Peacock Tutu and Mask

Peacock Costume

Difficulty Level = Beginner

The tutu can be made to fit any size. Instructions & measurements are given for approximate sizes newborn to 12 years. The mask can be scaled to fit any size, instructions and pattern pieces are given for one size mask which will fit most children aged 2 to 10 years.

Our Facebook group is a great place to get help, share your tips and creations! We are a friendly bunch, and we love to help and see what you have made.

Please read the full instructions before getting started.

Wash, dry, and press your fabric before starting your project. A bit of prep now prevents shrinking and means your garment will stay the same size you made it.

Never leave a child or baby unattended or allow to sleep in a garment made from one of our patterns with ties, snaps, buttons, or anything they could remove, choke on, or get caught on. Always use caution if you are unsure. We love our patterns, but we love your bundles of joy more!

Size Range

Craft

Size Chart

The instructions in this tutorial can be used to make a tutu of any size, for any age. However, the measurements given have been worked out for the following sizes:

• Tutu – While measurements are given for example sizes, you could make the tutu any length or size you wish simply by using a larger crochet Waistband, or piece of ribbon. Then lengthen or shorten the tulle lengths as you wish.
• Mask – The mask is one size only. It should be a good size for most children’s faces 2-12 years. To check the size, print the base mask pattern page at 100% (no scale) on your printer, then hold it up to your child’s face. 
  • If you wish to make the mask smaller for an infant, print or photocopy at an 80% scale so the pattern pieces are smaller.
  • To make the mask bigger for a teen or adult, print or photocopy the pattern pages at a 120% scale.
  • Make sure to hold the base pattern piece up to the face to check the sizing if you scale it before cutting your fabric.
• If you get stuck with fitting, see our favorite resources on our Pinterest Sewing Fitting Advice board.  

For the Tutu:

Before you purchase your supplies, you need to decide what type of tutu you’d like to do. You can either use ribbon for the Waistband, or a crochet headband.

• Crochet band option – This option gives a softer feel for the child around the waist and is often more comfortable than a ribbon Waistband. If you are looking for these online, they are usually categorized under ‘children’s accessories’ or ‘tutu supplies’. You can use any width you like. The photo on the right (and in the cover image tutu) is a 1.5-inch-wide headband and is great for making a skirt-style tutu. The tutorial refers to this style headband, but you can also get taller bands (great for making dress-style tutus), or even crochet by the yard that you can stitch together into whatever width you like.

• Ribbon option – You can either measure this on the child, or use the estimates below. I prefer to use 1 or 2-inch-wide ribbon but you can use any width you like. The wider the ribbon, the more obvious the bow will be at the back. The narrower the ribbon, the more compact the knots of tulle will be on the waistline. If you are working it out yourself, you’ll need enough to go around the child’s waist plus enough for the bow. To get the same fullness as with a crochet band, you may find a ribbon Waistband can be uncomfortable for the child over long periods as the knots of tulle are tied in larger knots.

For the tulle, you can either purchase pre-cut tulle that is in 6-inch-wide rolls, or tulle by the bolt. If you purchase it by the bolt, you will need to cut it into 6-inch-wide strips before you start.

For the tutu in the cover photo we used 2 different colors of tulle and simply purchased half of what was needed in one color, half in the other. 

The quantity of tulle you will need can vary dramatically depending on your child’s waist measurement, their height and what type of Waistband you use (ribbon or crochet headband). If you don’t have your model to hand or don’t mind if you end up with a little bit extra leftover, we’ve done the mathematics for you!

Here are some approximate estimates of how much tulle you will need:

* If you are using a narrower fabric, a directional print, or a fabric with nap you may need more.
** Make sure to wash, dry, and press all fabrics before cutting out in case they shrink.

Or you can work it out exactly:

For the most accurate estimate of supplies, you can work it out for your specific child. It’s takes a bit of calculating but it means you’ll end up with exactly what you need…

1. Length of strips – The tulle will be tied to the Waistband, with both ‘tails’ of tulle hanging down to the hem. Measure how long you want the tulle, then multiply this by 2 to get the full length of each strip of tulle. E.g. If you want a finished length of 12 inches, tulle needs to be 24 inches long (12×2)
2. Quantity of strips – 
   1. Ribbon Waistband – For sizes newborn to 24 months, you will need 2 strips of tulle per inch of Waistband. For sizes 2-12 years you will need 3 strips of tulle per inch of Waistband. Measure the child’s waist in inches and then multiply it by either 2 or 3. E.g. If their waist is 20 inches and they are 4 years old, you would need 60 strips of tulle (20×3)
   2. Crochet headband – Count the number of holes around one row of your headband. One strip of tulle will get tied to each hole. For sizes 0-18 months you will need 1 row of tulle tied on. For sizes 18 months to 12 years you will need 2 rows of tulle. So, take the number of holes and multiple it by either 1 or 2. E.g. If there are 40 holes and they are 5 years old, you would need 80 strips (40×2)
      
3. Total quantities – 
   1. Tulle in 6-inch-wide rolls – Multiply your number of strips by the length of strips to get total inches. Then divide by 36 (number of inches in a yard) to get total yardage. E.g. If you need 60 strips that are 24 inches long, you would need 1440 inches (60×24) which is 40 yards (1440 / 36).
   2. Tulle by the bolt – Multiple your number of strips by the length of strips to get your total inches. Then divide inches by 36 (number of inches in a yard) to get your yardage. Lastly work out how many 6-inch-wide strips you can get from your width of tulle. Divide your total yardage by this amount. E.g. If you need strips that are 24 inches long and if your tulle is 60 inches wide, you’ll only get 2 full strips end-to-end per width (60 divide by 24 = 2.5). Per yard (36 inches) you’ll get 6 x 6-inch-wide strips next to each other (36 divide by 6). So, per yard in total you’ll get 12 strips per yard (6×2). So, if you need 60 strips, you’ll need 5 yards (60 divided by 12 strips per yard).
      

As well as the tulle, you will also need:

• Your crochet headband or piece of ribbon for the Waistband
• Felt for the peacock Feathers – You can do it in any colors you like but if you want it to be in ‘peacock’ type colors like in the cover photo, you will need the following colors (1/4 yard of each should be more than sufficient):
  • Dark purple 
  • Light purple
  • Teal
  • Dark teal
• Fusible Web/Iron-on Adhesive. Might also be called double sided interfacing (e.g. “bond a web”)
  

For the Mask:

• Felt in the colors you prefer for your peacock. If you want to do the same as the cover image, you will need:
  • Dark purple (approximately a 15inch square should suffice)
  • Light purple (approximately a 15inch square should suffice)
  • Dark teal (approximately a 15inch square should suffice)
  • Teal (this is the one you’ll need the most of, approximately ¼ yard should be more than enough)
  • White (small amount for the eyes)
  • Black (scraps for eyelashes)
  • Yellow (small amount for beak)
• Fusible Web/Iron-on Adhesive. Might also be called double sided interfacing (e.g. “bond a web”)
• Ribbon or elastic
• Pencil to trace the pieces onto the interfacing

You will also need:

• Thread in a variety of colors. You will need matching thread for some stitching, and a contrasting thread color to highlight the mask & Feathers and stand out in other parts.
• Optional:
  • Cutting mat
  • Board/book/cardboard in the length the tulle will be cut to make the cutting speedy
    

Tools needed are iron, pins, scissors, ruler, measuring tape, needle and thread for hand or machine sewing.

Settings

The pattern is a separate download. Choose either the US letter paper, A4 paper, or A0 paper size based on the printer you wish to use. If you are in the US or Canada then your printer will likely use US letter paper. Other regions normally use A4 paper. Some people prefer to print their patterns at a print shop: A0 is best in this case.

Print at 100%

On the second page, you will find a 1-inch and a 3-inch square test box. Print this page first, on its own, and measure these squares.

Once you are happy that the test box is accurate, print the rest of the pattern pages.

Please follow this video for information and assistance on assembling this pattern.

Also, please note that some Rebecca Page patterns and projects also come with cut files and a printable design page which you can use to plan your project if you wish. These are provided in a separate section below to avoid any confusion!

For the Mask – Do not cut your felt or interfacing yet. Just set aside ready for the first step.

For the Tutu – Do not cut your felt yet. For your tulle, prepare the strips as below…

A. Make sure tulle is in 6 inch wide lengths:

• • If you have purchased bolt-wide yards/metres of tulle, first cut these into 6 inch wide strips. 
  • It doesn’t matter whether you do this down the length of the tulle or across the width. 
  • For economy, have a glance at the cutting chart below at how long you need your strips to be so you can cut your strips in a direction where you waste as little tulle as possible. 
  • If you have purchased a roll of tulle, it will already be 6 inches wide, so you can skip this step.
    

If you worked out your supplies exactly using the calculations in the fabric requirements section, you will already know how many strips and how long they need to be, so you can cut out now and skip to the next step. If you used the estimates to get your supplies, continue on below…

B. Decide how long to cut your tulle strips:

• • If you have your model available, measure on the child how long you want the tutu to be from waist to finished length. Each strip of tulle will be folded in half and tied onto the Waistband. So the strips need to be twice the length you want. You do not need to add any more to account for tying the knot as the ribbon will add a little extra length.
  • If you don’t have your model available, use the cutting chart on the page 9 for a below knee-length tutu on an average height child. This will be quite long on most children so it will last a while as they grow. Alternatively, for a shorter knee length tutu, use the lengths from one size smaller than you need.
    

TIP – Look through your bookcase and see if you can find a book (or cut a strip of cardboard) that if you wrap a measuring tape around it, is the correct length. Then you can wrap the tulle around and around the book/cardboard, and cut several strips at once. Much faster than measuring them out individually!

TIP  – Don’t use your best fabric scissors to cut the tulle. Tulle is rougher than fabric so in large quantities it can blunt your scissors.

C. Work out how many strips of tulle you will need:

• • Ribbon Waistband – For a relatively full tutu, you will need approximately 3 strips of tulle per inch of waist measurement. If you don’t want your tutu as full, then use 2 strips of tulle per inch of waist. If you can, measure the child to get an exact waist size in inches. Then multiply the number by 3. If you can’t measure the child, use the cutting chart below for how many strips you will need.
  • Crochet Headband Waistband – You need to complete step 2.1 before you can work out how many strips of tulle you will need. Once you are happy with the width of your headband, count the number of holes in the bottom row of the headband. We will be knotting one strip of tulle to each hole. For sizes 0-18 months you will tie one row of tulle on. For sizes 18 months to 12 years you will tie two rows on. So the number of holes around the headband times either 1 or 2 is how many strips of tulle you will need.

Cutting Checklist: 

• Mask
  • Felt and interfacing ready but not cut
• Tutu
  • Ribbon for Waistband or crochet headband.
  • Tulle strips – either per suggested chart or as calculated
  • Felt for the peacock Feathers and interfacing ready but not cut

Mask –

1. INTERFACING – Trace all pieces onto the correct colored interfacing, except the ‘Back of Mask’ piece. Cut out.
2. LAYER PIECES – Assemble the tail Feathers and topstitch. Press and topstitch onto the mask the tail Feathers. Use the layout guide to check placing. Press and topstitch on eye whites. Press eyelashes on and topstitch the top half of these (do not stitch the piece around the eyehole yet). Press and topstitch through the center of the face Feathers that are above the eyes.
3. FINISH MASK – Remove main mask backing paper and place on backing fabric. Sandwich elastic between mask and a piece of felt the approximate size of the ‘back of mask’ pattern piece. Check fit and adjust. Topstitch elastic in place. Press entire mask. Press and topstitch other remaining elements (face Feathers on bottom of face & beak). Topstitch around eye holes. Cut out eye holes. Cut excess backing fabric off, taking care to keep the elastic out of the way.

Tutu –

1. FEATHERS – Trace pieces onto interfacing.  Apply interfacing to back of felt for three smaller pieces of Feathers.  Cut felt pieces out. Cut out larger base pieces of Feathers. Layer, press and stich center of peacock Feathers.  Stitch one feather pointing down to the edge of a strip of tulle. Stitch a feather to the other end of the same piece of tulle in the same way until all your Feathers are used up.
2. RIBBON WAISTBAND – Mark center point of ribbon.  Find center point of first piece of plain tulle (with no Feathers).  Fold tulle into a U shape.  Place the U over the center of the ribbon, removing the pin.  Bend the U over the ribbon and tuck the tails of the tulle through the U, pulling tight.  Repeat with the rest of the tulle.  When you reach the back, alternate plain tulle with the tulle with your peacock Feathers on them.  When adding Feathers, instead of folding tulle in half, fold and knot unevenly to separate the Feathers.  In the front, it is nice to keep the tulle folded evenly.  However, when you get to the back, try folding with different splits, with the longer layer underneath, to create the exaggerated plume of a peacock.  You can also choose to cut the tulle for the front shorter than the back.  
3. CROCHET HEADBAND WAISTBAND – If possible, check the headband on your child’s waist before you start.  If not, compare the slightly stretched headband against the measurement chart, pin out and stitch the extra to remove it.  Do not cut it off, just leave it inside the Waistband, so it doesn’t fray over time.  Find the center of a piece of plain tulle (with no Feathers on it), fold in half and tuck the center through a hole in the Waistband.  Open the fold a bit and tuck the tulle ends through this hole.  Continue this through the first, bottom layer of the crocheted headband. Follow the instructions in step two for changing up the lengths. Once you’ve finished the first row of holes, fill in a second row of tulle, interspersing feathered tulle at the back in between the plain tulle.  

File Types

We have included three to four file types for you to choose from. Please choose whichever you are more familiar with or works best with your cutting machine. For cut files of the smaller pieces for some of our patterns, like the Dolls House Quiet Book and Add-on, we do not include a PDF copy. All versions come with .SVG, .PNG, and .DXF.

You will start by downloading the files from your account. Open your software and choose the file type you’d like to work with.

Pattern Cut Files

When working with cut files to cut small pattern pieces, it is imperative that you make sure the file is the correct size prior to cutting. We have included a one-inch square box offset in each file. You should be able to move the square off to the side, so it isn’t cut with the rest of your file. For files that also have square pieces, please be sure to compare them to the cut chart in the original file instructions. We’d always prefer you double check than have something cut out that isn’t useable!

Other Cut Files

For all other cut files, you should resize to your project needs. Please do keep in mind the size of some of the features. Going very small may make it difficult to cut smaller fonts or finer details.

Media

As mentioned earlier, it is very important to choose the correct media to for your cut. There is a huge selection to choose from and it can be overwhelming. Be sure to use the materials suggested by your machine for the type of project you are completing.