Grace’s Homemade Tutu Gets a Second Chance

October 21, 2009

Fer her second birthday, I made Grace a beautiful beautiful fluffly tutu. You can make your own by following my instructions. It’s simple.

I spent many hours lying on my back because of injuries sustained in a car crash, and I put some of that time to good use. I tied tulle knot after tulle knot, and I was thrilled with the finished product.

Grace was less so.

She put the tutu on once, wore it for about four minutes, and then took it off. She wouldn’t even touch it after that. The poor, rejected tutu was ignored for a few days in the living room, and eventually found its way to the closet in Grace’s bedroom.

I was lachrymose.

But then, out of the blue, almost five months later, Grace said My spinning. My twirling. My dancing like a ballerina!

I jumped in, “Would you like to wear your special birthday tutu?”

She said yes!

And then she really spun and twirled.

Til she was dizzy.

She felt the tutu. She fluffed it. She made it fuller than I had imagined.

My so beautiful! she gushed as she twirled around the living room.

My so happy!

My love my tutu!

Spinning and twirling turned into playing with Little People and somersaulting around the living room.

And she had no idea that one afternoon of playing and being beautiful would make me so happy.

A few commenters on my Wordless Wednesday post asked if Grace was wearing her tutu for Halloween. She isn’t. We got a costume a couple of weeks ago after a long struggle. She’s going to be something else. More on that later.

Happily shared at Tell Me Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, A Thousand Words Thursday, Show and Tell Friday, Hosted by Cecily, Friday’s Foto Finish Fiesta, Give Me Your Best Shot, Finer Things Friday, Family Friday, and Beautiful Life

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Staci A said:

She’s so cute & you did a great job on the tutu! So glad to hear she’s now in love with it!
Staci A´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Flowers of Fall

# 21 October 2009 at 9:11 pm

Danielle said:

That is great! My girls would absolutely wear this everyday! They are so into changing clothes and wearing new things!
Danielle´s last blog ..Tell Me Thursday: Love of Markers

# 22 October 2009 at 9:24 am

Debi said:

Thanks so much for sharing that story. Sometimes in life, we are just not ready for a gift; however we have a way of finding it when we are ready. What a wonderful remember. Debi
Debi´s last blog ..Check Point Charlie

# 22 October 2009 at 10:50 am

MommyAmy said:

That’s so awesome! I think we’re gonna give the girls tutus for Christmas, they’ll be 2.5 and hopefully ready for it.

# 22 October 2009 at 1:34 pm

Melitsa said:

What a nice story. I love it when a plan goes together. She does look cute.
Melitsa´s last blog ..TMT:Sky

# 22 October 2009 at 4:35 pm

debi b said:

How adorable! I wish my daughter would wear her tutus for more than a few seconds… maybe someday

Happy Friday!
debi b´s last blog ..Friday Fragments & Fotos ~ Finding Faith

# 23 October 2009 at 12:34 am

Phoebe @ Cents to Get Debt Free said:

Glad she is enjoying the fruits of your labor. It’s beautiful!

I’ve always wanted to make my daughter a tutu, but somehow I’ve never managed to get to acutally doing it.
Phoebe @ Cents to Get Debt Free´s last blog ..Saving Money on Clothes

# 23 October 2009 at 7:25 am

Susie's Homemade said:

So cute!! There is nothing better than a little girl playing all day in her tutu:-)

# 23 October 2009 at 7:46 am

Pamepoo said:

What an awesome tutu! And it is so cute on her! I love when my little girl dances and twirls all over the house!
Pamepoo´s last blog ..PhotoStory Friday: Only In Germany

# 23 October 2009 at 9:05 am

Caroline said:

What a sweetie !!

# 23 October 2009 at 9:27 am

Michelle @ One Crafty Mama said:

That is one awesome fluffy tutu! My 14 year old wants one to wear for Halloween. I am going to use your instructions to make her one! Thanks for sharing.

Happy PSF!
Michelle @ One Crafty Mama´s last blog ..PSF – Last minute costume idea

# 23 October 2009 at 10:00 am

kaye said:

that was a nice post to read. Sometimes kids just don’t appreciate our efforts. If you want to come on by and meet Jack I’m home.
kaye´s last blog ..Photo Story Friday: Meet Jack

# 23 October 2009 at 10:20 am

Lolli said:

I have had gifts “rejected” like that. Yay for her rediscovering the lovely tutu! She is adorable!!
Lolli´s last blog ..Give Me Your Best Shot – Vegas Night Life!

# 23 October 2009 at 10:39 am

brandy said:

she is so happy. CUTE STUFF

# 23 October 2009 at 1:28 pm

Shana said:

I love when they get to the dress up stage! My oldest is into ruffles, pink, and dresses!

# 23 October 2009 at 2:05 pm

Tina said:

She is adorable! Brings back memories of when my gals were near this age. We had a box of princess like stuff for play ( tiaras, high heel shoes, tutus, dresses ect) I use to buy old prom dresses at the thrift stores and reuse the fabric to make dresses ect. for the gals to play in. They also had jewerly. So much fun!
Tina´s last blog ..2009 5th Annual Homeschool Blog Awards

# 24 October 2009 at 7:34 am

Amy @ Finer Things said:

“My so beautiful!” Love that quote. CUTE tutu. My girls would be all over that!
Amy @ Finer Things´s last blog ..Finer Things Friday: Pumpkin Patch

# 24 October 2009 at 9:35 am

The Diaper Diaries said:

How adorable. This might be a craft I can actually do!!
The Diaper Diaries´s last blog ..Frugal Friday- Some Extra Extras

# 24 October 2009 at 9:27 pm

Bobbie said:

That turned out beautiful. I am so glad she found her way back to it! She will wear it for the next four years.Getting hr to take it of to go to bed or to put it in the laundry, that will be your new battle.
Because of Jesus, Bobbie
Bobbie´s last blog ..My daughter and her husband renew their vows

# 25 October 2009 at 12:55 pm

Finer Things Friday: Pumpkin Patch | The Finer Things in Life said:

[...] Myra @ Happy Housewife Living Life (Our Staycation!8. A Simple Walk (repurposing a memory)9. Tara @ Feels like home (tutu)10. It Feels Like Chaos (milestones)11. Cindy introduces us to her genes12. Diann @ The Thrifty [...]

# 25 October 2009 at 10:08 pm

Carrie Keiser said:

It is a great tutu! You did a fantastic job. I’m glad that she finally enjoyed your hard work and placed a smile on your face!
Carrie Keiser´s last blog ..Foto Story Friday # 72—- Construction Equipment Dance

# 27 October 2009 at 12:05 am

mimitutu said:

This is a cute post. My 2 year old went through the same thing. I found a cheap tutu in the store several months ago for about 5 bucks and got it for her thinking that she'd like it since she's in her “dancing dress” stage. She didn't really go for it then but just last couple days decided now she's gotta wear this blue tutu thing all the time (even in bed). She's about 3 months to 3. I heard it's a stage girls go through. I remember I really wanted a tutu too. But my parents were too cheap to get me one and the internet wasn't invented back then – and my mother was not a tutu chick.

Thanks for posting!

# 8 June 2010 at 12:07 am

Designsbyxclusive said:

The tutu looks great and she looks so happy in it! I made one for my little girl's 3rd birthday and she loved it so much that she slept in it that night. I love this stage for girls. You can see the tutu I made for my little princess on my homepage.

# 22 June 2010 at 1:40 pm

Grace's Homemade Tutu | Feels Like Home said:

[...] was afraid of it at first. She wore it a time or two, and then we buried it in her toy box and forgot about [...]

# 25 July 2010 at 8:07 pm