How to Make a Little Mermaid Costume

Playing dress up is a great way to have fun on a rainy day or even when the sun shines. Put on a costume and you can instantly be a pirate or president, a captain of a ship, a firefighter, a princess, or a cat complete with long tail and whiskers. You can even be a cartoon character. The Little Mermaid is one of Disney's most beloved creations. You can create your own Little Mermaid costume at home with a few simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• Plain white headband
• Five plastic shells
• Shirt
• Purple sequined fabric
• Lavender tulle
• Purple ribbon
• Light green fabric
• Green sequined fabric
• Light green tulle
• Netting
• Green silk ribbons

Instructions

1. Purchase a plain white headband. Use a hot glue gun to glue five large plastic shells to the front of the headband. Shades of green are ideal for this purpose.

2. Purchase a shirt. The shirt should be in a shade of lavender or purple. Purchase a length of purple sequined fabric. Sew the sequined fabric to the front of the top so that the top half of the shirt is covered with the material. Allow at least 3 inches extra so that the fabric hangs away from the shirt.

3. Wrap a small length of lavender tulle around the middle of the sequined part of the shirt. The sequins should form two halves that give the front illusion of a bra. Attach a small length of purple ribbon over the length of the tulle. Sew or pin in place with a safety pin.

4. Sew a length of light green fabric to the bottom of the shirt. The fabric should reach from the middle of the torso to at least the mid-calf. Sew a sequined length of fabric to the torso. A shade of green is an ideal color for this purpose. Sew a length of light green tulle to the area where the fabrics meet. The green tulle will help give the illusion of sea spray.

5. Sew netting to the bottom of the green skirt. Sew a length of green tulle over the netting. The tulle and the netting should flare out from the skirt at least 2 inches. If desired add more tulle and green silk ribbons to the back of the skirt.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy a red wig or dye your hair red. Temporary hair dyes that last for less than a week are available over the counter and wash out easily.