no-sew tutu

A tutu has been on my project list for some time now and with St. Patrick's Day in our near future it seemed like it was time cross it off the list.
I've never been one to do much dressing up for the holiday however, I can't seem to resist dressing up my girls for any occasion! I have a feeling this will be worn long after the parade as well!

Materials:
Tulle (25 yds)
Elastic (or ribbon)
Needle (I know, I said 'no-sew,' but it's minimal and if you use ribbon it's not necessary)
Thread
Sharp scissors
Piece of cardboard (at least 6 in wide and the length of your desired skirt length)

This is a '2T' size and I used 24 inches of elastic (including the overlap) and made the skirt 10 inches long (which took the entire roll of tulle to complete the skirt.)



Step one: make a waist band

First you will need to determine the size of the waist band. You can do this by measuring the actual waist of the wearer or by finding a pair of pants that fit and measuring them. If you are using elastic you do not want to stretch the elastic when measuring. When you have determined the size if using elastic, add 2 inches to allow for overlap and sew the two ends together to form the waist band. If using ribbon add an additional 12 inches to allow room to tie a bow to wear and tie a loose knot at the waist size (you may use safety pin to secure the knot while you make the tutu to ensure it doesn't slip.)

Step two: cut the tulle

Using the cardboard cut to your desired length (I happened to find a shoe box lid that was the perfect size) wrap the tulle around it until the spool is empty. Using sharp scissors slide the blade under all layers of tulle at the top edge and cut. This will leave you with a stack of evenly cut strips that are twice the desired skirt length. Try to make a straight cut, as your edges will show.

Step 3: create the skirt

Taking one strip of tulle, fold it in half to find its center. Pinch together both sides to create a loop. While holding the loop in one, hand take both ends in the other and wrap it around your waist band. Push the ends through the loop and tighten until a knot forms. Continue this with all strips until you wrap the entire waist band. You will want to check frequently to make sure your knot sizes and spacing stay even.

It's ready to wear! I would show you a picture of the finished product on my model but she didn't want to cooperate so this will have to do!