Table Tutu How-To

When I first started planning my daughter's Alice in Wonderland themed birthday, I knew I wanted to do table tutus. I had seen them before, though I'd never made one.  But I thought it couldn't be too difficult.  This is not a tutorial in the sense that I am posting step-by-step pictures, it's just general directions for how you, too, can make a beautiful table tutu for your next get-together.
Making a table tutu is very similar to making a regular tutu.  First, measure the table you are going to be decorating. You are going to want to measure both the length and the height.  Next, cut a length of ribbon a few inches longer than the length of the table.  Then, cut your tulle in lengths twice as long as you would like for the tulle to hang under the table. My table tutus were about 2 feet long, so I cut the tulle in lengths of 4 feet.  You are going to tie the tulle to the ribbon the same way you would if you were making a tutu. Double the tulle in half and tie it around the ribbon using a slip-knot.  Continue tying the tulle to the ribbon until the ribbon is completely full.  This project takes a lot of tulle.  I believe I used almost 200 yards of tulle on my table tutus.
After you have tied all of the tulle onto the ribbon, the real fun begins!  I purchased a roll of tablecloth material from Oriental Trading Company  very inexpensively. It was the plastic kind. I think vinyl would work better but this did work. I cut a piece to cover the table and hang down about two inches below the edge.  Then, I hot-glued the ribbon with the tulle attached around the edge of the tablecloth. This was seriously the most difficult part. It was hard to control the length of the tutu and the hot-glue gun without getting it tangled up or burning myself.  I finally decided to put the tablecloth on the table and use something to weigh it down to keep it from sliding while I worked.  This took a while but I think it ended up looking really good. If the glue got too hot, the plastic tablecloth would start to melt so I had to be careful of that.
When I was finished, I considered putting a ribbon or something around the edge where the ribbon was attached to the plastic. But everyone who looked at it said it looked good so I left it. I may try the ribbon some day but for this party, it worked without it.
Overall, I would say the table tutus were a big hit.  They definitely brought some color and shimmer to our party!

This is where the tutu is attached to the tablecloth.  What do you think? Does it need a ribbon?

This blue was perfect for the Alice in Wonderland theme.

The Mad Hatter themed table from our Alice in Wonderland party.

Here's my question to y'all!  I am considering listing these on Etsy. I have seen others on there but most of them do not include the tablecloth portion, just the tutu and the buyer has to figure out how to attach it. I would like to know if you think it would be more helpful to have the tablecloth or if you would prefer not to have it. What would you consider to be a fair price point?

If you decide to make this, please let me know how it goes!

Alice in Wonderland Party--Complete!

After three months of preparation, thousands of yards of tulle, stacks and stacks of felt, an entire package of hot glue sticks, a bit of deco mesh, miles of ribbon, and a whole lot of sweat and tears, the Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party is finally complete.  Here are some pics from the event.

For photos with Alice, a simple old chair, a pillar, some silk flowers and a very cute flower wall hanging.

Pink popcorn boxes complimented the movie room where Alice in Wonderland was playing.

A view of the living room from the cat walk above.  The Queen of Heart's table held the presents while the Mad Hatter table was full of Candy!

The birthday girl, in her Birthday Princess rhinestone bling t-shirt leads the way to the box of party props, including tutus for the White Queen, Alice, and the Queen of Hearts.

The Candy Bar at the Mad Hatter's table was decorated with the Mad Hatter's hat in felt, felt mushrooms, silk flowers, and lots of tiny tea pots.

The mantel was decorated with tissue paper flowers and a pink butterfly. A banner reads, "Imma in Wonderland."

A view from the kitchen where the cake sat on a pink table tutu.  The island was decorated with an Alice blue table tutu.

Signs pointed the way to upstairs attraction and hot pink deco mesh wrapped the banister.

The cake, from a local bakery, was decorated with Alice in Wonderland toys from the Disney Store.  Simple and gorgeous.

More deco mesh and a paper and ribbon banner, made from the same scrapbook paper as the invitations. It reads, "Happy Unbirthday!"

144 balloons lined the street, driveway, and decorated the yard.

Another view of the Mad Hatter's Candy Bar.

The Queen of Hearts table, decorated with a red and black table tutu, banner made of playing cards, and a White Rabbit prop, complete with working pocket watch.

A close up of one of the lamps and lanterns decorating the pink cake table. You can also see one of the felt mushrooms.

Guests had their pictures taken with Alice!  They were able to choose many costume options from the photo prop box, including the Whiter Rabbit, White Queen, Queen of Hearts, Mad Hatter, oh, and Alice!

Little Sis Lucy looks a little tired!

The party also had a bounce house with a slide.

The childrean also loved playing with the animals in the petting zoo.

I will post more detailed pictures of some of the major items I created for this party, such as the Mad Hatter's hat, the photo props, and the table tutus in upcoming posts. Overall, I believe the party was a huge success!  We had about 80 guests!  All of the children had a WONDERful time and the birthday girl was super excited that so many of her friends came to celebrate with her.