How to Make a Tutu Skirt

• To make a tutu skirt, you need an elastic band, plenty of tulle, scissors, and glue.
• Cut the elastic band to be 4 inches (10 cm) shorter than your waist.
• Trim the tulle to your preferred length and either use your glue to secure the tulle to the band or tie it directly around the band.
• If you find it difficult to cut the tulle, wrap the tulle around a sheet of cardboard to guide your scissors.

Preparing the Elastic

Take waist measurements. Have the tutu-wearer-to-be stand still, with their back straight. With a measuring tape, measure from their waist to the part of their leg where the tutu skirt should end. Most tutus fall between 11 in. (28 cm) and 23 in. (58 cm) from the waist.

Cut the elastic. You’ll need a piece of elastic that is about 4 in. (10 cm) shorter than the waist measurement. Glue the ends of the elastic together. Use a generous amount glue over the area to ensure the elastic will not come apart. You should now have an elastic circle.

Have the person try on the elastic. This will ensure it is tight enough around the waist. Adjust it, if necessary.

Preparing the Tulle

Choose the tulle. Tulle comes in many different colors and can be found in fabric stores or arts and crafts stores. Look for 6” wide tulle, in your chosen color. Most tutus are a solid color, but different colors of tulle can also be used together.

Buy more tulle than you need. It is better to have extra tulle on hand in case of mistakes or for making corrections. For a tutu skirt for a small child, purchase at least 10 yards (9 m). For an adult, purchase at least 15 yards (13.7 m).

Cut the tulle. How long or short depends on how long you want the skirt to be and how tall the person wearing it is. Generally, you should take the desired finished length of the tutu and multiply it by 2. Then, add 1.5 in. (3.8 cm) to that number to get the strip length. Make each tulle strip between 2 to 3 in (5.1 to 7.6 cm) wide. So, for example, if the length of the finished tutu will be 20 in. (50 cm), cut the tulle into strips 41.5 in. (105 cm) long and 3 in. (7.6 cm) wide. It’s a good idea to make the tutu 3” to 4” longer than you think it need to be, as once it starts puffing out, it will seem a lot shorter. You can always adjust the skirt to make it shorter, but you cannot make it longer once the tulle has been cut.

Use a piece of cardboard to help you cut the tulle easily. Wrap the tulle around the cardboard and slip your scissors under the wrapped tulle, on each end of the cardboard, to cut the tulle on both ends. Keep in mind pre-cut tulle is 6’ wide, which is the right width for the skirt. If you’re using pre-cut tulle, you just have to unroll the tulle and cut each strip to the proper length as you go.

Cut the edges of the tulle pieces at an angle to add dimension. Sometimes, tutus that are flat across the bottom can look a little dull. Cut several pieces at once at an angle to speed up the process. Don’t worry about keeping the edges very tidy, as you want to add texture to the tutu.

Making the Tutu

Attach the tulle to the elastic band with glue. Do this by folding the tulle strips over the elastic band. Then, glue the two layers together just below the elastic with a glue stick or glue gun. Repeat this process for all of the tulle strips until the circle is complete.

Tie the tulle to the elastic. If you don’t have access to a glue stick or glue gun, you can knot the tulle one piece at a time onto the elastic. Take a piece of tulle and fold it in half. Wrap the looped end around the elastic and pull the other ends up, around, and through the loop. Then, pull the tulle tight, securing it around the elastic. Repeat the ties until the entire elastic band is covered in tulle. Make sure you gradually push the knots around the elastic together so that as the elastic stretches, there are no gaps in the tulle. Feel free to mix and match or layer colors of tulle on the elastic to create a unique look.

Check the fit of the skirt. Have the person try on the tutu to make sure the length is correct and it is easy to move or dance in.

Add any finishing touches like ribbon or flowers to the tutu. Add ribbon by tying them or gluing them onto the elastic. If you want to add buttons, flowers, or other embellishments, simply pin them onto the tutu or onto the elastic.