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I just got my daughter a shirt that read "I'm a mermaid at heart" -and it true -all she ever has wanted to be is a mermaid. And she insists she will grow up to be one. I'm not sure we can promise that -but I can indulge her imagination and creative spirit and create a mermaid's greatest accessory -her tail!
The tail is composed of circles -or scales attached to the base. It comes together very quickly once all the circles are cut! Our tail and measurements are based on a tall 7 year old -you can adjust the measurements to the height of your little mermaid.
First you will need to make the base of the tail. Take the 1 1/2 yards of the base fabric and lightly freehand a pattern similar to the one you see above. The waist is about 27" wide and the length is 40" long. You will notice that the tail is asymmetrical -I wanted it to wrap around the waist and tie at the side to give the illusion of a more full bodied tail. If you are using felt -you are done -just cut out the shape! For cotton -we cut out two pieces, sewed both sides together and flipped inside out to hide the raw edges. Iron flat.
After you have the base of the tail you will need to sew ribbons on for ties. You can do this with a sewing machine or by hand. We suggest sewing as opposed to glue to make it a strong hold.
Now for all those circles! We have several different options to cut out these circles -from using a scissors and and tracing a circle pattern (use the base of a glass), purchasing precut circles from Benzie (get the discounted 12 pack!) or using a die cut method. Any way is a great way to get your child involved in making their very own costume!
After you have cut out your circles attach them to your tail base. You can sew these on -but I love having easy projects that I can do around the rest of the family -so we used fabric glue. Start on the bottom of the tail and attach circles by placing a bit of glue (it doesn't take much) along the top 1/4" of the circle. Go row by row, attaching circles about half way up from the previous row. As you can see with the above photo we spaced somewhat randomly as we accommodated the widening tail.
Tie the ribbon to the mermaids side -a costume perfect for the little fish in your life!
