Easy Step-By-Step Instructions for Making a Mermaid Tail for Kids

Make a mermaid's tail for your child in just three steps.

Store bought costumes can be pricey and impersonal. Allowing your child to pick out the material for his or her mermaid tail makes it a personalized treat. Custom make this costume -- specifically for swimming -- to fit the individual child. Be sure appropriate material is used; spandex works well, as it stretches and does not get heavy when submerged in water.

Things You'll Need

• Pattern Paper or Brown Packing Paper
• Swim fabric
• Elastic
• Monofin
• Pencil
• Sewing Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing Needle
• Thread
• Safety Pin

Instructions

1. Lay out pattern paper on the floor. Have the child lie down on the pattern or brown packaging paper. Draw a pattern around the child measuring from her navel to the tip of her toes. At the bottom of the pattern, draw a fin shape that bows together where the toes end. Allow one inch on each side for seems.

2. Spread fabric on a flat surface and fold so that the front of the fabric faces in. Secure two layers of the fabric to the pattern with sewing pins. Cut out the pattern, leaving 2 inches at the top to allow for the elastic waist band. Remove pins and pattern from the material.

3. Fold material together so that the inside faces out. Secure edges with sewing pins. Sew along the edges, leaving only the waist section unstitched. Fold down the waist section so that it creates a 1-inch pocket for the elastic band to fit through. The pocket seem should be sewn so that the stitching will be on the inside and not visible when the tail is completed. Attach a large safety pin the one end of the elastic and use it to feed the band through the pocket. Sew ends to secure. Insert monofin, through the opening at the waist, then down into the tail portion of the mermaid tail.

References

• Coolest Homemade Costumes: Mermaid Costumes
• Family Fun: Mermaids
• Mermaid Tails: Beautiful Mermaid Tails