How to Make a Mermaid Costume

Mermaids have fascinated humans for centuries, and today this is a popular Halloween costume. With this simple way to make a mermaid costume, adults and children alike can look like beautiful sirens of the sea. This costume is designed to be placed on the person wearing it immediately before use.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Shimmery material
• Bra or swimsuit top
• Scissors
• Needle
• Matching thread
• Hot glue and glue sticks
• Painted seashells
• Silk flowers
• Sea-themed accessories
• Sea-toned eye shadow and glitter
• Sandals

1. Find a "top" for the mermaid costume. This can be a bathing suit top, or for adult women, a colorful bra. Decorate by hot-gluing seashells painted "sea" colors, or silk flowers, on the material.

2. Take a length of shimmery material in blue, green, or blue-green. Starting just above the knees, wrap the material around the legs as tightly as possible, covering the lower thighs and slowly moving upward, overlapping for a secure hold. Covering their hips and up to waist. At the waist, twist the end of the material and tuck it into the back of the garment.

3. With needle and thread, take another length of shimmery material in the same or similar color, and gather at the top using a basting stitch. Sew to the bottom of the material above the knees, using a basting stitch. The hem of the tail should reach to the instep of their feet.

4. If long fantasy hair is desired for the mermaid costume, take more shimmery fabric and hot glue one end of the rectangular length to a seashell-covered headband, gathering as needed. Cut the material hanging down in one-inch strips up to the headband.

5. Add accessories, such as a Hawaiian lei, seashell motif necklace, matching earrings and bracelets. Go barefoot if inside. If treat-or-treating, wear sandals decorated with seashells or flowers.

Tips & Warnings

• Use sea-tone eye shadow and sea-tone glitter on face, shoulders and arms.

• Coordinate the color of top with material used for bottom. Other possible accessories could include a golden comb (in legends mermaids used them to comb their hair), and a "pet" stuffed octopus or starfish.

• In lieu of the fantasy hair, the person's own hair can be highlighted with blue or green spray-on hair coloring popular at Halloween.

• Take short steps to avoid spills and splits.

Resources

• To find seashell decoration and other sea-related items visit isellseashells.
• Ideas for cool movie characters on Mania.com