How to Be Awesome at Making Tutus

I do not consider myself an overly girly girl.  I mean, I like to be feminine and whatever, but I don't really like the color pink or super high heels or gender stereotyping in general.  Cricket's nursery colors are yellow and blue, and most of her toys are gender neutral.

However.

I cannot resist the fluff and puff of a tutu on a baby.  I just cannot resist it.

I spent a lot of time drooling over tutus at the baby stores, but I never bought one because they were so expensive!  I mean, it's just tulle and elastic, and it's tiny!  Why does it have to cost $20?

So I decided to make one.

I got a pattern from the fabric store, because I'm type-A.

You don't really need a pattern, though, unless you just really want one.  You're basically just cutting rectangles of tulle.  A bunch of them.  I think for the 6 month size, you need about 75 or so strips.  I prefer using the tulle that you buy from the bolts, even though it means a little more work, because it's a little heavier to me, and it makes a fuller tutu.  I've done it with the tulle on the spools though, and it was fine.  Definitely easier.

The first one I made was for Halloween.

Cricket wore it to the pumpkin patch last year, and it turned out exactly like I wanted it to.  I was thrilled!

I made that one using a circle of elastic that I sewed together.  I used black and orange tulle, and alternated, two of each color at a time.  I folded the strips of tulle in half, slid the loop under the elastic, and then pulled the "tails" of tulle through the loop.  Over and over and over and over.  You can make one tutu in about the time it takes to watch a movie.  So easy and so cute!

The next one I made was for Christmas.

I made this one a little differently.  I used a white crocheted baby headband, but you could use any color.

For this one, I just pulled the strips of tulle through the holes of the headband (which was actually the waistband) and tied them.  I didn't like this style as well, because it wasn't as full, and the colors were harder to see.  I did like that you could tie ribbons on the band as well, though.  That was really cute, and it still turned out fine.  I just prefer the other style better.

So for her birthday, I went back to the first style.

Photography by Hannah Taylor

Isn't it awesome?!  I just loved all the bright colors.  In fact, you might remember that I used that same tulle for a lot of the decorations for her birthday party.

I'm not sure what kind of tutu I'll do next.  Now that she's older and more aware of her surroundings, she isn't always as open to wearing a big, fluffy, tickly skirt.  Still, there's just something about seeing a baby floating in a sea of tulle that just screams adorable to me.