This post is brought to you by Danielle.
If you’re anything like me, you love all things girly for your little princess. But all those dresses, tutus, hair accessories, and more really add up! Thankfully, even if you don’t consider yourself a crafty person, you can still make lots of these things yourself for a fraction of the cost. One of the easiest (and cutest) things you can make yourself are tutus! They really are super simple and are great for photos, birthdays, holidays, playing dress up—any day really! All you need are a few supplies that you can find at any craft store. Follow this simple tutorial and you’ll have a tutu in no time!
- Tulle (either on spools, or by the yard) in your desired color
- 7/8″ ribbon in your desired color
- Scissors (or rotary cutter and mat)
- Measuring tape
Step 1: Measure the child’s waist, as well as from the waist down to the point where you’d like your tutu to fall. My daughter’s waist is 19 inches (you need this measurement for the ribbon), and I want the tutu to roughly fall 12 inches from her waist (you’ll need this measurement for the tulle).
Step 2: Cut your strips of tulle. If you buy tulle on spools it’s much easier because it’s already cut to a width of about six inches, which is perfect for tutu making. (If you can’t find it on spools you can also buy it by the yard. You’ll just have to cut it all into six-inch wide strips before cutting those strips to the length needed for your tutu). You can use a little or a lot of tulle, it’s up to you. I like my tutus to be super fluffy and full, so I usually use about 75 yards of the tulle on spools. You need to cut strips that are twice the length you measured previously. I measured 12 inches down, so my strips will be 24 inches long. Cut the tulle into strips of your needed length and set aside. I used my rotary cutter and mat for this, but if you don’t have those, just lay your tulle on a cutting surface alongside a measuring tape and cut.
Step 3: Cut your ribbon. Add 48 inches to your waist measurement and cut the ribbon this length. This will ensure nice, long ends to tie a pretty bow with. I heat seal the ribbon ends with a lighter so they don’t fray, but if you don’t mind a little fraying you can skip this step (you can use Fray Check, too). I then found the middle point of my ribbon and folded it, measured out 9 1/2 inches and tied a knot on each side right at the 9 1/2 inches mark. Now I have 2 knots 19 inches apart in the middle of my ribbon. Between these 2 knots is where you’ll knot on your tulle.
Step 4: Start knotting on your tulle! I tie my ribbon around my leg so it’s easier to knot the tulle. Since I make super fluffy tutus, I use three strips of tulle for each knot. Gather your three strips together, fold in half and slip the folded part underneath the ribbon. Grab the two long sides of the tulle and bring them up through the fold, pull tight, and slide all the way over the the left knot in your ribbon. Continue knotting on and sliding the tulle all the way over until you reach the other knot in your ribbon.
Step 5: You’re done! You can trim up the bottom if you’d like, but I like the not-so-perfect look of it when it’s finished so I don’t do any trimming. Put the tutu on your little princess (by tying the ribbon in the back) and enjoy!
See theYouTube video tutorial allitrippy did from our article! Thanks Alli
Danielle lives in upstate New York, where her husband is stationed with the US Army. She is a stay-at-home mom to one little girl, Zoey. They enjoy reading, walks and staying active in a local playgroup.
Hi! Thank you for such great directions. I would like a pretty fluffy tutu, but do you think 75 yards of tulle is needed for an 18 month old? I just wasn’t sure and wanted your opinion. Thanks!
Hi Nicole! 75 yards will make a super, super fluffy tutu for an 18 month old! It really depends on how fluffy you want it, honestly. This tutu shown in the tutorial was for my 2 year old and using the 75 yards of tulle was almost a bit much. So for a slightly smaller tutu for an 18 month old I would probably use between 50-60 yards. Hope that helps!
That helps a lot!! Thank you very much for the quick reply!
You’re welcome! Have fun!
I am trying my first tu tu for my grand – daughters they will be thing 1 and theing 2 for halloween, my question is: is it better to use elastic or the ribbon for the waistband? and how do you assemble it? what do you use to hold the band?
Hi Pat! I prefer the ribbon (as shown) for the waistband myself, so that is how I make all of my tutus. But you can use elastic if you’d prefer. If you’d prefer to use elastic instead, cut it 2 inches longer than the waist measurement of the child. Then overlap the ends of the elastic 1 inch (making a large circle), and sew the 2 ends together using a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine or hand stitch if you do not have a sewing machine. Then proceed with the tutorial as shown! Hope that helps!
my friend and I are 21 and we’re dressing up as sophia grace & rosie from the ellen show for halloween. Adult tutus are expensive so we want to make our own. what would you recommend?
Hi Katelyn! I’ve never made an adult tutu, but it should be just about the same as making one for a child. I’d probably do an elastic waistband (as described in the comment above), and you would just have to increase your tulle yardage – by A LOT! How much tulle you’ll need will depend greatly on how fluffy you need them and how long you want them to be. Just to guesstimate, if you want a super fluffy tutu as shown in this tutorial, I’d buy no less than 150 yards of tulle per tutu. Just follow the directions with your measurements. You can always buy more tulle if need be! Good luck!
I am going to make this to go on the outside of a flowergirl dress. So my questions is. You are just slipping the long ends through the loop? Don’t you need to tie them so they don’t come undone?
Do you not have to tie the strips to keep them from coming undone
Hi Terri! You are tying the tulle strips, just not in a traditional knot. You bring the long ends up through the loop, then pull tight, as stated in the directions. When you pull it tight, it ties it to the ribbon and creates a knot. The tulle will not slip off as long as you pull tight enough and create a nice knot. The pictures of me tying the tulle onto the ribbon help illustrate what I’m talking about. Hope that helps!
Hi – thank you for this step by step. I also would like to make it for an adult size – question: what if you want to make it long (hitting the floor) kind of tutu? Could I see use the rolls and just cut the strips to my height? Or would that look strange?
Thank you!
Sorry that was a confusing question – how much tulle do you think would be needed for an adult size *long* tutu (hitting the floor)? For height of 5’2.
Gaby, I’m in the process of making one right now. I bought 200 yards of the rolls of tulle. Thank you Hobby Lobby for having a 50% off sale! I’m about 5’6 & on the bigger size, so I’ll probably use every bit of that. Depending on your waist size, you could use less or more.
200 yards? you are using the spool right?
Yes, that’s with a spool.
Hi Gaby! Yes, you would be doing exactly that – using the roll of tulle and just cutting the tulle to the height that you need. Kerri and Tammy gave great advice, I would also guesstimate about 200 yards of tulle would be needed, possibly more and possibly less. It’s always better to buy more tulle than you think you’ll need. Hope that helps!
Hi Gaby
I would tie the piece of ribbon around where you ar going to where the tutu. Cut a strip of tulle the length that you want it. Then cut all of the strips the same length.. As Danielle said that it will take alot of tulle. I dont know where you live but right now Hobby Lobby has rolls of tulle half price right now.
Tammy
I am going to be making my daughters tutus for Halloween as Abby and Zoe from Sesame Street (my 1 year old son is being Elmo). The girls are 3 and 4, how many strips of tulle do you think I should cut? Do you think 75 yards is about what I need or will I be able to use less? Thanks!!!
Hi Kelli! So sorry I didn’t see this in time for Halloween, I hope your tutus came out great! To answer your question though, I think 75 yards per tutu for a 3 and 4 year old would be great. I’ve learned that there really isn’t too much variation in the height and waist of the tutus from about 1 to 3 years old, so for your 3 year old I think it would be similar to what I did for my 2 year old in the tutorial. You may have to make your strips of tulle a bit longer and the waist a tiny bit bigger for your 4 year old though!
Wow this idea is so easy…I just figured out the tail for my flamingo costume…maybe garnished with a few feathers..heading to Hobby Lobby. Thanks!
Omg thank you so much!!! Me and my friends are going to be “toddlers in tiaras” for Halloween and we were gonna go buy some tutus but we just thought it would be more fun to make some. My friends are comin over today and we are going to try it so thanks again!!!!! BYE:)
Danielle,
thank you for the great instructions! I plan on making a tutu for my soon to be daughter. I found a GREAT website where tulle is .88 cents for 25 yards! The bad part is shipping is $10 but it seems to be a set rate. I am planning on buying enough tulle for a year of tutu’s
I would love some advice though… I have read a lot and it seems that 14″ is typical for the waist of a newborn. I was just going to match the elastic up to one of the newborn outfits i used for my son. How many yards would i need to make a newborn tutu that is super full and fluffy? Also i want to make one for easter and i have seen a whole bunch of ones that i like but i can;t decide on colors/ What colors whould you do for a real eastery color tutu? Also the website is http://giftsintl-us.com/
Thanks!
Hi Tara! I have never done one for a newborn, but I really don’t think you’ll need too terribly much tulle. Your strips will be significantly shorter since newborns are so tiny. I’d buy 2 rolls of tulle just to be safe since it’s better to have more than you need, but I’m willing to bet you only use one! Hope this helps! Have fun!
I made a tutu using this website for my baby (due in 1 week!!!) and I only used 25 yards for hers. It is the same size and wwwwaaaaayyyyyy fluffier than the one my sister in law spent $20 on!
YAY! So glad to hear!!
What size did you cut the strips??!!
I “eyeballed” it but I would say they were about a foot long.
I just made on for my 15 month old, it was so easy I’m making them for all the little girls in my family as christmas gifts
thank you!!!
Thank you for the oh-so-easy directions!!! I made a tutu for my daughter this weekend, but I have one small problem. The tulle is sticking together like crazy due to major dry heat/ static electricity. Is there a way to tame that a bit?
Hi Wendy! If you have dryer sheets, try rubbing a dryer sheet on it to reduce the static and smooth it out a bit. I hope that helps!
Thank you for the great instructions! I plan on making a tutu for my 3 month old for Christmas photos next Wendesday. Her height is 24in tall. How long should I make her tutu? I saw somewhere about it being 7in long? Thank you!!!!
Hi Jessica! I just measure from my daughter’s waist to where I’d like the tut to hit on her and use that measurement. I know it’s not ver y exact, but that’s what works for me!
Oh my goodness! I LOVED this tutorial and I think my little recipients are going to be so so thrilled with these. Please feel free to check them out at Happy Wifey.net. I really can’t thank you enough!
At first I didn’t understand the knotting, but then got it and it was SO EASY. <3
Hi Kelly! So glad you had fun with this and found it so easy!
I was just wondering how long you cut your strips into. I have been trying to perfect my daughters tutu for the past week and have been back and forth to Hobby Lobby getting the same thing cause my strips aren’t long enough. Its been a nightmare. Even my husband is getting involved trying to help me out.
Hi Amanda! I just measure from my daughter’s waist to where I’d like the tutu to hit on her and use that measurement doubled for my strips. For example, if you want the tutu to fall 12 inches from your daughter’s waist, you’d cut your strips in 24 inch lengths. Hope that helps!
I made some where I crocheted the bodic, they took so long to do and my poor fingers, on one I even used the tiny clear rubber bands to attach the tulle to the dress, next time I am doing it this way so they can last longer, or get more use out of them, I can bling them with my bedazzler and flowers and stuff…… Thanks so much for the easy to follow directions.
Hey(:
I was going to make a tutu with my daughter today for spirit week. She’s 11 & I don’t want it super puffy but still a little puffy. Her bust is 24″ & she wants it to fall 10inches down, I’m going shopping today to buy the items, how many yards of spool do you think we’ll need?
Hi!
I’m making two tutu dresses for my flower girls. They’ll be 6 and 8 year olds at the time. I bought 24 1/3 yards of tulle. I plan on cutting the strips 6 inches. However, should the amount of tulle I bought be enough for two full length dresses?
The dress for 6 year old I plan on making it 25″ waist and the strips be 34″ long and double that to be about 70″ each strip.
The dress for 8 year old be 27″ waist and strips be 37″ long and double be about 75″.
Will this be enough tulle?
Thank you so much!!!!
Happy tutu making!
Hi! I need to make 25 tutus like these but can’t afford to make them super fluffy and puffy… what is the minimum yardage required if I want it to still look good? I’m thinking more of a light fairy skirt look rather than fluffy ballerina or prom dress…
I am in a play, and I need to get a tutu. Should I buy one or make one? If I mix colors would it look good or not? How long dose it take to make a tutu? Are the tutus washable? How long do you recomend to make the tutu? Please reply soon!! thx!!
~Riley <3
I’ve made plenty of these myself using this tutorial now– usually it only takes a couple hours to make– the only difference is instead of using tulle that comes in strips, I buy it like regular fabric. (Usually only like 1.99-2.99 a yard that way and I get 6 yards– just cut it into 6-inch strips. If you fold it up 4-5 times like a hot dog and use a rotary cutter it’s like ten minutes to do this. Including the elastic for the waist I never spend over ten dollars this way.) And really, they look adorable with multiple colors mixed in! Either alternate each set of two in different colors or for something more subtle, one of each color in each knot. The tutu should be as long as is comfortable for you- with my longer legs I like a 22 inch, but my friend prefers an 18 inch length. I would only wash them if they get dirty– hang them up and let them air out after use should be enough if you’re only wearing them for a show.
Hope this helps!
~Denelle
This is such a great tutorial! There are so many DIY tutu instructions floating around but this one was by far the best. This website sells tulle rolls wholesale and they worked perfect when I made on for my daughter:
http://wholesalegirls.kay-boutique.com/wholesale-supplies/tulle/tulle-rolls
Hi,
I am going to make these for my flower girls, and I was wondering if there is a space in the back where you tie the ribbon? Don’t want those flower girls flashing their undies!
Thanks,
Ash
Hi Ashley, I will double check with our guest who wrote the article but I am almost positive it does not have a space!
Hi, I’m twelve and I would love to make this for my how-to project, but I don’t really understand how you know how much tulle your supposed to use. My waist is about 32 inches and i want it to fall 12inches, so could u explain it again in a different way or by using my waist size?
Thanks it would help a lot!
-Vania
I used your post to make a tutu for my little niece/God-daughter’s 8th birthday surprise, & it turned out so cute! I used light pink and deep pink tulle and added deep pink ribbons spaced apart and she adored it! Thank you so much, this made it easy for me. I would post a picture if I could!
that tutu is very pretty and cute
Should you secure the Knots with some thread for washing purposes? I love it but I would fear in the wash it would come apart.
Kim, I would suggest just spot cleaning this kind of tutu. Not sure it would hold up in the washing machine, even secured with thread.
My mother-in-law bought a couple of tutus made this way for my daughter. They were AWFUL so I do have reservations about this. That said, considering some of the other work done by the lady that made them, I’m thinking it was largely due to poor craftsmanship.
You can by one of the net laundry bags, they are cheap, probably pick one up at a dollar store. Place the tutus in the bag and place it in the washing machine, this way they are not rubbing against each other and getting tangled. After washing, remove from band and hang them up them up to air dry. Hope this helps.
Sorry remove from bag. lol
hi, great guide. i was wondering what ur experience as too the numbers of pices of tulle to use. instad of two , would three or four be to much? i want to make a really fluffy tutu dress and am unsure if it would be wise.
thanks
Hi me and my best friend are being thing 1 and thing 2 for halloween we are 13 and i have made a lot of tutus in the past for american girl dolls and sold them at craft fairs but have never done one human sized, how much tulle do you think we will need and where did you get tulle on a spool i cant find it anywhere
Just finished making a tutu using your DIY directives for my *just turned* two year old. I did mine in three different colors, purple blue and green, and it is absolutely darling. I ended up using tulle from bolts so cutting everything up was time consuming but once I got the hang of it, it went quite a bit faster. Thanks so much!!
Just in case anyone is wondering, It took 75 inches of bolt tulle long of each color, the tulle from Hobby Lobby is already folded in half when they originally cut it in store for you. I cut the tulle into 25in long pieces and then folded those and tied them on for a length of about twelve inches, that extra 25th inch was to account for the knot. Once all colors were cut I stacked them in piles of three. One of each color and tied them on.
Hope that makes sense.
Very simple and fast. Great results! Thank you.
Thank you. I’ll be making one tomorrow. It’s quite funny actually. I was reading how to make these them I saw. That you are a stay at home mom. ME TOO!
Then your husband is military. ME TOO!!
Then your princess name is Zoey. Guess what? ME TOO!!! Hahaha!
Would 75 yards be more than enough for my 5 year old? She loves to play dress up and these tutus would be perfect if I could make them for her!!!
Hello, do you think that this tutu would be good for a “under carriage” to a princess dress? I’m a new mommy with a soon to be 8 month old baby girl, and want to make her Halloween costume. I thought about Princess Tianas dress which is a ball gown, and I am thinking that maybe this tutu would be a good idea. I would be grateful for any suggestions.
This would be perfect as a poufy petticoat to go under a princess dress!
If you were to make this pretty fluffy (i.e. 3 strips as you said) would this be sufficient enough to wear on its own or would you need to wear something like spanks or some extra coverage underneath?
Hi! I am so excited to make a tutu for my baby’s first Halloween! She is 7 months old and chunky lol. I want it fluffy, but not too fluffy for her age. So my question is would you use 2 layers instead of 3 in order for it to be less poofy? Also, about how much would the tulle cost for a 7 month old?(Sorry I’m not familiar with the cost of fabric.) Thank you! Any feedback is much appreciated! God bless
I love this tutorial! I’m thinking about making my own tutu but how much do all the supplies cost? (roughly)
Very detailed site…i am so glad because today i saw your site.
Hi there,
I am wanting to make an adult tutu for a photo shoot. I seen previously that you made an adult tutu. I am 173cm tall. I am wanting quiet a full skirt with it being down to the ground. After making yours was 200 yards still enough?
Hi. I love this site. I am trying to make a full tutu halter dress for my 6 year old granddaughter and I am not sure if I need 200 or 300 yards of tulle. Would you happen to know. I am going to use 6″ wide rolls @ 100 yards each. If you do happen to know could you please let me know. Thank you.
Hi. How would you tie the ribbon once the tu tu is complete or is it to be sewn together to keep from falling off the waist? I wasn’t sure. Thanks for the easy video!!
The knots at the ends of the ribbon should leave enough extra ribbon to tie the tutu in the back. You only put the tulle on the ribbon in between the knots.
Hi can U use Sheets to Make Tutu’s? Sorry Im New at tryin to Make a Tutu and I was Jus Wonderin. Thanks!!!!!
Sure you can use sheets cut into strips! It will have a different look than tulle, but still very cute!
Would any of the instructions change if I used the 12″ size roll of tulle instead of the 6″. Waist 53″. I want the tutu to fall 13″ from the waist. Would 200yards be enough for a fluffy tutu? thanks.
I saw where you suggested elastic for the waistband for adults, but I was wondering what kind of elastic and where would I find it? Any details you could share? Thanks
Hi Z, You can find elastic at any craft store! You can use any width or color, depending on your preferences.
I was curious where you came up with the 9 1/2 inches measurement to tie the two knots on the ribbon?
Hi Stacey,
9 1/2 inches is half of the child’s waist measurement (19 inches). Measuring 9 1/2 inches on each side of the middle makes the child’s waist measurement between the knots. The extra length is for tying a bow.
Hi. I am going as a fairy for Halloween (I’m 12 years old). I want to make a mid thigh length tutu, but not quite as fluffy as yours, though I still want it to be poofy! How many yards do you think I’ll need for this? Also, I have a budget of $50. Do you know any really good fabric stores that ship to New Zealand. Thanks for posting this tutorial, it really helped me!
I want to make an adult tutu, but don’t want it real puffy but still want it full. Any suggestions?
I also want to make it long. Below knee length.
Thanks
Hi Katherine,
You’ll just want to adjust the measurements accordingly (waist & length) to your desired look. To make it full and not too puffy, fill the ribbon with your tulle pieces, but don’t overdo it. The more tulle you add, the puffier it gets. The nice thing is-if you add too much you can take some tulle off, if there’s not enough, you can add more! It’s very versatile!
Hi, I was wondering if I could possibly add the skirt to a onesie to make it all one piece? Would I just need to sew the ribbon in a few spots beforehand to the onesie or would I make the skirt first then sew it? Thanks in advance for any advice you may have!
Hi Brooke,
Either way would be fine…it might be EASIER to sew it in a few places first, that way you’re not trying to sew around all that tulle!
I used this tutorial to make my 3-month old an Alice in Wonderland tutu for Halloween. I wanted her tutu to have a little white tulle apron in front, so I used TWO ribbons, one white and one blue. I tied the blue tulle around both ribbons until I got to the part where I wanted the apron. Then I tied the blue tulle just around the blue ribbon and tied the white tulle around the white ribbon on top. It turned out soooo cute, and I love that I have two different colored ribbons to tie at the back! Thanks for the tutorial!!!
Oh my goodness! We would LOVE to see a picture!! If you can please post it on our Facebook fan page!
Hi Alli, I like your youtube tutorial and I posted on my facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/ani.wasabi
Thank you for sharing.
We want to make a triple layer for our tutu. Any suggestions on how to attach the layers?
Thanks,
You would need to sew each layer of tulle to each other. Finish each layer separately and then you can hand sew each layer together.
Making this for my daughters 1st birthday! Anyway to have a bow in the front?!
what would you suggest?
If you want a bow in the front, you could tie your ribbon on the front rather than the back of the tutu! If you prefer something different, you could clip on a big hair bow onto the front of the tutu as well.
Hi! I am making a floor length tutu for an upcoming dance and I was wondering how much tulle I would need to make a full floor length tutu. I am about 5’5″ if that helps
Fantastic..thx😍
Hi! I tried to read through the comments to see if this question was already asked but didn’t quite see it. Adding 48 inches to the waist measurement and then folding in half and measuring out 9 1/2 inches from the middle to tie a knot, is this based on your daughter waist size being 19 inches? Does that need to be altered based on the original waist measurement? i.e. my girl’s waist is 24 inches. From the center of the ribbon should I measure out 12 inches to make sure there isn’t any flashing happening?
Yes, you would measure half of the waist measurement.
Hi. Walmart has the material 6inx25yrd. 15.2cmx22.8m
i am making a multicolored tutu. What size is your tulle? I would like it Huge and fluffy like the red you made..
thanks
This is the 6″ tulle rolls.
Cool tutorial – I have been favouring the rotary cutter and mat recently when making tutu;s – good tip.
Thank you for this! My sewing machine broke and I was stuck trying to figure out how to make the tutu. Your advice worked perfectly!
Hi there!
Just found your great video for “No-Sew Tutu”. I’m NOT a sewer at all and I was just wondering if you had a suggestion on how to make the tutu less puffy? I’m actually making an adult “Madonna 80’s-style” costume and was hoping the tutu would look more Madonna-ish than ballet-ish. I hope that made sense,
Thanks for your help!
Olivia
Hi Olivia! If you made it longer, it will be less puffy. Also, the more tulle strips you add, the puffier it will be so if you only use what you need to cover all the way around it will also make it less puffy.