get rid of some of the scraps you might have laying around :)

      Delete
  4. That is so cute and little Sadie...well, she's just so squeezable. Thank you for sharing this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Hope to see your prettiness again on Monday. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! :) I'll be linking up again on Monday. Have a great weekend.

      Delete
  5. Your little niece is so cute!! I love how the tutu turned out :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. My mother helped my daughter make a no sew version of one of these skirts. Very cute.

    http://highhillhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/08/no-sew-skirt.html

    ReplyDelete

All comments will be answered/responded to by email. Please make sure your email address is linked up to your account so I can reply. Thanks for leaving me some love :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...