This post is in partnership with Joann Stores.
I am so excited to show you my daughter’s Halloween costume this year! Mermaid! Mermaid costumes can be hard because–mermaids don’t have feet! And I personally don’t want to carry around my daughter trick or treating because she can’t walk because of a fin! So I came up with a fun mermaid tail how to!
The mermaid tail is unique–from the back it looks all mermaid. 
It’s actually just a wrap around skirt with some leggings on underneath! When we walks the fins go out! I only wish you could see it in real life! The pictures don’t do it justice!
It’s attached with velcro so she can take it off to use the restroom–and easily put it back on!
The way the skirt is designed makes it so she can move easily and even sit down! 
Alright…Let’s show you the basic how to!
First…the fabric! The most amazing mermaid fabric. It’s purple, its green, it’s blue…all depending on how the light hits it! It’s seriously so pretty! It’s yaya Han collection. at Joann Stores 
The basic skirt shape is a rectangle with rounded edges. I sewed the two pieces together since you can see the inside of the skirt when you walk!
The material is a little silky and a little stretchy…so I recommend using a stretch needle to help sew through it! 
I put to pieces of fabric together and using chalk sketched out a fin shape! 
There are two right sides together and then batting on the underside to make the fin have a stiffer shape! 
Then sew around. Turn right sides out! 
I attach it to the basic skirt shape. 
I added a band across the top–it’s a rounded shape that I sewed (leaving an opening to turn right sides out) 
I added stuffing to give it a little more shape.
and sewed it across the top. It doesn’t reach all the way to end because of the way the velcro overlaps. 
I made this custom to my daughter’s size. Just holding it up to her and measuring where to sew on the velcro. 
It turned out so pretty!
Now let’s talk the leggings underneath!
I actually used some old leggings as a guide. This material has scallops so be careful how you cut things out! 
I sew the leggings front seam and back seam. 
and then just go up one leg around the crotch and down the other leg. I hemmed them and then added some elastic for the waistband. 
The best part about these leggings are you can add a fun shirt and wear them to school!
Okay–the rest of the costume! We live in Idaho…so Halloween is pretty cold! I wanted her to look like a mermaid without freezing so that’s why I created a shirt that is the color of skin!
I added some wood seashell cutouts that are just glued onto the front. (and a little stitch for the belly button) 
Some red lipstick, a purple wig and a starfish completed her look!
For the anytime outfit…I justed cut out heat transfer vinyl and ironed it onto my shirt! 
I even made one for my little niece! How cute would little tiny mermaid tail and a baby onesie be! 
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