Doll Tutu Tutorial

Happy Friday!  Have you entered the American Girl Doll and Wardrobe Giveaway yet?!  Hop on over and do it now!  It's OK...I'll wait ;-)

OK, now that you're back, let's talk about today's tutorial.

This sweet little tutu is simple enough that your kiddos can make one too.  All you need to make 1 tutu are:

• roll of 6 inch wide tulle (really, you can make tons of tutus with one roll!)
• 12 inches of 1/2 inch wide elastic
• sewing machine OR needle and thread
• scissors OR rotary cutter/healing mat

First, you're going to cut two different lengths of tulle.  The short pieces will be 3 inches wide and 6 inches long.  I just snipped pieces off of the end of my roll every 3 inches.  The long pieces are going to be 3 inches wide and 10 inches long.  To cut these, I cut 10 inch lengths and then cut them in half lengthwise.  You can do this with scissors or a rotary cutter - whatever you have.  Don't worry too much about being exact - you're going to trim the edges of your tutu when you are finished.

Next, you're going to overlap the edges of your elastic by 1/2 an inch so that you have an 11 inch wide circle.  Sew around the edges in a square to secure. 

Now, alternating short and long pieces of tulle, tie the pieces in a double knot around the elastic.  I like to pull the knot on the long pieces to the bottom edge of the elastic, and leave the short pieces facing forward, like so:

Keep going until you can't fit any more tulle strips on the elastic - the bunchier, the better!

And voila!

This is a great craft for kids - my 8 year old daughter made this while watching a movie.  As long as they know how to tie a knot, they're set.  This would be a fun craft to make at a slumber or birthday party - just sew those elastic waistbands and cut the tulle ahead of time, and you're all set!

Be sure to enter yourself for the American Girl Doll and Wardrobe giveaway!