How to Make a Teenage Mermaid Costume

Turn your teen into a sea siren when you make a mermaid costume for her next party.

Whether she likes "The Little Mermaid" or prefers the legends of sea sirens, your teenager can dress like a mermaid this Halloween with just a little sewing and a few other items around your home. Your teen will be dressed to impress at her costume party.

Things You'll Need

• Bikini bathing suit
• Craft foam
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• 2 yards of green, stretchy fabric
• Elastic
• Glittery makeup (optional)
• Long, beaded necklaces (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the top of the costume. Use a bikini-style bathing suit for your teen to wear under her costume. Cut two large clamshells out of pastel craft foam. Use a needle and thread or a sewing machine to attach these to the cups on the bikini top.

2. Make the skirt of the costume. Sew a tube the length of your teen's waist to ankles out of stretchy green fabric. Sew the long side closed and add a hem to the bottom. On the top, sew a hem and thread a length of elastic through it, sewing the elastic into a circle after threading it through the hem. Now the waistband will be elastic and the skirt will stretch up over her legs when she wears it.

3. Cut four fin shapes (like large leaves) out of the leftover green fabric. Pin two shapes together with wrong sides facing and sew around the outside edges, 3/4 of the way around. Turn right side out and sew to the bottom of the skirt, sticking out one side like a mermaid's tail fin. Repeat with the other two fin shapes and sew to the opposite side.

4. Paint the teen's face with glittery makeup, particularly around her eyes and cheeks. Adorn her hair with more glitter, leaving it long and curling around her shoulders.

5. Let the teen wear long, beaded necklaces, especially ones with seashell beads or pearls.

References

• Artists Helping Children: How to Make Mermaid Costumes