The 1 Hour Tutu

We were invited to a Superhero & Princess party at the Boulevard club on Saturday.  Mason was VERY excited to have his Batman costume back that I made for Hallowe'en and then confiscated a couple days after (to keep it safe & in good condition!).

Avery was Robin for Hallowe'en and although I LOVE her costume, I thought it would be nice for her to be her own person this time rather than part of Mason's dynamic duo.

Princess Avery was pretty easy to put together, a pink bathing suit my mom picked up for her last year, a sweet faux fur shrug trimmed with satin that I found at Value Village, tights, her sparkly pink Tom's shoes that my sister-in-law to be got her for Christmas and a pink tutu. 

There are lots of tutorials online that show you how to make a tutu, but it was finding these tutorials that made this possible to do in an hour.  I've made four tutus to date.  They're so easy and look amazing when you're finished.

I started by cutting my tulle to just over 24 inches (total) length, which makes the finished tutu have a 12" length. Here's a great idea for how to cut tulle to equal lengths quickly & easily - from Treasures for Tots.

Everything I read suggested using elastic that you sew to the desired circumference (waist size).  I wanted to avoid having to sew anything so I bought elasticized head bands from the dollar store for the first three that I made.   It worked pretty well but I found that the elastic stretches as you add the tulle because the tension of the 'knot' naturally pulls it out. 

For Avery's tutu, I used 32" of pink grosgrain ribbon (her waist is 20") that I folded in half for the portion where I attached the tulle.  I marked the centre and then marked 10" on either side to give me a visual for how much tulle to attach.  I think I prefer using the ribbon because you can tie it in a bow at either the front or back of your little person.

I also found this idea on Pinterest to wrap the elastic (or ribbon) around something round to help stabilize it while you attach the tulle.  I highly recommend doing this, it saves a ton of time!

For a more clear demonstration of how to make the tulle knots, Design Mom has great pictures.

If you want to make the top of the tutu look more finished, here's how Treasures for Tots does a satin wrap on hers.

I bought 6" nylon tulle Canada Tulle - their prices are great, they have an amazing selection of both 25m and 100m spools and they ship really quickly.  I used around 140 meters for Avery's 20" waist.

I also saw an idea on another site (but I can't remember or find which one) that you can layer two different colours and tie them on at the same time.  I did this for Avery's tutu and it's so pretty because I mixed in shimmery whites and creams under a pale pink and then also added a deeper pink under the pale pink as well.

My little princess was the prettiest thing at the party.  No seriously, she stole the show in the sea of store-bought princess dresses. 

- Jacs