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How to Make Filled Tutus

Filled tutus provide a whimsical spin on the traditional costume skirt style. Whether you're making them for a child or an adult, homemade filled tutus give you the ability to express your creativity with a wide range of different filling choices. The construction of this skirt doesn't take very long, and leaves plenty of room for you to experiment with different embellishments and accents. This allows you to either create a magnificent Halloween costume or a jovial outfit to wear for fun.

Things You'll Need

Roll of mesh fabric (thin gauge)
Measuring tape
Scissors
Elastic roll
Fabric glue
Filling

Instructions

- 1
  Measure your waistline, or the waist for whom you are making this tutu. Measure the distance from your waist to your knees.
- 2
  Measure and cut a length of mesh fabric from the roll. Measure it 10 inches longer than your waistline measurement, and 20 inches wider than the measurement from your waist to knees. For example, if you have a 30-inch waist and 20 inches between your waist and knees, the fabric will be 40 by 40 inches.
- 3
  Spread the fabric segment out in front of you either on a large table surface or on a cleaned area of the floor. Straighten out any creases and wrinkles in the mesh. Squeeze a 1-inch thick line of fabric glue alone each side edge of the fabric strip.
- 4
  Fold the fabric in half lengthwise and press the edges together to adhere them. Let it dry for 10 minutes. This creates a sort of wide pouch.
- 5
  Select a filling for your tutu. Craft stores carry a seemingly endless supply of confetti, loose glitter and other accents that can be added to the tutu. A creative idea is to mix a variety of loose glitter colors with some foil confetti pieces.
- 6
  Fill the bottom 3 inches of the mesh pouch with the filling you have chosen. Squeeze a line of glue along the top inner edges of the opened pouch and squeeze the edges together firmly. Let it dry for 10 minutes.
- 7
  Cut a length of 1-inch wide elastic from the roll matching your waist measurement exactly.
- 8
  Fold the top inch of the filled mesh pouch structure downward, creating a sort of rolled tab across the top edge. Glue the tab in place, creating a sort of looped edge.
- 9
  Feed the end of the elastic strip through one end of the looped edge of the tutu fabric. Slide it through, bunching up the fabric as you do so. This gives it a puffed appearance as well. Hold both ends of the elastic strip firmly once fed through the fabric loop. Glue the ends and squeeze them together for five minutes to dry in place.
- 10
  Adhere the side edges of the fabric together to form a seam using the fabric glue. Match the seam with the glued elastic ends. This creates a fluffy, filled tutu.

Infants Toys