There are mermaids in the tales of many peoples. These are beautiful girls with fish tails, luring gullible fishermen and sailors. They either destroy travelers or help them, but they always fascinate. A mermaid doll can be made from any other doll.
Which doll to choose
The easiest way to make a mermaid from a Barbie. The fact is that this doll's legs are designed in such a way that it is very easy to put them together and fasten them. They will not stick out, even if the tail shell is made of thin jersey. You will need a pretty fabric. Any will do, thickness and quality in this case are not as important as texture and color. The tip of the tail can be made from a light transparent material like tulle. Pieces of padding polyester will fit for stuffing. Sequins, beads, beads, threads with lurex are suitable for decoration. The tail can be glued on or made removable. In the second case, you will need a thin elastic band or elastic thread.
Cut open
Make a template - a long isosceles triangle. Its height should be a couple of centimeters more than the distance from the doll's waist to the feet. The width is determined empirically. Use a thread to measure the waist circumference of your doll, divide this measurement in half and add another 1 cm. Draw a straight line of this length on the cardboard, divide it in half and draw a perpendicular to the mark at a distance equal to the length of the product. Connect the end point to the ends of the first line segment.
Assembly
Cut 2 triangles out of the fabric, making sure to leave seam allowances on all sides. Cut a strip of tulle 5-6 cm wide. Its length depends on how fluffy you want to make the tail. Sew one long side with a basting stitch and pull tight. Fold the triangles with the wrong sides out. Insert a prepared strip of tulle between the layers. Gently pull the assemblage point outward so that it is strictly opposite the apex of the corner. In this case, the edges of the tulle should not fall into the seams. Sew the long sides of the triangle on a typewriter or by hand. Twist the tail out. Fold up the top edge. If the mermaid costume will be worn, sew it with elastic and pull it off. Stuff the tail with padding polyester. Put the costume on the doll. If you don't want the ponytail to come off, glue it to your waist with all-purpose glue. Sew the mermaid's T-shirt from the same fabric as the tail. You can make a veil of lace or tulle on your head. The tail can be trimmed with sequins, then it will more resemble fish scales.
Knitted tail
A mermaid tail can be crocheted. Cotton thread such as iris or poppy will do. You can use leftover wool or silk yarn, as well as thread with lurex. Cast on a chain of chain stitches. The chain should match your waist. Close knitting into a ring. Then you can knit in a circle or in a spiral with single crochet, evenly decreasing the loops. It is more convenient to knit in a circle. At the beginning of each row, make 2 air loops on the rise, and remove the loops strictly along the side lines, knitting together 2 columns in each row. Try your product on a doll. When you reach the soles, pass the hook through any remaining loops, pull the thread and secure. The tip of the tail can be tied separately. For example, it can be an openwork circle with a radius of 4-5 cm. For the middle, tie it to the bottom of the tail. Assemblies are generated by themselves. Stuff the knitted tail, sew the edge with an elastic thread. Like the fabric tail, the knitted one can be glued to the doll's waist.
