How Much Tulle is Needed to Make a Tutu?

The amount of tulle you will need to make a tutu depends on several factors, including the dimensions of tulle you’re using, the number of layers, how full and long you want the skirt to be, and of course, the size of the person wearing it, not to mention the construction method you decide on to create your tutu. But that’s not very specific in terms of the actual amount of tulle you’ll need, so here are a few considerations that will help you to calculate exactly how much product you should purchase when you are ready to create your tutu.

First of all, you need to decide what type of tulle skirt you want to make. There are easy, no-sew options where you simply tie lengths of tulle around a stretch waistband and let the ends hang down to form the skirt. In this case, you would simply measure the distance from the waist to the mid-thigh, knee, or floor and double it to determine the length of each strip of tulle, after which you would tie a practice strip around the waistband to get an idea of how many strips to cut (the number will depend on the width of the tulle, as well as the size of the waistband and how full you want it to be).

You could also make a more traditional tutu by sewing together layers of tulle and then sewing them onto a cloth waistband or sewing an open flap at the top of the skirt that you can thread a pre-cut length of elastic through, bunching up the tulle as you go to create a poofy, flared tutu. The main thing you’ll need to do is measure the waist and determine where you want the skirt to fall on the leg. If you use a wide width of tulle (say 50-100+ inches), the width of your tulle can serve as the length of the skirt, potentially allowing for easier construction and less yardage of tulle required (as pulled from your bolt of fabric).

Without any exact measurements, it is nearly impossible to determine exact dimensions related to the width and length of tulle you will need to make a tutu. But when you input factors like the sizes of the person you’re making the tutu for, the type of construction you prefer, the number of layers you want, and how full and bunched you want the fabric to be for the finished product, you should be able to determine the width and length of tulle pieces you’ll need in order to create the perfect tutu in no time.

See all Tulle Fabric