Learn how to do anything: How to Make a No Sew Tutu

Are you looking for a tutu to complete the perfect costume, to wear out for fun, or to gift to a friend? For the crafty types who'd rather skip or avoid sewing altogether, these quick and simple no-sew tutus are a perfect solution. See Step 1 below to get started! Remember, if you prefer, you can make a no sew tutu instead.

Steps

Knotting Tulle

Take your measurements. Use a soft measuring tape to find the length around your hips or waist. The location of your measurement is the place that the tutu will sit when finished, so choose accordingly. Additionally, decide how long you want your skirt to be by measuring from your waistband to the desired hemline along your legs.
Select your materials. The two required materials for a basic no-sew tutu are tulle and ribbon. Each can be in whatever color(s) you would like. Depending on the size of the wearer and the desired length of the tutu, you will need to procure anywhere from 2-7 yards (1.8-6.5 meters) of fabric.
Create the waistband. Take the measurement from around your waist and apply it to the ribbon. Add an additional 12 inches (6 inches for each tail end) of length to the ribbon. This will allow it to be tied together in a bow in the back. Tie the ribbon in a knot with the two tails hanging out; this will make it easier to add the tulle and help you know when to stop adding the fabric.
Cut your tulle. Measure your tulle into strips of fabric twice the length of your desired skirt. For example, if you want your skirt to be long from the waist to the hemline, measure your tulle into strips long. Cut about 20 of these strips to start, and cut additional pieces later if you run out.
- For a fuller, fluffier skirt, cut many pieces of tulle into small, thin sections.^[1]
- To create a skirt that lies flat and isn’t too fluffy, cut only a few pieces of tulle that are very wide.
Fold your tulle strips in half. As you begin to add your tulle to the skirt, fold each strip of tulle in half. This should create a loop on one end and two loose tails on the other.
Create a knot over the waistband. Place the halved tulle strips over the waistband so that only a few inches of the loop stick out over the top. Then fold the tail ends around the waistband and pull them through the loop.
Tighten each knot. As you pull the strips through the loop, tighten them and slide them down the waistband to make room for other strips. Keeping the tulle knots tight will stabilize the skirt and make it look more polished.
Continue adding strips. Add more and more strips around the waistband to fill out the skirt. Push them close together for a more full skirt, or leave them more spaced apart for a skirt that is a bit more flat. Stop adding the tulle strips when you reach the end (the knot) of your waistband.
Tie on the tutu. To finish the tutu, untie the knot in the waistband and try it on for size! Wrap the skirt around you and tie the ribbon tails in a bow in the back to secure the tutu around your waist.^[2]
Finished.

Faking Seams

Buy sewing seam tape. This is a material that looks like fabric lining in a tape shape. It can be found at almost every sewing shop. All you have to do is pin it into place and iron: the material melts and acts like glue.
Get the right type of fabric. You'll want to avoid using tulle for this style. You want a fabric with fibers that are closer together, so that the glue of the seam tape has something to hold on to. Organza will work better with the seam tape and it still has the ballet look. It is, however, often more expensive than tulle.
Cut your fabric panels. Cut panels of fabric that are as long as you want the skirt to be plus 2.5 inches (6 centimeters). The width depends on you: having wider panels makes for fewer visible gaps in the skirt, but having narrower ones makes the panels easier to add onto the waist band. How many panels you want is also up to you. You can add as many or as few a you want. The more you have, the more volume the skirt will have.
Pin the panels into place. Cut strips of the seam tape to the width of your panels. Then, fold over the top of the panel so that there is about 2.5 inches (6 centimeters) of overlap. Run the seam tape between the layers and pin it into place as close to the bottom edge as possible. You want to leave a channel at the top to run the waist band through.
Iron the "seam". Follow the instructions for your seam tape and iron the seam of each panel.
Add the waist band. Using a ribbon or elastic band as a waistband, thread the panels onto the waistband one at a time. A pencil can help with this. When you like how full your skirt looks, just tie it on your waist like an apron! Enjoy!
Finished.