DIY Tutu Ribbons

Create a girl's tutu using lengths of ribbon for an easy and creative gift.

A ribbon tutu is quite simply a tutu made of ribbons. The loose ribbons hanging from the easy elastic waistband will swirl and twirl with your young dancer, creating a frenzy of colors. For an interesting tutu, use different types and textures of ribbon. Combine satin, grosgrain and sheer ribbon in one or more colors. The length is your choice, but somewhere between midthigh and knee is best.

Things You'll Need

• 6 combined yards of 1/2- to 1-inch ribbon (different types mixed and matched)
• Scissors
• Pins
• 1 yard of 1-inch elastic
• Sewing machine
• Thread

Instructions

1. Cut the ribbon, making 30 pieces of ribbon the desired length of the tutu. The length should be between 12 and 24 inches, depending on your desired look and the wearer's height.

2. Cut the elastic to be 1 inch shorter than the wearer's waist circumference.

3. Lay the elastic on a table or other flat surface, wrong or back side up.

4. Place the ribbon pieces on the elastic, each one just touching the other, the top edge of each ribbon piece overlapping the elastic by one-half inch. Place them in the desired order for the tutu.

5. Pin the ribbon pieces in place on the elastic.

6. Sew the ribbon pieces to the elastic using the zigzag stitch of your machine, sewing at the top edge of the ribbon where it overlaps the elastic. Stretch the elastic as far as you can while you sew. Remove the pins from the elastic just before you sew the area underneath the pin.

7. Overlap the ends of the elastic by one-half inch and sew in the center of the overlap using the machine zigzag stitch.