The Way To Make A Non Sew Tutu

Written By Arman Zulhajar on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 | 1:10 AM

By Mariana Patrick


Making a non-sew tutu can be fun and simple to create! You can even have your daughter help you tie on the tulle strips. Making a non-sew tutu is a great rainy day activity and/or a great little girl's party activity! What's even better is that making a non-sew tutu is inexpensive.

When I initially began making tutus, there weren't many tutorials on the Web to help me out. I learned by trial and error. Now I'd like to pass my knowledge onto you. Avoid the errors I made when I got started. Follow the steps below for a quick intro to creating non-sew tutus.

Material Needed:

Tulle From The Bolt (fabric stores sell tulle by the yard from a bolt, which are mostly 54" wide) or 6" by 25 yard rolls of tulle.

If using tulle from the bolt, you will need to get at least 5-6 yards of tulle for a baby/toddler size. Ages four and up will need at least 8-10 yards of tulle.

If using tulle from the roll, purchase 6" by 25-yard spools/rolls of tulle. You'll need 2-3 rolls for a baby or toddler size and 3-4 rolls for ages 4 and up. I myself love using tulle ribbon from a roll/spool. It's usually used for wedding decorations and gift-wrap. It's simpler to work with and faster to trim.

Fabric Scissors

1/2" "-3/4" Width Roll of Non Roll Elastic (Amount of tulle needed, depends on waist measurement) or stretchy headband for waist

Needle and Thread





BASIC INSTRUCTIONS ON CREATING A NON-SEW TUTU:

Waistband Construction:

Measure your daughter's waist and trim elastic two inches smaller than original waist measurement. Sew both elastic ends together by hand, using needle and thread or with a sewing machine.

For a 100% non-sew tutu, use a basic stretchy headband for the waistband. If you want a more precise fit, it's best to use elastic and sew the ends together using a needle and thread. No sewing is involved in the skirt portion of the tutu. Most stretchy headbands come in one size so this option may not work for all waist sizes.

Cutting Tulle:

If using tulle from a bolt, trim it down into 6" strips. A quick and easy way to cut it, is to roll the tulle into a tube... It should resemble a tube of gift-wrap paper.

One end of the tulle will have a folded edge (it should come folded from the fabric store). Beginning on that edge, measure 3" and make your first cut with a great pair of fabric scissors. Then measure 6" over and cut again. Repeat every 5-6" till you have cut the entire length. You may have to adjust the strip width to make the strip widths as even as you can.

If using 6" by 25-yard rolls of tulle, you won't need need to cut six inch strips, since the roll already comes in a six inch width. You will still have to cut each strip to your chosen length.

Let's assume you want the tutu to be fourteen inches long. Double that length to twenty-eight inches and cut each strip to twenty-eight inches long. The length is up to you. Some strips will not come out completely even, but it's okay if that happens. Most flaws can be concealed once all the strips are tied on.

Making the Skirt:

Step One: Fold each strip in half and bring it under the elastic waistband to create a loop.

Step Two: Bring the ends of the tulle strip thru the loop. Pull down the ends to tighten. Try not to pull it too tight.

Step Three: Continue tying slipknots or regular double knots to cover the entire waistband. You may possibly use between 40-60 strips of tulle for a baby and toddler tutu.

A good rule of thumb is to squeeze in at least three knots per inch of the waistband measurement (minus the 2 inches).

After completing steps above, you will have a completed non-sew tutu!! Embellish with rhinestones, ribbon, pom poms, etc.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment