How-To: Doggy Ballerina Costume

I can’t wait to parade my sweet boxer, Stella Baby Star, around in her ballerina costume on Halloween. She is the most social and loving pet, and she always insists on being the center of attention. Last night, as I was working on my own Halloween outfit, she looked up at me with her sad eyes that clearly seemed to say, “Brookelynn, I want to be a ballerina, will you make me a tutu, pretty please?” How could I say no? Follow my easy steps to make a tutu for your prima-donna dog! And, always remember to keep a watchful eye on any pet when they are dressed up. Oh, and treats help during fittings!

Materials

2 yards of tulle
Ribbon
Sewing machine
Pins
Rotary cutter and mat, or scissors

Step 1: Tie the ribbon around your dog’s waist, where it seems the most comfortable. Mark the length of the dog’s waist with straight pins. Be sure to leave long enough ends on the ribbon to tie a nice and snug bow.

Step 2: Cut the tulle into wide strips. Each strip will be folded in half, so make them double the needed length. I wanted 1′ of skirt, so my strips are 2′ wide.

Step 3: Fold the tulle in half, and then pin one end to the point on the ribbon that you originally marked. I pinned the tulle to the top of the ribbon, so that the scratchy gathers wouldn’t be against the dog’s skin.

Step 4: Begin sewing the tulle to the ribbon. Set your machine to a short straight stitch. To create the gathers, fold up the tulle on top of itself as you feed it under the presser foot.

Step 5: Continue sewing tulle to the ribbon. This is a costume for a dog, and the point is masses of fluffy gathers, so don’t worry about precision. Keep adding the tulle to the ribbon, folding and sewing as you go. When you need to add the next strip, just scrunch it in against the end of the previous tulle.

Step 6: Tie the tutu to the dog with a bow. I attached some leftover tulle scraps to her collar, for added cuteness! Be sure to supervise while your dog amuses you and poses for photos! Finish by showering your ballerina with treats and love.