Master the art of creating a delightfully whimsical tutu skirt for your little girl. You can’t help but adore the feminine flair of these tulle skirts. In less than an hour, you can learn the best techniques for working with tulle fabric and create a stunning skirt of your own design by following this straightforward guide.
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How to Make a Tutu Skirt
The tulle in this light and airy skirt is sewed all the way around; there are no knots or ties. Having created several tulle skirts in recent years (for a side business selling handmade tulle skirts), I can say with confidence that this is an easy job for a beginner to tackle.
Tulle does not fray or snag, so I hope you aren’t put off by the thought of sewing with it. Tulle is considerably simpler to work with than other fabrics I’ve tried, including jersey and satin.
In fact, I find it slightly more challenging than working with cotton when it comes to sewing. I’ve compiled a list of all I know about sewing with tulle so that your first time is a success.
Each skirt consists of two layers of supple tulle and an exposed elastic waistband. It doesn’t take long to finish this sewing project. You may have noticed that the tutu skirts are somewhat see-through, but my daughter loves to wear them over dresses and leggings.
Naturally, you can make it with three or four layers of tulle, or even add a lining if you like. It’s as easy as pie!
Do You Feel Ready? Let’s Get to Work on that Homemade Tutu Skirt!
For my daughter, who is now 3.5 years old, I used these dimensions for sewing skirts:
- Length of the skirt – 12 inches
- Waist measurement -20 inches
You might use it to create a tutu skirt of a different length. The table is based on approximations, thus it’s important to have precise measurements of your child.
Materials for a Homemade Tutu Skirt.
- 1 yard of luscious tulle
- elastic waistband that is covered in a cotton or satin fabric
- ribbon of satin, velvet, or grosgrain (optional) trim
- Elastic width of one inch
- Machine for stitching
- Needles for sewing machines, jersey needles, and ballpoint pens
- coordinating yarn
- Shears for Fabrics
- Pins for stitching
- tailoring gauge
A Detailed Guide to Making an Elastic-Waisted Tulle Skirt.
Step 1: Remove the excess fabric.
Each layer of tulle in my tutu skirts was 118 inches (300 cm) in width and 10 inches (25 cm) in height. Fabric widths can be joined to create an extra-wide panel, so if you can’t find soft tulle that’s 118 inches wide, that’s not an issue.
A soft tulle fabric, the kind sold in bolts, should be used. Tulle can be ironed directly if it is wrinkled, but only with a cool iron; a hot iron will melt the fabric. Use the lowest temperature setting instead.
You’ll need a strip of fabric (the hip size plus four inches) wide and a strip of fabric (the inseam size) tall for the waistband. The tulle layers measure a total of 118 inches in width, so the skirt may be made to fit a girl with a waist size anywhere from 1T or 2T (the average for this age group is 20 inches) to 10T (the average for this age group is 24 inches). If you alter the length of the skirt, it will look great.
Step 2: Get the casing for the waistband ready.
The cloth for the waistline measures 24 inches in length and 3.5 inches across. Casing won’t be too thin or too wide; it will be just right for accommodating a 1′′ elastic. The waistband section can now be formed into a tube by joining its short ends.
Step 3: Back seam sewing
Sew a side seam on one of the tulle layers. Do it again with the second layer of tulle. To prevent puckering while sewing tulle, I recommend using a ballpoint/jersey needle (I used a size 70/10) instead of a standard sewing needle. Next, reduce your sewing machine’s speed and use a short, straight stitch to prevent puckering.
Step 4: Collect the tiers of tulle
Run a basting stitch through each of the skirt’s layers, making sure the stitch length is as long as feasible. Do not backstitch at all, and leave large thread tails at the beginning and end of each row. Afraid of making the next move?
Don’t worry about it. Yes, you will baste a total of about 236 inches (600 cm), but it won’t be hard at all, I assure you. This took me 4 minutes to complete, but if you’re a newbie and take your time, it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes.
The opening of the skirt will be hip measurement + 4 inches to allow for comfortable movement while putting it on over the hips. That makes my skirt a total of 24 inches (20+4).
The tulle layers need to be gathered at the top so they can be placed inside the waistline casing. Take hold of the bobbin thread with one hand and use the other to push the tulle fabric over. Gather the fabric until it is the desired length (in my case 24 inches), and then secure the threads in a knot.
Step 5: Attach the tulle layers with stitches.
Tuck one layer of tulle inside the other, wrong side of the first layer to the right side of the second, and sew the layers together.
Step 6: fasten the belt to the skirt’s waist.
Right sides together, pin the waistband to the tulle skirt and sew using a 1/2″ seam allowance.
Step 7:
The elastic’s breadth dictates that the raw edge be turned under half an inch, and the waistband folded to a width of roughly 1.5 inches. You can do this by using a sewing gauge and several pins.
Finish the waistband casing by stitching around it, stopping about an eighth of an inch from the edge to accommodate the elastic. The ends must be backstitched.
Step 8: Put the elastic in the waist and sew it closed.
The elastic band should fit loosely around the waist, therefore cut it an inch or two smaller than the actual waist size. Put the elastic through the casing with the help of a safety pin. Check for any twisted elastic within the case and correct as necessary.
Close the waistband’s little opening by sewing the overlapping ends of the elastic together. Put the needle in the down position and take things carefully to begin with. While sewing, you should stretch the elastic slightly but not through it. Stitching vertically across the elastic at the back seam will fix it and stop it from twisting.
Step 9: (Optional) Finish with a ribbon.
Attach the ribbon you want as close to the tulle skirt’s hem as you can. The ribbon’s natural tendency to curl after being stitched gives the skirt extra fullness. To ensure that the skirt curls in the correct direction, focus on the motion of the golden ribbon.
Try to match the thread colour to the ribbon so it looks nice and polished, and make sure the ribbon ends up flush with the tulle. If you don’t want your ribbon to be riddled with holes, a longer straight stitch is the way to go.
Backstitching at the beginning and end is a must. Continue stitching until you reach the beginning, and then run a vertical stitch to secure the ends of the ribbon.
Tips for Maintaining Your Tutu Skirt
Your tulle skirt can be hand washed or machine washed using a laundry bag, moderate cycle, and light detergent.
Clean in cold water and dry naturally. Your tulle skirt and the ribbon at the hem can be ironed directly if they get wrinkled. Your lovely skirt can be restored to its original glory with a little ironing at a low setting.
