Make an Infant's Mermaid Costume
Disney's whimsical "Little Mermaid" movies have created a popular Halloween costume. Infants look especially sweet in a mermaid costume because they look as if they've just been delivered from the sea. A mermaid costume is easy to make, will keep your child comfortable and snuggly warm, and can be detailed or accessorized any way you choose. The pajamas and fin skirt allow her to move her legs comfortably while keeping her mermaid look. If you want to make your daughter queen of the sea, this is the costume for your little mermaid.
Instructions
1. Fit your child in a pale green or blue one-piece sleeper outfit with feet to keep her warm. Set it aside to use as the main part of the costume.
2. Sketch a thin triangle about 5 inches long on paper to look like a small fin. Cut it out to use as a pattern. Trace it twice onto the sparkly fabric, and cut out both triangles. These will be fins for the wrists of the costume.
3. Position each triangular fin on the outside cuff of the pajamas near the wrist. Turn the thin fabric under about 1 inch toward the back. Stitch one fin to each wrist.
4. Using felt, draw two or three seashells shaped like scallops, mussels or other shells. Look at pictures to get ideas for shapes. Keeping your design simple, use a fine-line marker to sketch designs on the shells. Cut out the shells. Sew your felt or applique shells to the front of the pajamas at chest height.
5. Make a skirt from the thin sparkly fabric. Make three or four long thin rectangles ending in a point. Cut them so they reach from the empire waist to just below the knees. Sew them to the pajamas just below the shell line, leaving the bottom ends loose like fins.
6. Sketch a triangle about 7 inches long on paper to form half a mermaid's tail. Make the design wavy along the bottom. Cut it out to use as a pattern. Trace it twice onto the thin sparkly fabric. Cut out both fabric triangles.
7. Sew the two tail pieces to the outside of each pajama foot.
Tags: sparkly fabric, about inches, about inches long, fabric both, inches long