Since we’re such DIY and crafting enthusiasts, however, you can bet that we take ballet class as an opportunity to get creative in other ways too, putting our fabric working and sewing skills to good use to make ourselves and our kids adorable outfits and accessories for ballet class whenever we can. Of course, we know you shouldn’t wear anything that hampers our movement or interferes with our dancing, but we don’t see any reason not to look cute while we move as well, even if we’re a little sweaty by the end!
Do you love the idea of making your own clothes for ballet class just as much as we did but you feel like you could use a little bit of inspiration and guidance while you go about it? Then check out these 15 awesome tutorials, designs, and ideas that will help you get started!
1. DIY chiffon wrap skirt
Have you long admired the silhouette created by the classic wrap style ballet skirt and wanted to wear one in your own classes as well, but you can’t help wishing you could get one in more interesting colours than the solid black or ballet pink ones you always see in stores and photos? Well, whenever we experience that in basically any context, we realize that our crafting skills are what will save the day! That’s why we were so happy to follow along with this DIY chiffon wrap skirt tutorial featured on Spoon Flower. Ours is purple with butterflies!
2. Sewing slipper elastics
Perhaps you’re not actually interested in making yourself extra accessories for dance class because you prefer that minimalistic sort of silhouette when you dance and you don’t want anything to hamper your movement, but you’re still looking for sewing tips for dance class because you’d like to learn how to sew the elastics on your ballet shoes properly by yourself? We learned that skill as teens and we also quickly learned, from experience, that there’s a very correct way to do it for maximum comfort. This awesome elastic sewing tutorial from Dave Tries Ballet lays it all our for you just right!
3. Elastic waist and ribbon tutu
Around this time of year, recital time is fast approaching and everyone in the dance class world is browsing costume ideas, choosing design details, and trying to finalize stage looks. We always find this really exciting for a number of reasons! We adore any type of costume design any time of year, but we also love that ballet recitals are such a great opportunity to practice making gorgeous costume pieces ourselves. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for different tut making tutorials! Last year we made our daughter a beautifully simple, romantic style tutu with an elastic waist that let her slip it on and off quickly to make changing between her multiple recital numbers as simple as possible. This tutorial from The Girl Inspired helped us a lot!
4. DIY pancake tutu
Are you absolutely interested in making a tutu for yourself or your child but you’re just not sure that the draping romantic style is the shape you really want to go for? We love all shapes of tutus, but there’s definitely a nostalgic beauty to the classic straight style that some people often refer to as a “pancake tutu”. These might look a little more intimidating to make than the kind where the tulle simple drapes in whatever shape it pleases, but this tutorial from The Sorry Girls will help you along the way while you make your stiff, cheerful looking tutu.
5. Doll’s ballet outfit
Are your kids actually still a little bit too young for formal ballet class but you know they’re ready and raring to go because they already love dancing so much? Then perhaps making their favourite doll an awesome ballet outfit that looks just like the one they’d love to wear on stage someday will help keep them motivated and loving dance until they’re finally old enough to enter classes themselves! Blue Whimsy shows you how to make it happen.
6. Tips for rhinestoning simple dance costumes
Do you already have a dance costume ready to go but you find that you keep looking at it and thinking that something is missing? Well, whenever we think that, we usually find that rhinestones save the day! Rhinestoning a costume might sound simple, but there are certainly a few tips and tricks that will make the whole process quicker, neater, and easier! That’s why we love this tutorial from BDancewear.
7. Ballet inspired dress
Are your littlest kids completely obsessed with the idea of dancing ballet so you’ve put them in classes, but they keep asking you to help them look like a ballerina every other day of the week as well? Then perhaps a few ballet inspired dresses will keep them happy and let them feel their ballerina fantasy as they go about their day! Sure, you could probably find tutu-like dresses in stores, but if you make it yourself you can have them them pick the colours and they’ll be ten times happier with the final dress. We’d suggest following this adorable, straight forward pattern featured on It’s Always Autumn.
8. Classic tulle knotting and ribbon tutu
Whether you’re making it for a ballet recital outfit, casual Fridays in ballet class, or simply as a ballet inspired Halloween costume or fancy dress party, learning how to create a simple, classic knot tying tutu is a great skill! It sounds quite easy to do, and it really is, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need a little bit of guidance as you make it. Check out the helpful tips in this cute tulle and ribbon tutorial from DIY Network.
9. Long romantic style tutus
We’ve already shown you a beautiful tutorial that involves making a romantic style tutu, but what if the image you had in your mind for your recital number was more of a voluminous gown than a classic tutu? Well, creating a tutu as a first step is a great way to get that volume, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also make an overskirt to get yourself that gown aesthetic you want so badly! Natalie Danza guides you through the process of making the stunning silk version you see above.
10. Little DIY wrap skirts for kids
Are you still thinking about how much you love the wrap skirt idea but you know your kids would love to wear one too? Well, if you’ve got experience sewing already then any tutorial will work for you and you can just adjust the measurements and steps to a smaller size, but we know that not everyone is prepared for that. That’s why we were so glad to find a tutorial that teaches you how to make a kids’ sized skirt specifically! Find out how it’s done in a surprisingly simple way on Elegantine.
11. Simple pinched practice leotard with sleeves
As much as we love making and designing our own tutus and costumes, we find that the thing we always need the most is regular practice leotards. We don’t like to repeat leotards without washing in between but washing and wearing takes a real toll on the fabric and wears bodysuits out easily. Constantly buying them, however, can get very expensive, which is why we learned how to make our own! Thanks to tutorials like this one from Hips and Kicks we now have a whole array of simple practice leotards in whatever colours we please, ready to grab before class no matter how much or little time we’ve had to do laundry that week.
12. Tie-dyed point shoes
If you’re going to create and design yourself a stunning recital or competition costume, are you intent on going all out and leaving no detail behind? Then we’d suggest thinking about how your dance shoes play into the overall look! Because pointe shoes are so expensive, we’re often inclined to leave them untouched and go with a simple, classic aesthetic in that regard, hoping their natural ballet pink will suit whatever outfit we choose just fine. Last year, however, we realized that our shoes were very worn and the year end recital would probably be their last hurrah, so we customized their colour with fabric die and incorporated them right into the look! Just in case you’re as intrigued by the idea of dying your pointe shoes (or other dance shoes) as we were, here’s an absolutely stunning looking tie dyed shoe tutorial from Little Mavericks.
13. Elastic waist lace skirt
Just because you’ll be performing in a full tulle and silk skirt on the night of the recital doesn’t mean you have to wear the full piece each and every time you practice the choreography or rehearse the number! Besides the fact that this might damage the skirt before show night, it’ll also make you hot. Of course, you should absolutely rehearse at least a few times with the full costume to make sure it works with all your movements but until that’s ready, try making yourself a pretty practice skirt that’s around the same lace but lighter to wear for long periods of time! We absolutely adore this simple DIY lace practice skirt outlined on Love Maegan.
14. Simple colourful circle skirt
Are you very into the idea of making yourself a cute practice skirt but you just haven’t seen a kind that quite strikes your whole fancy yet, even though we’ve shown you a few different kinds? Then here’s one more for your consideration! We absolutely adore this flouncy short circle skirt and how cute it looks twirling when we dance, which is why we’ve made about seven of them. We also like how easy they are to slip on and off! Find the full instructions for making one of your own on Ballet Scoop.
15. Knitted stirrup leg warmers
It’s been all well and good for us to show you all these different ways to combine your love of dance with your DIY fabric working skills, but what if you’re not really a sewing enthusiast but you’re still determined to make yourself something useful for dance class? Well, if you have any skills in the yarn works department, then leg warmers are an amazing and totally useful project! We have actually knit ourselves several different colours in these fantastically simple leg warmers with stirrup feet that let you still grip the floor as you dance while you’re wearing them. Find the pattern on Lion Brand Yarn!
