How to Make a Ballet Tutu

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Finished tutu
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

The tutu has persisted as a beloved silhouette for hundreds of years. Even though the tutu originally belonged to ballerinas, those who yearn for a little romanticism can now add a tutu to their wardrobes. Handmade tutus are fun costumes or gifts, and they can be made in any color in less than an hour. Watch the video tutorial here!

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Things You'll Need

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Materials needed for a tutu
Image Credit: Beth Huntington
  • 1/2 inch elastic (enough to go around your ballerina's waist)
  • Sharp scissors or a rotary cutter and mat
  • Sewing machine with a 90/14 universal needle
  • Coordinating thread
  • Round bowl or large can
  • 5 yards of tulle for a child-size tutu (7 yards for a teen or adult size)

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Step 1

Cut the elastic to fit around your ballerina's waist.
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Measure around your ballerina's waist and subtract 2 inches from that number. Cut a strip of elastic to this measurement.

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Tip: If you're making this as a gift for a child and don't happen to know the ballerina's waist size, you can use her age to determine the elastic size (in this case, don't subtract 2 inches):

  • 0 to 6 months: 14 inches
  • 6 to 12 months: 16 inches
  • 12 to 24 months: 18 inches
  • 2T to 3T: 19 inches
  • 4T to 5T: 20 inches
  • 5 to 6: 21 inches

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Step 2

Sew the ends of the elastic together.
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

To create the waistband, overlap a 1/2 inch on the ends of the elastic and sew them together using a 90/14 needle and a medium zigzag stitch. You can hand-stitch the elastic together if you don't have a sewing machine.

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Step 3

Wrap the elastic around a bowl.
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Place the elastic waistband around something round, such as a glass bowl or a coffee can.

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Step 4

Cut the tulle 6 inches wide.
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Decide how many inches long you'd like your tutu to be, multiply that number by two, and then add 2 inches. Cut strips of tulle to be 6 inches wide by your length measurement. You multiply by two because you will be folding each tulle strip in half. Use a rotary cutter to cut the tulle if you have one, but scissors will also work. You will need to cut at least two strips of tulle for every inch of your waistband. For example: if your waistband is 20 inches, then you'll need 40 strips.

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Tip: Again, if you're making this as a child's gift and don't happen to have your ballerina close by, use the following measurements as a guide for determining length:

  • 0 to 6 months: Cut the tulle 16 by 6 inches
  • 6 to 12 months: Cut the tulle 18 by 6 inches
  • 12 to 24 months: Cut the tulle 20 by 6 inches
  • 2T to 3T: Cut the tulle 22 by 6 inches
  • 4T to 5T: Cut the tulle 24 by 6 inches
  • 5 to 6: Cut the tulle 26 by 6 inches

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Step 5

Loop the tulle under the elastic.
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Fold a tulle strip in half and place the fold under the elastic waistband, from the bottom up, so it forms a loop at the top.

Step 6

Pull the ends of the strip through the loop.
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Pick up the ends of the tulle strip and thread them through the loop of the tulle.

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Step 7

Pull the tulle strip through the loop.
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Pull the ends of the tulle strip gently through the loop. Continue looping the strips of tulle around the entire elastic waistband until you get back around to where you started.

Finished Tutu

Tutus make great costumes for portraits.
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Enjoy the magic of wearing a tutu...

Finished Tutu

Playing the piano in a tutu
Image Credit: Beth Huntington

...because tutus aren't just for dancing anymore.

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