Things You'll Need:
- Hinged wooden snake toy
- Fake fur to match costume
- back support belt
- drill
- 3 1&1/2" wood screws
- saw
- sewing machine
- glue or needle & thread
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Step 1
Saw off a section of the end of the wooden snake equal to the distance you want the hard tail to stick out.
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Step 2
Put on the back support belt and decide where you want the hard tail to be. Remove the belt and use the drill to make three pilot holes for your screws through the belt and into cut end of the snake. Tail should be attached so it moves from side to side not up and down.
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Step 3
Run screws through the belt from the inside and into the cut end of the snake. Screw the snake on tightly.
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Step 4
Cut the fabric for the tail. It can be as long as you want and cut and stuffed into any shape. At the body end it should be as wide as the diameter of the snake plus an inch for a seam allowance.
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Step 5
With right sides together sew the tail fabric together with a half inch seam allowance. Turn it right side out and stuff it leaving room for the wooden snake piece. Sewing is better than gluing. Glue hardens and limits the movement of the tail.
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Step 6
Pull the tail onto the wooden snake piece. Sew or glue the edge of the tail fabric to the lifting belt. Wear the tail under your costume. Leave a slit in the back of your costume for your hard tail to go through.
Comments
Mindee94 said
on 12/2/2008 So that is what a hard tail is, makes sense. Pretty cool and would be so realistic. Thanks for the great idea. ~Mindee
IcyCucky said
on 11/28/2008 Great tips!
veryirie said
on 11/28/2008 This is so cool! I wonder if this is how they got the lion's tail to move while making "The Wizard of Oz"? Thanks for instructions to make a hard tail that moves. (Your title was intriguing). :)