How to Sew Tulle (Tips, Stitches & Best Way to Gather Tulle)

Learning how to sew tulle and gather tulle can feel tricky at first, especially because of its lightweight, slippery texture and multiple layers. However, with the right techniques, you can easily sew tulle for tutus, dresses, veils, and decorative projects. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to sew tulle without frustration, plus the best method for gathering tulle quickly and evenly.

How to Sew Tulle Tutorial

What is Tulle? Tulle is a light netting fabric used to make tutu skirts, dance costumes, wedding dresses, and veils and makes great hair accessories and hairpieces. Another common use is in bridal decorations and home decor.

If you look closely at the mesh, you will see small hexagonal shapes which give the fabric a soft, airy, and floaty appearance. On the bolt, the tulle is often folded in half due to its wider widths. This makes cutting much easier. However, you will need the right needles, stitches, and techniques to sew tulle. If you’re new to this, start with this guide on how to gather fabric.

Here’s a summary table for sewing tulle, with all relevant information:

Sewing	Recommendation
Needle Type	Microtex/Sharp 70/10 or Universal 65/9
Thread Type	Lightweight Polyester Thread or Nylon Monofilament
Best Stitch Type	Straight Stitch or Narrow Zigzag Stitch
Stitch Length	2.5 – 3.5 (for straight stitch)
Stitch Width	0 (for straight stitch) or 1.0 – 2.0 (for zigzag)
Tension Setting	Lower tension (3-4)
Presser Foot	Standard presser foot or walking foot
Seam Finishing	French seam or narrow rolled hem
Handling Tips	Use tissue paper or tear-away stabilizer to prevent slipping
Pinning	Use fine pins or clips

This table includes all essential factors for sewing tulle, from selecting the needle and thread to special handling tips. Let me know if you’d like to expand on any details!

How to Sew Tulle (Step-by-Step Guide)

Most likely, when you are sewing tulle, you will be working through several layers at once, which makes it a little more challenging. Tulle seams are a little harder to sew than those in woven fabrics due to the mesh fibers and slight stretch factor, but with a few adjustments, you will be able to get great results. 

Best Settings for Sewing Tulle:

Setting	Recommendation
Needle	Microtex 70/10 or Universal 65/9
Thread	Lightweight polyester or nylon
Stitch type	Straight or narrow zig-zag
Stitch length	2.5–3.5
Tension	Low (3–4)
Presser foot	Standard or walking foot
Tip	Use stabilizer or tissue paper

1. Use Safety Pins to Hold Seams

When sewing tulle, pins will fall out easily, so instead, secure seams temporarily with safety pins. Substituting safety pins is very useful when you are working with or needing to cut numerous layers at once, as it will hold everything in place. Use the smaller-sized safety pins so they won’t leave any marks on your tulle.

2. Replace your Presser Foot

If you are finding your tulle is not feeding under your presser foot or catching in the dog feed below, try switching to a Teflon sewing foot. Another alternative is placing a piece of clear tape under your all-purpose sewing foot. This will enable the tulle to slide underneath the foot more easily.

3. Sew Tulle Seams with Zig-Zag

Sewing tulle seams with a straight stitch will often result in skipped and broken stitches that won’t last through numerous wears and washes. This can be solved by stitching side seams with a very narrow zig-zag stitch.

Test a scrap using a width of 1.0-2.0 and a length of 3.0. Give the tulle seam a gentle pull and see if the stitches pop. If you are still having a problem, try widening the zig-zag slightly. After sewing the seam, go back and neatly trim the seam allowance to 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch (3-6mmm).

Because of the sheer nature of the tulle, you will be able to see the seam through the fabric on the right side. If you don’t like how a regular side seam looks, then consider sewing a French seam where the seam edges will be hidden. This is a good method to use on children’s tutu where a scratchy seam may irritate their skin.

4. Let the Tulle Relax (Don’t Iron)

Tulle, of course, is completely synthetic and will melt if you put the iron directly on top of it. If you need to get wrinkles out before sewing, use a clothing steamer or your regular iron with a thick pressing cloth on top.

Leaving the tulle to hang while you have a long, hot shower will help, too, as the steam gets to work on stubborn creases. What a good excuse to relax!

For very delicate or expensive sewing tulle, you may even consider dry cleaning to get out any wrinkles. Embroidered and beaded tulle can get very expensive, so you will want to protect your investment.

5. Finishing Tulle Hems

There is no need to hem tulle as it does not fray. This means it is important that you cut the hems neatly without any jagged edges. Use a sharp pair of fabric shears to get a nice clean edge. A rotary cutter, quilting ruler, and cutting mat can be used to get perfectly squared edges. You will need a new, sharp blade to cut through several layers. Don’t make it too thick. Read more about the best cutting tools in sewing for more tips.

💡Design Idea: If you need a little weight for your hems, consider stitching some ribbon along the edge. You will often see this technique in ballet costumes. You can use matching ribbons or a contrast ribbon for a pop of color.

How to Gather Tulle (Step by Step)

Gathering tulle is much harder than gathering woven fabric. Normally, you would stitch two rows using a long basting stitch and pull the bobbin threads to gather. Using this traditional method on tulle generally results in broken threads and major frustration. Instead, use the gathering with cord method to save time and get much better results.

💡Best Way to Gather Tulle: The best way to gather tulle is to zig-zag stitch over a cord or dental floss and then pull the cord to create gathers. This method is stronger and prevents thread breakage compared to traditional gathering.

1. Cut the Cord to Size

Before you start learning how to gather tulle, rummage through your bathroom cupboard to find your dental floss. Dental floss generally works better than string as it is slippery, so it pulls through the zig-zag stitches very easily.

I like to keep some green dental floss in my sewing supplies, and this color contrasts with most fabrics. You will only have a choice of green or white, so choose a color that will show up on your fabric. If you don’t have any floss, you could also use crochet thread or other thin but strong thread.

Cut your dental floss at least 4 inches (10cm) longer than the width of the item to be gathered.

2. Zig-Zag Over the Cord

Put your machine on a very wide zig-zag stitch. I set my width to 6.0 and my length to 3.0. Leave a tail of 2 inches (5cm) and then start to zig-zag over the floss.

Be careful not to catch the floss in your zig-zag. This is really important as you want to be able to pull the cord through later. Also, be careful that you don’t pull the end of the floss too hard so that it pulls through. I like to stop after I have sewn a few inches and twist the end around a safety pin so there is no danger of it pulling through. Sew the tulle all the way to the end, once again leaving a few inches hanging off to finish.

3. Pull the Cords

To gather, gently pull the floss through the zig-zag stitches, and you will easily gather your tulle. If you have used dental floss, you will be amazed at how quick and easy this part is. Secure the ends together by tying a knot. You now have easily gathered your tulle! That much easier than regular methods, wasn’t it?

I assume you will next be sewing the gathered tulle into some kind of waistband. If the dental floss is going to cause a problem with bulk, you can remove it later (after the waistband is attached) by cutting the knot and pulling it back through.

How to Gather Tulle with a Ruffler

A ruffler can be used to gather tulle. If you haven’t seen a ruffler before, it is a strange-looking presser foot that gathers and pleats automatically. And yes, it is quite large! I have a full tutorial on how to use a ruffler foot.

When using a ruffler, you don’t have the same control over the amount of gathering produced. It has settings you can adjust for the amount of gathering produced, but it is still a little hit-and-miss, and you need to estimate the amount of gathering.

Cut your tulle widths wider than you need, and then cut down to size after the ruffler has worked its magic. A ruffler is a good option when you are gathering tulle that is in long strips, such as that used in bridal reception decor rather than for skirts. It also works better on slightly thicker and stiffer tulle or netting than on fine versions.

Sewing Tulle vs Netting

Tulle is softer than netting and is more often used in clothing whereas netting is used for crafting purposes. You can use the same tips and tricks I give you in this article for both fabrics.

Projects Using Tulle

Now you know how to gather tulle and how to sew tulle, try it out on my free tutu skirt sewing pattern. This skirt is ideal for your little princess and comes in girls’ sizes 2 to 10.

How to Sew Tulle FAQs

Sewing and Gathering Tulle – In Conclusion

Sewing tulle may seem challenging at first, but with the right techniques, it becomes much easier to handle. Using the correct needle, stitch type, and handling methods will help you achieve smooth seams and professional results. For gathering, the cord method is the most reliable way to create even, strong gathers without thread breakage. Once you master these techniques, you’ll be able to confidently sew tutus, dresses, and decorative projects with beautiful results.

After you have finished sewing tulle and making something amazing, why not add some bling! Here are some tutorials from my blog:

• How to sew sequins
• Sewing sequin trim by machine
• How to attach rhinestones – Often, gluing is easier than sewing for tulle, and this article will tell you the best glues and methods.