web analytics

Tutu and Tulle Tutorials, Fun Crafts at home!

How to make a tutu! How to make a Tutu Hairbow Holder! How to make a barbie Tutu! How to make a tutu for your cat! I love tutorials and love to share with others how to make all these DIY posts with all my readers. Over the years so many people have sent me pictures of their hairbow holders and tutus and its been wonderful!

One of the first tutorials I ever shared on MomDot was How to create a no sew tutu. Tutus are super easy to make and sell all over. But why waste the money when you can have one in every color tulle for less than the cost of 1 in a store!? The time is really the only thing involved in creating a tutu skirt and even with practice you can get better.

How to make a tutu

This is a very easy easy tutorial and you really only need elastic, needle and thread to quickly sew the waist and the next is just slip knots!!

how-to-make-a-tutu

You can actually head to my other tutorial to learn the rest and detailed instructions. Just click on the photo above!

How to make a Fairy Wand

I have always wanted to Make a Fairy Wand (and you can now check out my how to make a tulle wand tutorial), but not the usual kind of puff ball fairy wand, something different, more creative. Today I decided to get my craft on and started to conjure up what kind of fairy tutu type wand I could make to match one of Charlotte’s new play ballerina dress up dresses.

My initial thought was to make more of a “crystal ball” fairy wand. I had visions of sparkles in water and some really unrealistic things for the time I had scheduled, so I spent some time walking around Micheal’s to find some inspiration. That place sure is fun in the holidays.

This is what I came up…the project took about 30 minutes and you can alter for any holiday!

how-to-make-a-fairy-wand

You can go to the tutorial by clicking on HOW TO MAKE A FAIRY WAND

Or maybe you have a ton of hair bows and need a place to hang them? Check this out!

A gorgeous ballerina hair bow holder! And it’s not even that difficult with my step by step tutorial with full picture instructions.

how-to-make-a-bowholder

I owned a little online business for a few years and sold tutu hair bow holders, handmade, to fussy and frilly mommies like me. I had a wonderful clientele, repeat customers, and still get requests (actually I got one today) to make bowholders. Because they take so long, I eventually stopped making them to focus more on family. Ironically I spend just as much time blogging, but at least my clothes do not drop glitter anymore.

Of course this is an intense tutorial so I had to break it down into three easy steps and posts. You can read them all here:

How to make a new sew tutu : For your cat

Yes, I really did this. Because I have an overabundance of tulle in this house, so what the heck.  Just click on her for information on how to glamor up your cat too!

cat-in-a-tutu

 

Other tutorials on MomDot

Whatever you do, get out there and create!

Trisha

How to make a Tutu

 How to make a tutu

I have seen a lot of inquirers on how to make tutus, etc. so I brought over some information from my tulle site to share with y’all!

This is the one I made~ Make sure you scrunch your tulle together really well to have a really full tutu!  I use about 20 yards of tulle in each of mine.

tutuinstructions

To measure your waist, make sure you measure your model and then take off about 2-3 inches of elastic. I know that sounds drastic, but as you put on the tulle and tighten it, it stretches the elastic out and makes it bigger..so if you don’t take down the waist size before, your waist will end up really big and you will be taking it half apart. Trust me, I did it twice.

On elastic size, that’s preference. I find with older girls, the 1 inch is a good size, but for the babies, you may want something less wide like a 3/4th inch elastic. They cost about $1.20 at walmart and are in the crafting section.

To add to these instructions since it isn’t listed in a lot of places, 6 inch tulle works really well, not the big tulle you find on the bolts. I use the big tulle on the bolts because I buy in bulk for other tutu and tulle crafts, so I end up having to cut in a lot of ways to get it to be  not to thick. If you go that route, you generally have to cut the length and width. If you use the smaller 6 inch tulle, its as simply as cutting the length.

Pre-measure your tulle out and have it all ready so you can basically go from start to finish.  A general rule is that it should be about 22-24 inches in length so when you fold it in half, it hangs long enough. If you measure out 24 inches, it will be 12 inches in length. So basically half your length to determine how long the skirt is. I do all the trimming at the end so I don’t worry so much.

Where you did the sewing will be a little hard to close the last few pieces of tulle over the top. I always put an embellishment in that area to cover up any discrepancy.  A little bow or flower works perfect here as you can see on my tutu!

Tutu TIP: Instead of Elastic, you can use big satin ribbon and the just tie in a bow. It’s easy removal…but that’s half the problem…your child, especially if you have a young one, can remove it.

Elastic is a lot more snug.

Some Halloween Ideas for Tutus:

  • Red Tulle with Black Puff Balls glued on Make a LadyBug
  • Orange, Purple, and Black tulle for a witch
  • Yellow, Orange, White for Candy Corn
  • Hot Pink and Lime Green for Strawberry Shortcake
  • White and Light Pink for a “50′s” Look
  • Purple and Light green for a Fairy
  • Yellow and Black for a Bumble Bee

Make sure you add some embellishments like sparkles or pom poms when your done! I like to add flowers to mine!

howtomakeatutu

You can add other Embellishments like Satin Ribbons, Rhinestones, Puff Balls, Flowers, Rose petals, or small premade ribbons that you can find at Micheal’s or Hobby Lobby.

I use hot glue.

 

Other tutu posts of mine I would love for you to check out:

———————————————————-

Other sites that may help you (but my instructions are probably as clear as you are going to find)

*coming soon will be Fairy Tutu instructions

Oh, and if you are really adventurous….

 

I hope that helps you when you make your new tutu for your little one! These instructions and DIY tutorial have helped hundreds of thousands of crafters like you, so thankyou for that!
Trisha

Tutu Pour Mon Deux

As you already know, we are a big tutu family. Perhaps my posts on

have given it away from time to time.  I love finding, and sharing unique children’s clothing options and this one is no exception.

Meet Tutu Pour Mon Deux

We’ve combined a band of organza and colorful ribbon and attached it to the bottom of either a sleeveless or long sleeved shirt with a unique image ironed onto the bodice creating a one of a kind, little girl’s tutu shirt. Our tutu’s come in an array of eye-catching colors with prices ranging from $34-$38 and come in sizes ranging from 18 months to 6T.

Chances are online, at some point, if you are into the world of children’s fashion you have most likely run across these adorable “do it yourself” designer duds that certainly put Charlotte into a tizzy for 20 minutes deciding colors, ribbons, and patches.

Simply to go DESIGN YOUR TUTU and you get a clean slate like this:

Then its as easy as point, click, and create!

Shirt color, tutu color, ribbons and patches with so many ways to create something unique.

In just a short while, the design you or your daughter made shows up at the front door gently packed and runway ready! Now when Charlotte’s design arrived, she was extra thrilled because she remembered she made it.

So of course…the smile is cheesy-liscious.

It’s the smile of “Yeah, Look at Me, I made this, You know you love it!”

Here is a picture from the site so you can actually see the product without crazy purple leggings (hey, thats what I get for letting her dress herself) on my model up there.

Btw, so there is no confusion, you are just ordering the top part with Tutu Pour Mon Deux…the crazy leggings are your responsibility. When this arrived, it was actually one of those weird half winter, half spring parts of the year so I just gave up looking for white leggins or crop pants, which clearly would have been a better match.

C’est La Vie!

Now if you want to design your very own Tutu Pour Mon Deux you can get FREE SHIPPING with a special discount code for MomDot visitors:

HEART

(this discount code expires on June 15th, 2011, so hurry!)

At any rate, head over and check them out!

~Trisha

———————————

thank you to Tutu Pour Mon Deux whom made Charlottes creations to showcase here free of charge and offered a discount code for my Diva Fashionista Mama’s and Daughters that visit!

How to Make a Fairy Flower Wand

The other day I made a sweet little fairy wand, a tulle wand, and showed you how to make a tulle pom pom. I had some left over materials, so I decided to make a flower fairy one.

Again, this type of wand (at least the way I made it) is meant for older kids that don’t have the curiosity to pull things apart. Because I chose to make mine with pins that go through the center of the flowers, please take care not to create something that you know for sure your child will pull apart and become a household hazard. Pins are no fun to step on.

Disclosure over.

How to Make A Fairy Flower Wand

Items needed:

  • box of lace pins
  • Styrofoam ball
  • dowel ribbons for the dowel
  • favorite flowers
  • glue/glue gun

1) Start by just taking the back off of each flower and pushing the pin through the middle and into the styrofoam. It took about 2 bundles of flowers for me to complete the entire ball. I made sure I pushed the flowers together because I liked the look of having all the flower petals mushed up, but you can choose to lay them flat.

Another thought is adding a rhinestone to the center of the flower once its pushed into place. That way the pin top is completely covered and it would add some bling to it.

2) Let your kitten help. Its more fun.

3) I then covered my dowel with my chosen ribbons, in this case it was purple and brown. I originally did it all in brown, removed it, did it in stripes and then thought I would add some leaves to the stem. Ultimately I didnt like the look so I tore it all off.

I think its ok to experiment because you can always start over!

4) Lastly I added a loop on the bottom so it was easy for my daughter to carry around with her.

I hope this inspires you to create some fun and fabulous fairy wands in your own home.

Happy Crafting!

~Trisha

Like this post? Consider tweeting or stumbling in order to help others let loose on their inner crafty mom!

MomDot in 2011

I know the blog posts have been sparingly, but the holidays have me “wrapped” up..and because this is a website and not, well, lets say real life, I have things that have to be done over the next few weeks that must take priority.

Charlotte’s prepping for another gymnastics competition, I have a week long vacation, and then of course the holidays themselves. Charlotte’s also out of school for a few weeks and that is going to eat up my normal online time to concentrate on her….which is a good thing cause you always have another day for the computer, but never another day with your child.

That being said, I have just decided to finish up a few obligations that I have this month, so expect a few posts but not many, wrap up the contests that are pending, and see yall in 2011 with full force.

So make sure you are subscribed to the blog feed (Subscribe to Mom Blogs at MomDot) and if you are a blogger, you can always register for the forums . I hope you have a lovely, family filled, holiday season.

Kisses from Charlotte and Mommy:

trisha

PS if you area boutique or fashion designer, artisan or ebay seller, feel free to email me about your store.  I am always taking suggestions on new childrens products, trends, and coupons to showcase.

Baby Dog Style and Free Shipping!

First, I am so sorry its been..well…dead here lately! I had a dr appt earlier this week and then I got major sick from the pain meds and spent quite some time in bed or on the bathroom floor begging God for forgiveness if he just takes the pain away. LOL I am sure you have been there!

I think with the holidays too things just get really “off”, but for 2011 I am going to come out with a list of what to expect each day of the week and that will include daily deal updates, fashion updates, coupon codes and free shipping with your favorite children’s clothing, and showcasing mom designers {my favorite} every week. Right now we just have to make it through the holidays together so I please bare with me.

I do want to talk to about a lovely designer with some incredibly beautiful pettiskirts, but also focuses on high end luxury pet items too.

So you never put a tutu on your dog? Well, I have put a tutu on my cat, so I totally “get” her.

Small things are cuter with tulle..try it.

Giggle.

Now that we have shared that sweet little dog, lets share the real reason we want you to meet this website.

These:

No, not that gorgeous child, the pettiskirts! I sure love me some pettskirts! Even though Charlotte wont wear them all the time because she has this thing with chiffon on her legs, she loves to put them over some leggings and go out and twirl!

[learn_more caption="Baby Dog Style" state="open"]

The little girl in all of us loves to dress up in a tutu or pettiskirt! Let the little ballerina in you or your child shine through! Our tutus and pettiskirts are for children and adults. We also offer tutus for pets.

Each one is sewn by hand, with great attention to detail. We can modify any design to suit your needs. If you are looking for a custom tulle color combination or wish to have added embellishments…such as bows, please let us know! [/learn_more]

The skirts run between $30-$115 depending on the size (and material) used and you can pay for additional ruffles.

Also, Baby Dog Style is having a BLACK FRIDAY CYBER SALE that includes FREE SHIPPING on any tutu or pettiskirt ordered between November 26-29 (US only).

Happy twirling…and shopping!

~trisha


Thanks to Tara for letting me know about Baby Dog Style! Got a tip on a great designer? Email me! trisha (at) momdot.com or just use my contact form on the top.

Knitworks, Tutu Cute for Big Sale at Kohls!

This weekend I walked into Kohls with a full intention for some personal retail therapy. I didn’t walk out with anything…for myself.

Charlotte however managed to score 3 pair of leggings, 3 shirts, and this adorable outfit from Knitworks that included leggings, a faux coat, shirt, and faux skirt in one.

I have never heard of this brand before but I just *lurve* it!

Charlotte is often sensitive to pettiskirt or tutu tulle touching her skin while she is playing, so the leggings that came with the entire outfit really resolved that.

A 2 piece set and originally $40, its on sale right now in several styles and colors for only $24.

Here are two other Knitworth outfits I really like but didn’t purchase {don’t put it past me to go back}, but rest assured, if you are interested, they have more than just pink available.

Pink just happens to be my mantra….

($24 right now on sale)

And I mean really…could Charlotte be ANY cuter?

I think not.

~Trisha

btw, you can make your own tutu here

How to make a Tulle Pom Pom Ball

How to make a tulle pom pom ball for wands…otherwise known as, “how to make a cat toy” in my house.

I made a tulle wand the other day and I was going to give it to my friend Kims daughter, but she is pretty young and if she were to pull the pins out, it could mean a dangerous situation. Not wanting to responsible for my best friends child’s untimely death by lace pin, I decided to get to work on a tulle ball tutorial for all those in the same situation.

Except instead of a tulle wand, I’m going to turn my example into a cat toy for Gwen.

It could also be used for hair puff pony-o’s, cheer-leading pom poms, decorative shirt..um…decorations. Earrings? OK, that’s too far and way too 80′s.

Here is your How To Make a Tulle Ball {So you can still give it to the baby girl/kitten in your life} tutorial:

1) First you have to decide the size of your tulle ball. I took out a glass from my kitchen since I was making this for my kitten, and traced the edges on an old used shipping box I had laying around.

2) After tracing, I used a straight razor and cut the circles, including a smaller circle in the middle so it has an appearance of a doughnut. To be honest, I didn’t take care to make this perfect, so don’t kill yourself over it.

3) Take a string, twine, or whatever you want to use to tie the middle with. I had ribbon laying around, so I used a nice skinny ribbon. They have some really strong materials on the market if you are using your pom pom ball for something that needs to hold up long term.

4) Make a loop as if you are tying it and lay it between your 2 doughnut pieces. Its considered the cream now. Sandwich it up.

Ribbon cream.

(this is a real professional tut isn’t it)

5) Moving on to your tulle. My pom pom was going to be small since it was for a kitten toy, so I took about a yard of tulle and started wrapping. Just put your piece through the middle hole and then wrap around through the hole and back out again, round and round till its filled up.

6) Take a pair of crafting scissors and cut the outside of the tulle now around the entire thing. Take care not to cut your middle string if its sticking out somewhere.

Trust me, I cut mine.

7) Once the tulle is cut, you will have two distinct sides. You separate a little bit and you should see your string/ribbon/twine in the middle. This is where you tie that sucker up TIGHT in a knot.

8 ) Then pull off your cardboard sides and you will be left with a puffy ball.

9) Just trim your tulle ball up so the tulle is even and mush it around so your string is covered

10) Now you can attach it to whatever you want. Rules on attachment are going to depend on the craft you are making. In my house….well, it was just a cat toy.

So take it and throw!

Happy Kitten:

Btw, if you do want to make a cat toy, getting some crinkle paper or ribbon and wrapping around would also make it a ton of fun for a cat!

I’m going to test it out some other ideas and I’ll post an update when I have it.

~Trisha