Caitlin from An Enchanted Box on Etsy has created another darling tutu dress for us and is back on the blog this week! This Candy Cane Princess Tutu Dress is amazingly fluffy and will make someone's CHristmas very bright! The tutu dress was created with The Hair Bow Company supplies below, but if you aren't a DIY'er yourself, you can find a selection of tutus available ready to go at An Enchanted Box!
DIY Candy Cane Tutu Gown
Christmas is coming! Are you looking to make your little princess something special for the
holiday season? Then this Candy Cane gown is for you! It’s perfect for holiday pictures and will
bring such joy when she opens it on Christmas morning. All you need are these directions and
supplies from The Hair Bow Company a cup of hot chocolate and you are good to go!
Materials:
Red 7” Lined Crochet Tutu Top*
Tulle*:
3 rolls of White
2 rolls of Shimmer White
5 rolls of Glitter Red
Embellishments:
3/8” Chevron Print Ribbon in White
Additional Items:
Scissors
Recommended:
Crochet Hook
Safety Pin
Fray Check or Lighter
Cardboard or something thin that measures 12” in length and 2.5” respectively
* NOTE: This dress is designed to fit the average one or two-year- old. For children unusually
sized for that age range or those who are older, you may need to change the size of the lined tutu
top. Consider using a lined 8” tutu top for children three to four and a 10” tutu top for children
five and up. Check out The Hair Bow Company’s website for details regarding dimensions and
adjust your tulle material accordingly.
Step One: Cutting the Tulle
You will begin by cutting the white, shimmer white, and glitter red tulle into 24” strips. You will
save considerable time if you can find something that’s 12” long and simply wrap the tulle
around that and cut once. Perhaps a cookie sheet, box, cardboard or something else that you can
scavenge from around your home. Before you start cutting you will want to count the number of
holes around the bottom of your bodice to figure out how many strips you will need to cut. My
bodice had thirty-six holes around the bottom. I then divided that number by two as we will be
alternating between the white and red every hole. That gives us eighteen. Now, we will be
making three rows in total and for the red glitter we will be using two strips per hole. So, 18 x 6
= 108 so we will need 108 strips of glitter red. For white, we will use three strips for each hole of
the first row, then one for each hole of the second, and then two for each row of the third. Thus
18 x 6 = 108 strips of white. Finally, for the shimmer white, we won’t use any for the first row
but then we’ll use two per hole for the second and then one per hole for the third. This gives us
18 x 3 = 54 shimmer white strips will need to be cut.
Step Two: The Skirt Pattern
You will be making three rows of tulle around the bodice. I recommend completing the entire
first row of the skirt before moving on to the second as this will help keep your rows even
following this pattern:
Row one: 3 strips of white, 2 strips of glitter red, 3 strips of white, 2 strips of red, etc.
Row two: 2 strips of shimmer white & 1 strip of white, 2 strips of glitter red, 2 strips of shimmer
white & 1 strip of white, 2 strips of glitter red, etc.
Row three: 1 strip of shimmer white & 2 strips of white, 2 strips of glitter red, 1 strip of shimmer
white & 2 strips of white, 2 strips of glitter red, etc.
Step Three: Attaching the Skirt
Always be sure that you are tying your knots in the right holes. There should be a solid square
between the knot and the lining. Take the two or three strips of tulle that you will be threading
into the hole, layer them on top of each other and then fold the strips in half to find the center
thus making the strip 12” in length. To attach the tulle of the skirt to the bodice you will
implement a basic Larks Head knot. Don’t worry, it’s not a complicated knot! All you do is take
the crochet hook and go up under the hole and out the other side. Then, grab your double strip of
tulle where you folded it at the center with the crochet hook and pull a couple of inches through
to create a loop. Take the tails of your tulle and pull them all the way through the loop you made,
and viola!, you have yourself a Larks Head knot. You’re just going to repeat that in the color
pattern all the way around to attach your skirt. After you’ve completed the first row, move up to
the second by going to the square immediately above the first row. After you complete the
second row, then move up to the square immediately above that one to then do the third row.
TIP: to get a cleaner look to your Larks Head knot, roll the tulle between your fingers just before
tightening it as this will keep all the fibers close together.
Step Four: Ribbon Straps
Once you have finished the skirt, it is time to move on to the bodice. First, count how many
squares are around the top of bodice in order to locate the middle of the front. I recommend that
you very gently slip a safety pin in the hole one or two spaces below that middle square so that
you don’t lose track of it but it is not in the way. Just as with the bottom of the skirt, be sure you
are working on the row that has a solid square between it and the edge. Count out twelve squares
along the front. Take your crochet hook and go under those twelve squares between the bodice
and the liner. Cut two 55” long strips of your white chevron ribbon. TIP: seal the cut ribbon ends
with either Fray Check or sear the edges quickly with the flame from a lighter. Do NOT use a
candle as that will leave a soot mark on the ribbon. Hook the ribbon and gently pull it through
and, ta-da!, you have the front part of the straps!
Step Five: The Back of the Ribbon Straps
On the back of the dress, count three rows down along the seam (which should be in the center
back), then, count four holes to the left. Now, take your crochet hook and go under the two
furthest holes and pull the ribbon through so that it comes out toward the seam but there are still
two holes between where the ribbon comes out and the seam. Do the same on the other side then
tie a bow and your straps are done!
Step Six: The Second Ribbon Straps
Spin your dress back around so you are looking at the front. Now, you’re going to go one row
below your first set of ribbon straps using the holes directly diagonal from where your ribbon
straps came out the first time making them ever so slightly wider. Simply repeat what you did the
first time by taking your crochet hook and going under those squares between the bodice and the
liner and pulling your ribbon through. Because you’re going in and out diagonal from the first
straps, you should have one extra square in between them. So if your first ribbon straps were
twelve squares wide then your second set will be thirteen squares wide.
Step Seven: The Back of the Second Ribbon Straps
You will secure the back of your second set of ribbon straps just like you did the first. The only
difference is that you will go two rows lower than where you tied your first set. I recommend
tying small knots in the bottom of all four ends as this will make it hard for the ribbon to slip out
of the dress should your little one take it off in a hurry. This way you’re not trying to funnel it
back through again.
Step Eight: The Fringe
You’re almost there! All that’s left to do is the fringe. Now take your red glitter tulle and cut
twelve strips each about 5” long. Again, if you can find something that’s 2.5” then you only have
to cut once! Then cut six strips of the white and six of the shimmer white also at 5” long each.
Make sure you have a solid square between the lining and the square to which you are attaching
your fringe. I usually make the fringe as wide as I did the ribbon straps but you can make them
narrower if you would like or a little wider. Take your crochet hook and go under the chosen
square along the top of the bodice and make another Larks Head knot to attach the fringe. Once
you have them all on, you will want to go back through and trim them to make sure they are all
the same length and you don’t have any stragglers. If your little one is particularly small, then
you can cut the fringe shorter as needed.
Step Nine: You Did It!
Way to go! You are on your way to becoming one of Santa’s little helpers having created this fun
Christmas dress for your little one!
Resources:
Process photos, DIY & Crafting Expertise courtesy Caitlin of An Enchanted Box
Model Photography by Ava K Photography
You can find tulle here at The Hair Bow Company.
You can find crochet headbands here at The Hair Bow Company.
We also carry an entire collection of Christmas outfits for Girls to keep your little one trendy for the whole Christmas season!
Shop Caitlin's ready made tutu dresses here at An Enchanted Box.