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How to Make a Tail for a Ball Jointed Doll

The shape of a ball-jointed doll lends itself to a mermaid costume, even if you don't remove the legs. The ball-joints make the doll wider at the hips than at the waist, so a tail made of stretch fabric will remain in place. The range of motion in the ball hip-joints allows you to push the doll's legs together so that they mimic the shape of a mermaid tail.

Things You'll Need

Pencil
Paper
Ruler
Stretch fabric
Sewing machine
Thread
Stuffing

Instructions

- 1
  Undress the doll and squeeze its legs together. Lay the doll on a sheet of paper and trace around the outside of its legs with a pencil from one side of its waist to the other. Hold the pencil perpendicular to the paper so that you are tracing with the pencil pointed straight down. Remove the doll.
- 2
  Add tailfins to the bottom of the tracing making it the shape of a mermaid tail. Add a 1/2-inch seam allowance all around the shape. This is your pattern.
- 3
  Stretch the fabric to determine what direction has the most stretch. Fold the fabric in half. Pin the pattern to the fabric so that it will stretch the most around the waist. Cut out two tails.
- 4
  Pin the tails with the right sides together and sew around the edges with a 1/2-inch seam allowance, leaving the waist edge open. Clip the curves and the corners and turn the tail right-side-out.
- 5
  Make a 1/2-inch hem at the waist. Stuff the fins with stuffing using a wooden skewer to get the stuffing into the points of the fins. Pull the tail on the doll.

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