Crafts | Boa Tutu

With Mardi Gras behind us and many holidays ahead of us I'd like to share how to make a Boa Tutu! Mine is Mardi Gras themed but boas and ribbon come in all the fun colors so this is a super cute and spunky addition to any outfit for any holiday!

The Details:

• Time: ~1.5 hours (Or the length of a movie :) ) 
• Cost: $45 

What you need: 

• 3 Boas 
• Spool of ribbon (7/8'' satin is what I used) 
• 1 sheet of stiff felt 
• Anything else to add flair! 

What I used:
   * Images are clickable 
   * I suggest getting the ribbon from Hobby Lobby (~$2/spool)

Step 1: The Base

• Cut the ribbon to a length where it can go around your waist, be tied into a bow and the ends fall as long as you prefer. (Mine were just short of reaching my knee) 
• Cut 3 strands of ribbon total to this length. 
• Cut the felt into an oval shape that covers your lower back / top of bum area. 
• Cut slits along the felt to weave the ribbon through. I had all the ribbon come in and go out of one slit, and split up while in the middle so there's a good weight distribution. 
• Hot glue gun both ends once you have the middle part of your ribbon through the felt
  

Step 2: Layer 1

** ~ I used a Mardi Gras scarf I found as my 'flair' item. I cut the scarf into strips along its pattern.  I only cut strips as I went! (~ symbol represents a scarf step, skip if not using one) 

• Cut one boa from the bottom of the felt to your mid calf (or whatever the longest length you want) Then glue onto the mid-bottom of the felt piece. 
• ~ Glue a scarf strip on either side of the boa
• Cut two more pieces of the boa to be a couple inches shorter than the main. Glue these on either side of the main boa. 
• ~ Once again, Glue a scarf strip on either side 
• Cut two more pieces of the boa, again a couple inches shorter than the last two pieces. Glue these on either side. 

My oval piece only fit the 5 strips of boa, if yours is longer or shorter just make sure you've covered from end to end! 

Step 3: Mid Layer 

• ~ Here I only used the scarf. I cut along the strips already on the ends of the scarf and kept cutting through until the length was the same as the middle boas. then I glued that piece above the first layer of the boas. 
• **** Careful! The scarf is thin and hot glue is.....HOT!! 

Step 4: Top Layer

• You should now have small lengths of boa left. Take the longest piece you have and follow the same steps as before. Glue in the middle above the mid-layer. You can also cut the pieces you have in half or other sizes.
• ~ Once again I glued scarf strips on both sides. 
• ~ In this case I also glued some Mardi Gras beads on both sides! Add your flair!! 
• Take the next two longest pieces of boa and glue to both side from the middle. 
• ~ Scarf strips and beads!
• If you have any boa left go ahead and glue! 

You're tutu should be looking something like this! 

Also please be putting this on after each step to make sure it fits and looks like you want it to!!

** As you can see from the above pic (Right), the top looks gross. I can see where all the boa has been glued. If you have fun flair items, I suggest using them here to cover up the ugly. If you don't, be sure to glue this layer of things in hidden ways and all the way along the top of your felt! 

Step 5: Finish 

I used the rest of scarf I had and glued it along the top in a scrunched way. This allowed me to hide how everything was glued underneath and to have a cute eye-catching piece outside of the boas! 

My favorite part about this project was that it was simple, it didn't take long, and it was fun! 

I hated working with feathers, it was my first time and omg feather's everywhere!!! Definitely have the vacuum ready to clean up afterwards!! 

Can't wait to see pics of your tutus!! 

-A