Make a No Sew Ballet Tutu

Here is how to create a ballet tutu for a child's dress-up or for more pragmatic reasons, such as a ballet concert. One size fits almost all. And it can even be a parent-child project that takes only an hour or two.

Steps

  1. Cut your tulle. Measure around the waist. Measure the length you want the tutu to be. Cut the tulle to 2x the waist and length. You can also triple the waist if you want a fluffier tutu.
  2. Cut the tulle into strips. Holding the tulle with the longest side facing you, Cut about 2.4 inches (6 cm) of vertical strips.
  3. Cut the elastic to 5cm (2 inches) longer than hip/waist measurement.
  4. Loosely tie the ends together to make one big circle.
  5. Fold one strip in half. Making a loop with the top, pass it under the elastic and pull the tails through the loop. The strip is now attached to the big circle. Repeat making and tying on the strips until you have tied strips the whole way around the circle of elastic.
    • For a fuller and fluffier Look Good in a Tutu, pull the tie tighter (you would need more strips and at least another 1 meter (3.2 feet) or more for an adult).
    • With these measurements, 10 loosely tied strips will cover 15cm (6") of length, which is more than adequate for a fun tutu. For the more elaborate tutu, the tightest knots of 10 strips will cover 5cm (2").
  6. Finished! The result is one reasonable tutu from 1 meter (3.2 feet) of net (tulle) and it is long enough for a child or a small adult, limited only by the length of the elastic. It can do the job as it is or be dressed up by adding another colour, a circular cover skirt, a few spangles, sequins or Make Jeweled T Shirts. Enjoy.



Tips

  • When you are pulling the tail through the loop before you make it tight, feed another folded strip through the loop to make it fluffier.
  • When buying the net (tulle), ask for two half meter (1.6 feet) or one half meter (1.6 feet) of two different colours. This provides the most effective look, as seen in the introduction image.
  • An adult should do the cutting; the rest is child's play.

Things You'll Need

  • Stiff net (tulle) 1 1/2 metres (59") wide; child 1 metre (39 inches) long; adult 2 metres (78") long; more than one colour is fine
  • Cord elastic: 5 cm/2 inches more than waist or hip measurement. (Steal it from an old fleece)
  • Template for making strips: Use firm cardboard and make a strip measuring approx 6cm (2.3") wide and ¾ of a metre (29") long (an incense sticks packet works well as a template size)

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