Toddler Dress DIY Review

So For the last two weeks I have been searching all over for an easy pattern for a toddler dress. Who would've thought it would be so hard !! I'm not an expert sewer, but I'm learning as I go. I am definitely no pro at pattern making lol. Any who I did find a a great Blog that had plenty Tutorials and it was so helpful ! The site was Climbing The Willow . I used her basic bodice pattern and also read her steps on how to draft your very own A-Line Dress skirt pattern. Well after all the tracing and cutting, I got down to business and sewed away ! 

I didn't get pics during the sewing ( I wanted to rip my hair out sewing the lace LOL ) , but here was my finished product !! ( Also made a cute headband with left over lace and ribbons !! )

Chevron Skirt

So about 3 weeks ago I decided to test out my sewing skill and eyeballed my own template of a toddler skirt for my sister. I pretty much just treated the project like a tutu, instead were not tying strips of fabric. Well all in all it took me about 30-40 min to finish the skirt and I must say I am pretty satisfied with it :)

Maybe Ill post a tutorial later on how easy this toddler skirt was !

Minnie/Mickey Mouse Ears Tutorial

These are super easy to make and super cute when finished !

Did I mention super cheap ?!

A pair of ears at Disney or at a Disney store are super expensive !

Well  for less than 5$ you can make your very own !

What You Need:

*Felt (Black)

*Headband

*Ribbon

*Lighter

*Glue

***If you cant find a black headband you can also make your own ! 

I will show you how as well in this tutorial !


If you do not have a black headband you can use black ribbon
and weave it around a headband you already have.

Start off by heat sealing the tip of ribbon, add a dab of glue and press firmly onto back of headband.

 Bring ribbon over and under and over and under, throughout the whole headband, when you
get to the end glue it down.

If you already have a black headband you can skip those steps and go straight to
cutting out the ears !

You need two pieces of felt, I haven't made a template, but when I do  I
will post it !! But another perfect way to make ears is using ribbon,  its a perfect circle size for ears !

Position it on the felt and trace out the circle, it's best if you use a silver marker, that way 

you can see the outline

Next go down just a bit and trace another circle

The space between the circles, draw two lines connecting them

It should look something like this

Next cut out the ears

To make sure they match in size you can fold them over and snip off any excess

Next add glue on one side, making sure not to get to close to the bottom ( that's were we will
stick the headband through)

Now do the next set of ears!

Now you are ready to position the ears

If your doing just Mickey, simply just slip them through and position them how you want.

If you are doing Minnie, I think putting the bow first helps position the ears easier

First you need just a simple bow, like below

Simple Bow Tutorial will  be up soon

Add a dab of glue and press till it dries,take the excess straps and glue them down

Now slip on the ears

Put a dab of glue in the crevasse and pinch close

(Be careful not to burn yourself)

To help the ears stand more better, you can glue the bow to the ear

Ad voila ! you have an easy pair of Minnie/Mickey Ears without spending an

arm and a leg ! These make awesome party favors, items for dress up and more !

Here are some more ears I have done!

Minnie Mouse Tutu Tutorial

~Minnie Mouse Tutu ~

So this is a very easy DIY tutu tutorial ! Perfect for Birthdays, dress up, or even a trip to Disney !

What you need:

*Scissors

*Tulle 

( I used 2 rolls of 6x25yds )

*White Felt 

( Not Pictured )

*Glue

*Measuring Tape

*Measurments 

( See End of Tutorial For Various Measurments )

*Elastic 

( Non-Roll)

*Satin Ribbon (Not Pictured)

*Lighter (Not Pictured)

 First you need to cut a strip of elastic, using you measuring tape you can measure your little ones waist and than add 2 more inches for a nice fit. If your making this as a gift you can check out the end of this tutorial for   various sizes and lengths of tulle for each.

In this tutorial I am making an 18-24 mth tutu, the length of elastic I am using is 18in.

Once you have cut your strip, you need to glue the ends together ( NO SEW )

Please be aware glue is hot so be very careful !

If you do not have a glue gun, you can always easily sew each end together!

After you apply the strip of glue, press down hard and wait for it to dry

It should look like this once dry 

Next you need to prepare and cut you tulle strips.

I am using two rolls of 6x25yds

because the length of my tutu is 10-11in , I will need to double that, so I will be cutting 20-22 inch each strip

Once you have all your strips cut, now starts the tutu making !

First you need something to hold your elastic band, I used a paper towel roll, which worked perfect !

Take One strip ( if making a more full tutu you can use two strips or more), and pull one end under the elastic and bring the other end over:

Taking the bottom strip make a loop, pull one end through and pull making sure both ends are even:

Now take one end, form a loop and pull through to make your knot. Make sure both ends are even.

 When finish your first tulle strip should look like this:

Now Repeat these steps until you have a full tutu !

Once your tutu is full to your liking, were going to weave the satin waistband to give it a more clean look!

I use the whole roll and snip off whatever I do not use. 

Take your light and hear seal the tip of ribbon. 

Apply a strip of glue and press down on to the tutu ( Please be careful it may get hot !)

Starting from the back, bring the ribbon under a strip of tulle and over, then under the next strip and over again. 

Repeat this step until you've reached the end of the tutu.

Once you've reached the end, heat seal once again and glue down.

Now you have a satin easy no sew waistband !

(Sorry I forgot to take a photo of it before I added the bow !!)

Next, We need to cut out the felt spots. I found that using the bottom of the tulle spool, (plastic piece that comes off), makes a perfect size !

Cut out as many as you would like or need:

Add a small dab of glue onto the spot and attach to different strips of tulle.

(WARNING, glue is sticky, and hot, please be careful!)

Optional, you can add a simple bow, polka dots, or plain red or black ribbon. And embellish it however you'd like and voila ! You have a Minnie Inspired Tutu :) 

Well Hope you all liked this tutorial, It is my first, Please comment if you have tried this and let me know how you have done :)

Here are some other photos of Minnie tutus I have done as well :

Tutu Sizes

6-12 Months: Skirt Length 10" Waist 16"
12-24 Months: Skirt Length 10-11" Waist Measurement 17-18" 

2-3T: Skirt Length 13" Waist Measurement 18-20"
4-5T: Skirt Length 14" Waist Measurement 20-22"
6/7T: Skirt Length 16" Waist Measurement 22-24"
8/10T: Skirt Length 17" Waist Measurement 24-25"