Gifts for other holidays
What can you make a mermaid tail from? How to make a mermaid tail at home for a carnival costume, for dolls or for swimming How to make a mermaid tail at home for swimming

What can you make a mermaid tail from? How to make a mermaid tail at home for a carnival costume, for dolls or for swimming How to make a mermaid tail at home for swimming

A costume party, a child's wish, a holiday - these are just a few reasons to sew a mermaid tail with your own hands. Nowadays there is a wide variety of carnival outfits in stores, but not everywhere you will find a mermaid costume.

The solution is simple - learn how to make a mermaid tail with your own hands. With the help of this venture, it will be possible to create not only an attractive outfit, but also a real bathing suit for a child, working on the principle of fins.

Not only the pattern is important, but also the competent selection of materials, decoration and creativity. You will have to carefully consider the design and decorative elements. But using imagination, a unique carnival or swimming costume will be created. In this way, you can sew several outfits for the doll. My daughter will be very happy and grateful for the replenishment of the outfits of her own doll.

When the mermaid tail comes in handy

At most two ideas come to mind - for a carnival or for swimming in the water. But there are a couple of other moments when such a product will come in handy:

Clothes for the daughter's doll - if you find a suitable pattern, iridescent materials, then the daughter will be happy to receive an addition to the doll, because outfits are never superfluous.
Carnival or masquerade - a long skirt, tapered, following the curves and widened at the bottom. It resembles a tail by its own appearance, you can even add a small train.
Bathing outfit - it will take a special fabric, a lot of time and from a financial point of view this is not the cheapest option However, children are delighted with such a costume - they get beautiful photos, it is convenient to swim in it, and the memories will remain for a lifetime.
Photo session - it is not necessary to select waterproof textiles, the main thing is that the product looks like a real tail, with scales and shiny skin.

It seems that creating such a craft is very difficult, but by adhering to technology and patterns, the task becomes doable. You don't have to add darts and other cutting elements, the silhouette is quite simple and it only takes time, imagination and accuracy.

If the product is intended for a child, then dive into sewing together - this activity develops the creative side of children and directs energy in the right direction.

We prepare materials

The most difficult piece is a swimsuit in the shape of a mermaid ponytail. You will need to stock up on a fairly large amount of materials, namely:

Elastic textiles - about two meters of fabric will allow you to sew the bottom of a swimsuit, which does not hinder movement and does not bring discomfort. Nylon or lycra fabric is ideal.
Synthetic threads are durable, waterproof. You will have to sew with a zigzag seam so that the seam does not burst when the fabric is pulled.
Flexible material for the production of monofin - you can reduce the consumption of energy and time by buying a ready-made monofin in a store with accessories for swimming.
Cutting paper or cardboard - about two meters.
A needle, sharp scissors, a centimeter, a ruler, a chalk (pencil, soap with a sharp edge for transferring patterns), glue (only waterproof), linen or regular elastic (so that the bottom holds and does not fall off).
Decor - sequins, beads, beads, paint (acrylic for textiles), varnish, glitter, etc.

A stretch, waterproof fabric with a beautiful shimmer and the use of sparkles or pearlescent transitions is ideal as a canvas. The scales are drawn with paint and decorated with beads, sequins or sparkles.

Embroidered scales look perfect - quite realistic, but it is difficult to create such a seam for embroidery so that the pattern does not burst when pulled. This option is more suitable for a mermaid-style skirt when the canvas does not stretch, or for a photo shoot.

How to create a pattern?

In order for a thing to fit for the one who will wear it, you need to know the parameters. It is enough to measure the circumference of the waist, hips and the length of the intended tail.

But the easiest method is to gently sit the model on the cutting parchment and trace around it with a pencil. Circle from waist to feet. After you trace the outline, add a maximum of one and a half centimeters for the seams.

Do not forget to finish drawing the tail, it is easier to draw it if you have already purchased a monofin or made it yourself. Then just attach it to the parchment and outline the outline, later adding a seam allowance.

Sewing stage

First, prepare an elastic band, it should not only hold the product on the child's hips, but also help the ponytail to fit, creating the most realistic look of the ponytail.

Measure your hips, knees and calves together. In these places, you will have to sew an elastic band from the inside out.
Measure out the three pieces of elastic you need and cut them off.

The main stage:

Cut the patterns.
Spread the canvas on a flat surface, attach a pattern, pin it with pins, circle the outline.
Cut the textiles with scissors, you need two parts - front and back.
Sew on the wrong side of the elastic in three places - on the hips, calves and knees. Pull the elastic loosely as you sew.
Now from the wrong side, glue a monofin to the back of the fin.
Sew the two halves together from the inside out, first just sew by hand, then remove this seam.
Gently turn inside out, try on. If everything fits, then get down to work with the sewing machine.
Machine the zigzag seam with the largest possible stitches. Start sewing the fabric together.
Turn right out, try on.
The product is ready.

How to create a monofin

It is less expensive to build it yourself, you will need Czech shoes in size, waterproof glue, flexible plastic. Buy the latter at a hardware store. The principle of creation is simple, as when creating a pattern:

Draw a tail on paper.
Transfer the design to flexible plastic, cut with a construction knife.
Blunt the edges with a nail file or sandpaper.
Glue the gym shoes to the fin.

And the monofin is ready. The main thing is to pick up such gym shoes that will not fall off the child, making it difficult to swim at sea or in the lake.

Decorating

If the fabric was purchased with beautiful tonal transitions, with a slight sheen or even with a pattern in the form of scales, then the decor will not be needed. The craft will shine beautifully in the sun and serve as a decoration.

If you purchased regular fabric, you can try to gently glue the glitter. If you can find waterproof glue, then apply patterns in the selected order. Another great option is waterproof paint. Apply the lines in the form of scales, decorate some of the scales with beads or sequins.

Flat sequins are ideal, but they will have to be sewn on - it will take a really long time. Beads have the same disadvantage, and if you use it too tightly, the suit will become heavier.

To create the complete outfit, sew the top (top) of the swimsuit and optional swimming trunks. Or buy a swimsuit that is as similar in color as possible. It is allowed to combine different colors that match the theme, for example, blue + green + purple, or red + gold + yellow + orange, etc.

If you use your imagination, look at different options on the Internet, choose the right decor, you will get the perfect gift for your daughter.

Many girls like to dress up as princesses. But what if your beloved princess does not wear fluffy ball gowns, combs her hair with a fork and lives at the bottom of the ocean? Yes, we are talking about the beautiful little mermaid Ariel. And this master class is about how to make a mermaid tail at home.

A mermaid costume is suitable for a costume party, for a photo shoot, you can also make such a costume for swimming, but here you have to spend a little more energy. And of course a mermaid tail can also be made for your favorite Barbie doll!

Making a mermaid tail is very simple, you just need to stock up on time and patience. First you need to decide which tail you want to end up with. It could be a mermaid-style skirt:

Or a tail with a monofin (special fins, for the movement of which you need to work with both legs at the same time). You can buy a monofin at a sports store and sew it into a future tail, or you can make it yourself. In our master class, we will consider making a mermaid tail with a ready-made monofin with our own hands.

Or it will be a tail without a monofin:

When you have decided on the choice of the tail, it's time to collect the necessary materials.

Necessary materials

Sewing machine;
Stretch fabric that stretches well. This is very important, because the tail, although it should fit the silhouette, should not constrain movement very much. If you plan to use the tail for swimming, you can choose a special fabric (nylon, polyamide or lycra);
If we talk about color, then it all depends on imagination. However, as a rule, mermaid tails are bright and iridescent. By the amount of fabric, it is better to take more, about two meters;
Synthetic threads of the same color as the fabric, or at least very close in tone;
Flexible lightweight plastic and slates (or shoes) or a ready-made monofin (in case the choice of the type of tail fell on the tail with such). This type of tail is suitable for swimming, since it is quite inconvenient to be in it for a long time on land or to be photographed;
Linen elastic to keep the tail at the waist;
Paper for patterns;
Pencil and scissors;
Strong adhesive, water resistant.

Getting started

First of all, you need to make a pattern. To do this, you can simply sit on the pattern paper (you can use tracing paper) and trace the silhouette from the waist to the feet, and then draw a fin to it according to the size of the monofin (just trace the monofin).

Then fold the fabric in half with the right side down and carefully trace the pattern.

Recall that all work is done from the wrong side.

Do not sew the bottom of the ponytail before inserting the monofin. By the way, it is best to first glue it with waterproof glue to the back of the fin, and only then sew the lower parts. It is also necessary to sew an elastic band at the waist so that the tail does not slip when swimming or walking. After that, we turn the product onto the front side.

If necessary, you can decorate the tail with sequins, beads or rhinestones. And now our do-it-yourself mermaid swim tail is ready. Together with it, you can make a top from the same fabric or decorate a ready-made bodice from a swimsuit in the same style as the tail.

Paper ponytail

If you don't feel like fiddling with fabric, you can make a paper mermaid tail at home. To make it you will need:

Strong thick paper;
Glue;
Pencil;
Scissors.

First, you need to take measurements, or simply circle the silhouette of your body from waist to feet on thick paper, finish drawing the fin. We cut the blank twice - for the front and back sides, and prepare paper for the side parts. As you can see, we need a lot of paper.

It is best to glue the tail so that the model is as comfortable in it as possible, because the paper is not elastic and it will be quite problematic to move in such a tail.

After gluing the paper mermaid tail, it needs to be allowed to dry. After complete drying, the tail can be decorated in any way: paint it with mother-of-pearl paint, stick it with sequins or rhinestones, and so on, everything will depend only on imagination! And when all the preparations are complete, the tail will be glued and decorated, you can carefully put it on and carry out a photo session. Let us remind you once again that paper is a completely non-elastic material, especially thick paper that has been glued and dyed, so be careful and careful!

A mermaid tail for a Barbie doll is done in the same way as a tail for a living model: you need to attach the doll to the pattern paper and trace its silhouette from the waist to the feet, as shown in the photo, and you also need to draw a fin.

Then the pattern is transferred to the fabric, cut in two parts (front and back) with seam allowances and stitched together.

If there is a children's holiday ahead, and your daughter wants to be a mermaid at the holiday, sew her such a costume. The upper part of the suit usually does not cause much difficulty, but its main part is the tail, very often. So be patient, check out some of the secrets of the mermaid tail to ease the creative process ahead, and get creative.

How to sew a mermaid tail?

To create a mermaid tail, prepare a green or blue knit fabric. If you can't find a fabric called "knitted stocking", take a piece of plain jersey. Sew it along the long edge in a narrow tube skirt with an elastic seam. In addition, prepare acrylic paint and a piece of 50 cm long corset bone.

From the sewn fabric, measure the required length for the future tail and, adding 10 cm, cut it off. Overlock the top and bottom of the fabric. Fold the top cut, about 7 cm long, outward to create a small “roll”. This will be the beginning of the tail.
Then try on the tail. Use the darts at the waist to remove any excess, and then insert an elastic band into the top of the lapel or sew a zipper.
Make a fin at the bottom of the mermaid's tail. To do this, cut 2 parts from the remaining knitted fabric, leaving room for a fold. Overlock the edges of each piece.
Now sew the fin to the skirt. Attach the fin pieces to the bottom edge of the skirt, one to the back and one to the front. Sew the details to the skirt along the upper cut. Sew the fin details from the sides, leaving the bottom cut open.
Insert parts of the corset bone into the sides of the fin and sew them gently so that the mermaid's tail keeps its shape.
At the end, paint stripes with acrylic paint on the fin, and patterns or scales on the tail.

How to make a mermaid costume: instructions

First, prepare the knitted fabric, dye on fabric, white fabric, leggings, underwire, green or blue fabric, and beads.
Any dress or shiny white fabric will work for the top of the suit. Stitch the neckline with beads to hold the piping and decorate the neckline. Then measure the hosiery for the mermaid tail. From the upper cut at a distance of 10 cm, mark the alignment line with soap. Connect the skirt to the top, while aligning the bottom of the top with the marked line.
Using a sewing machine for stitching, lay one line above the marked line 1 cm, the second on the line itself. A free edge should remain on top, wrap it over the skirt, tucking an open cut inward. The cuff at the waist will be the beginning of the mermaid tail.
To cut out the fin, cut the rest of the stocking lengthwise and fold 2 pieces from each half. Neaten the bottom edge of the skirt and the cuts on the two fin details. Attach the fins to the bottom edge of the skirt, one piece should be in front and the other at the back. The bottom edge of the skirt should not protrude from under the resulting fin.

Baste the fins to the skirt, connect the protruding corners to each other, and combine the rest. Sew the fin to the skirt. Sew the corners of the fin, thus: along the lower and upper edges to the corner, lay a line 7.5 cm long. Between the resulting allowances at a distance of 1 cm from the edge, put pieces of the corset bone, and sew the allowances with an edge-winding seam. This will keep the fin corners in shape. Draw stripes on the fin.
If there is no time to make such a mermaid tail, you can use the materials at hand. For the upper part of the mermaid costume, you can use a thick white T-shirt, and decorate its collar with beads. For a mermaid tail, use blue or green leggings. Cut them off by 20 cm and sew the shuttlecocks to each leg. They will become tail fins. Make shuttlecocks from cloths of fabric 30 cm long and 1 m wide, preferably blue, green or blue. The mermaid tail is ready.

Mermaid Costume: Secrets

To make a mermaid costume choose the right fabric... It should be affordable and easy to handle. It is better to buy fabric in two colors that blend harmoniously with each other. The first should be flowing, light and not transparent, and as the second, you can use fine-mesh tulle, nylon or organza. As decorations, you can take fishing line, rhinestones, beads, sequins, bugles or fishing line.

Cut the fabric into a rectangle. Gather the fabric where the bodice will be. Sew the rectangle to the middle, leaving the top for the zipper. Tuck the top edge of the dress and insert a soft elastic band there to make the garment look elegant and hold on to the chest. Cut out the sleeves in a rectangle, finish the edges and decorate.
Then cut out the straps, the width of which should be 5 cm. The length is selected individually. Sew the straps to the dress. Sew the bottom of the dress with a zigzag.
Make a tail for the mermaid dress. Decorate it with beads and sparkles. Make a coral-shaped crown on your head.

How to make a mermaid tail: the easy way

Sew the mermaid tail in such a way that the child can walk freely and his legs do not get tangled. Sew the original skirt. The skirt should be straight, and a wedge should be inserted into the back seam, which will allow it to move freely. Put on a skirt and attach a tail to the created wedge. Make a mermaid tail out of thin foam rubber. Then sew a cloth over it.

In this case, the tail of the suit should not touch the floor. For a suit, it is better to use a swamp, green or blue-green fabric, and make a beautiful openwork mesh on the tail itself. You can also use beads for decoration, which will create an imitation of scales.

To give your child a wonderful holiday or to take part in the carnival, a mermaid costume is what you need. The hardest part about this costume is the tail. In any case, it should not interfere with walking, the step should be light and comfortable. Therefore, do not try to narrow the skirt too much by sewing the fins to it.

If you have a need to create a mermaid carnival costume or your child wants to dress up his favorite doll in such a costume, then you should familiarize yourself with the information posted in this article. Since it is in it that you will find information and learn how you can make a mermaid costume, and most importantly, you will figure out how to make a mermaid tail at home.

Video lessons

This article will offer a selection of videos that you will definitely enjoy.

How to make a mermaid tail for Barbie

In order to sew a mermaid costume for a Barbie doll, you will need a small piece of fabric, a needle and thread in the color of the fabric, an elastic band, Velcro and decorative elements.

The first step is to measure the hip circumference and the length of the doll's leg and cut out a detail from a piece of fabric, according to the measurements, but not forgetting to leave a little fabric for future seams and hem in the waist area. All seams must be processed from the wrong side. In the waist area, the fabric must be hemmed and an elastic band inserted. Then two identical parts should be cut: the front and back in the form of a fin, then the two blanks must be sewn together. After that, the blank of the main part of the tail and the blank of the fin must be connected. The finished product can be decorated with beads, beads or sequins.

How to make a mermaid tail for a carnival costume

In order to make a mermaid tail for a carnival costume, you will need elastic fabric, preferably in turquoise, greenish shades, threads that match the tone of the fabric, an elastic band, scissors, flexible plastic, a sheet of paper and a pencil.

First of all, you need to make paper patterns. To do this, you must first take measurements of the girth of the hips and the length of the legs, then, according to the measurements, it is necessary to draw the contours of the details of the main part of the tail. Then the pattern of the part must be cut out, then two identical parts must be cut out of the fabric along it, taking into account the allowances for processing the seams. Further, from the seamy side, the parts must be sewn along the edges. In order for the part to fit snugly around the figure, you can sew rubber rings along the entire length at regular intervals.

In order to make the tail itself, the contours of the tail should be marked on a sheet of plastic, then cut out with a knife. To prevent the edges of the plastic from cutting through the fabric, it is best to wrap the edges of the part with tape. Then it is necessary to glue the gym shoes to the top of the tail so that the child can move. Then two identical parts must be cut out of the fabric: the front and the back, similar to the one that came out of plastic. First you need to sew the fabric parts from the wrong side, then connect them and turn them out. Next, insert a plastic part into the fabric part of the tail and process all the seams. In order for the suit to hold, you can either sew in an elastic band at the waist or sew in a zipper. Also, the finished costume can be decorated with lace, beads, or the tail can be decorated with tinsel and sequins to make scales.

You can swim in such a suit as the fabric is easy to wash and the plastic tail is strong enough.

All stages of work are shown in the photo.

How to sew a mermaid tail?

To create a mermaid tail, prepare a green or blue knit fabric. If you can't find a fabric called "knitted stocking", take a piece of plain jersey. Sew it along the long edge in a narrow tube skirt with an elastic seam. In addition, prepare acrylic paint and a piece of 50 cm long corset bone.

From the sewn fabric, measure the required length for the future tail and, adding 10 cm, cut it off. Overlock the top and bottom of the fabric. Fold the top cut, about 7 cm long, outward to create a small “roll”. This will be the beginning of the tail.
Then try on the tail. Use the darts at the waist to remove any excess, and then insert an elastic band into the top of the lapel or sew a zipper.
Make a fin at the bottom of the mermaid's tail. To do this, cut 2 parts from the remaining knitted fabric, leaving room for a fold. Overlock the edges of each piece.
Now sew the fin to the skirt. Attach the fin pieces to the bottom edge of the skirt, one to the back and one to the front. Sew the details to the skirt along the upper cut. Sew the fin details from the sides, leaving the bottom cut open.
Insert parts of the corset bone into the sides of the fin and sew them gently so that the mermaid's tail keeps its shape.
At the end, paint stripes with acrylic paint on the fin, and patterns or scales on the tail.

First, prepare the knitted fabric, dye on fabric, white fabric, leggings, underwire, green or blue fabric, and beads.
Any dress or shiny white fabric will work for the top of the suit. Stitch the neckline with beads to hold the piping and decorate the neckline. Then measure the hosiery for the mermaid tail. From the top cut at a distance of 10 cm, mark the alignment line with soap. Connect the skirt to the top, while aligning the bottom of the top with the marked line.
Using a sewing machine for stitching, lay one line above the marked line 1 cm, the second on the line itself. A free edge should remain on top, wrap it over the skirt, tucking an open cut inward. The cuff at the waist will be the beginning of the mermaid tail.
To cut out the fin, cut the rest of the stocking lengthwise and fold 2 pieces from each half. Neaten the bottom edge of the skirt and the cuts on the two fin details. Attach the fins to the bottom edge of the skirt, one piece should be in front and the other at the back. The bottom edge of the skirt should not protrude from under the resulting fin.

Baste the fins to the skirt, connect the protruding corners to each other, and combine the rest. Sew the fin to the skirt. Sew the corners of the fin, thus: along the lower and upper edges to the corner, lay a line 7.5 cm long. Between the resulting allowances at a distance of 1 cm from the edge, put pieces of the corset bone, and sew the allowances with an edge-winding seam. This will keep the fin corners in shape. Draw stripes on the fin.
If there is no time to make such a mermaid tail, you can use the materials at hand. For the upper part of the mermaid costume, you can use a thick white T-shirt, and decorate its collar with beads. To make a mermaid tail, use blue or green leggings. Cut them off by 20 cm and sew the shuttlecocks to each leg. They will become tail fins. Make shuttlecocks from cloths of fabric 30 cm long and 1 m wide, preferably blue, green or blue. The mermaid tail is ready.

To make a mermaid costume choose the right fabric... It should be affordable and easy to process. It is better to buy fabric in two colors that blend harmoniously with each other. The first should be flowing, light and not transparent, and as the second, you can use fine-mesh tulle, nylon or organza. As decorations, you can take fishing line, rhinestones, beads, sequins, bugles or fishing line.

Cut the fabric into a rectangle. Gather the fabric where the bodice will be. Sew the rectangle to the middle, leaving the top for the zipper. Tuck the top edge of the dress and insert a soft elastic band there to make the garment look elegant and hold on to the chest. Cut out the sleeves in a rectangle, finish the edges and decorate.
Then cut out the straps, the width of which should be 5 cm. The length is selected individually. Sew the straps to the dress. Sew the bottom of the dress with a zigzag.
Make a tail for the mermaid dress. Decorate it with beads and sequins. Make a coral-shaped crown on your head.

Sew the mermaid's tail in such a way that the child can walk freely, and his legs do not get tangled. Sew the original skirt. The skirt should be straight, and a wedge should be inserted into the back seam, which will allow it to move freely. Put on a skirt and attach a tail to the created wedge. Make the mermaid tail out of thin foam rubber. Then sew a cloth over it.