DIY No-Sew Tutu and Easy HandMade Princess Accessories
I love a good DIY. But it can't be too complicated or above my skill level. I didn't want anything I had to sew. And I didn't want to spend more than $20 to complete the project (or more than an hour of my time). As we head into the dog-days of summer, I was itching for a project Kate and I could do together that would be fun and incorporate her interest but wouldn't be too complicated.
My Kate, loves all things princess. And all things pinks and purple. And all things sparkly. And all things bejeweled.
So, an obvious choice: a DIY tutu.
I explained to Kate the idea of the tutu, and she was game, so we made a trip to JoAnn's for fabric.
Homemade Dress Up Tutu and Princess Accessories
At JoAnn's we steered ourselves toward the tulle, and I let Kate select the fabric. Kate selected a pink tulle with imbedded rhinestones. Fortunately for me, this fabric was 40% off, so I purchased 3 yards for about $7. To hold up the tutu, I pondered elastic, but that would have required sewing. So I walked around and found an enormous selection of ribbon on clearance. Kate picked a lighter pink, 1-inch wide ribbon. Sold!
Since this tutu was coming along easily, I thought we could make a few bonus items. After taking a peek around the store, I figured we could make some embellished flip flops, a wand, and an embellished headband. To make these items, I picked up a pair of black flip flops, a pink sparkly headband, wooden dowel, wooden star, pink paint, and three fabric flowers.
This entire project cost about $20. Not too bad!
Okay, let's talk tutu.
DIY Tutu Supplies
- 3 yards of tulle fabric (You could get away with less for a smaller child. Or you might need more for a taller child. Kate is about 42 inches tall. With 3 yards, I had more than enough.)
- Ribbon to tie around your child's wait (Just loop the ribbon around your child's waist, and add on enough to make a bow, so about 12 inches on each side you have plenty of room to tie.)
Instructions to Assemble a No-Sew Dress-Up Tutu
1. Cut Your Strips.
Fold your fabric in half length wise. Cut your fabric into 1 to 2 inch stripes, length wise. I went for 2 inch strips because I was going for a fuller look. (For a less-full look, cut smaller pieces.) Cut your pieces. Don't worry about making each piece exactly even. If you end up with some 1 inch, some a little more, some a little less, that's totally okay. Don't get caught up in making equal pieces. You will not be able to tell if some are a little off once the skirt is finished.
2. Tie The Strips in Place.
After you've cut all your pieces, it's time to make the skirt. Lay out the ribbon and starting in the middle, fold your fabric strip in half, and make a slip knot around your ribbon. For the next pieces, work your way down the ribbon on each side, keeping the knots close together but not on top of each other. I made the knots pretty secure, pulling tight enough to hold them in place, but not so tight that I'd stretch the fabric.
3. Finish the Costume Skirt and Size It.
Keep working your way around the ribbon, leaving enough ribbon bare at the ends to be able to tie the ribbon around your child. After you're done, lay the ribbon flat and line up the skirt. I decided mine was a bit long, so I took a good pair of scissors and cut off about two inches from the bottom. Again, I didn't measure, just eye-balled it and cut across, not worrying about making it exactly even.
4. Play!
After I trimmed it up, I tied it around Kate's waist and let her have at it.
Bonus! Embellished DIY Flip-Flops, Wand, and Embellished Headband
To Make the Wand
I let Kate paint the wooden dowel and wooden star.
After they dried, I hot glued the star to the dowel and tied two pieces of ribbon (the same ribbon we used to tie the tutu around her waist) where the star met the dowel.
Making The Embellished Sandals
I removed the clips from the backs of the flowers and hot glued the flowers to the flip flops.
It doesn't get much simpler than that for summer princess-wear!
DIY Princess Headband
I removed the clip from the back of the flower and hot glued it to the headband.
As soon as the glue dries we're ready for creative play!
And there you have it! No sewing required. Nothing more complicated than cutting and hot gluing. Perfect for keeping kids active and engaged with imaginative play.
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