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How to Make a Doll Tail

All you need is a tail to turn a doll into a mermaid. Create an art doll by adding a tail to a porcelain doll torso and placing her on a large seashell. Finish the doll with long mohair curls and a sparkly bodice. If your child's favorite fashion doll has lost her legs, you can recycle her by making her into a mermaid princess with a lovely ruffled tail.

Things You'll Need

Doll with jointed legs
Chenille stem
Roll cotton
Tape measure
Fabric
Fabric glue
Loosely woven lace
Double sided iron-on interfacing
Liquid fray preventer

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the legs from your doll and run a chenille stem through the leg holes. Curve the stem into a tail shape and cut off any excess stem. Wrap cotton around the hips of the doll and down the stem to fill out the shape of the tail.
- 2
  Cut a piece of fabric that will wrap around the doll's hips and is 1/2 inch longer than the tail. Fold under 1/4 inch on the waist edge of the fabric and wrap it around the tail so that the edges meet in back. Run a line of fabric glue down the back of the tail and press one raw edge of the fabric against it.
- 3
  Wrap the other side of the fabric snugly around the tail and cut off the excess fabric, leaving 1/2 inch of fabric overlap. Turn under 1/4 inch of the raw edge and glue the folded edge in place. If desired, glue loosely woven lace over the tail in the same way to imitate fish scales.
- 4
  Cut two fin shapes from the interfacing. These shapes will go on each side of the bottom of the tail. Cut a piece of fabric to cover each side of both fins. Iron the fabric to the interfacing following the instructions on the interfacing package. Be sure the right side of the fabric is facing out. If desired, glue lace to the fins.
- 5
  Seal the edges of the fins with liquid fray preventer. Glue the fins to each side of the tail. Pinch the center of the fins as you glue them on, to give the fins some shape.

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