How to Sew a Stuffed Animal Mermaid Tail

What to do when your daughter chooses “Mermaid Penguin” as her birthday theme? Get creative and sew a mermaid tail for a stuffed animal penguin.

My daughter has picked her birthday theme since her second birthday. I guess we got lucky with Frosty the Snowman (odd choice but we went with it) and flamingos. She made up for it this year in selecting mermaid penguins. After some internet searching, I realized I’d need to break out the sewing machine. I purchased some adorable penguin stuffed animals and designed a removable mermaid tail using mermaid fabric. Check out the rest of our Mermaid Penguin birthday with decor and games.

We also made my daughter a matching skirt. The mermaid tail was so quick and easy, we made extras as party favors and for some of her other stuffed animals and dolls.

She loves to transform everyone into a mermaid! For my son who isn’t as excited about mermaids, I designed a removable dragon tail for his “Dragon Penguin”.

This is a really forgiving sewing project. Exact measurements and precise sewing are not required. The tail requires only three lines of sewing and the elastic waistband accommodates many sizes of stuffed animals and dolls. Freehand the pattern, or download these free printables (Mermaid_Tail and Dragon_Tail) and resize to fit larger or smaller stuffed animals.

Looking for other sewing projects? Check out:

• how to sew kids outdoor pants
• how to sew a baby blanket lap quilt
• Encanto’s Isabela-inspired dress

Sew a Stuffed Animal Mermaid Tail – Materials

How to Sew a Stuffed Animal Mermaid Tail

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Instructions are provided for the mermaid tail. The instructions are the same for the dragon tail with one additional step of sewing in the dragon scales, explained in step 3** below.

1. Prepare the Paper Pattern

Use these free Mermaid_Tail and Dragon_Tail printable patterns and enlarge or reduce as needed.

Making a paper pattern takes a little measuring and some freehand drawing.

Lay the stuffed animal on paper. Draw a straight line 1″ above the animal’s waistline and extending 1 1/2″ wider on each side of the animal.

Draw a parallel line 5″ under the animal’s feet – that will be the bottom of the fin. Using the printable as a guide for the shape, draw one side of the mermaid fin. Starting at the top, draw a gentle slope past the animals feet, with the narrowest part of the fin about 1 1/2″ under the animal’s feet. Then draw a sharper curve down to the 5″ fin bottom line and make a tight corner back to the center of the animal, about 1 1/2″ above the bottom of the fin. If you aren’t happy with a part of the line, erase and re-draw until you like the shape.

Fold the paper in half and cut along the pencil line – this will ensure the fin is symmetrical.

2. Prepare and Cut Fabric

Prewash fabric and iron, if necessary.

Place right sides of fabric together and pin pattern on top. Cut fabric following pattern.

3. Sew Sides of Stuffed Animal Mermaid Tail

Pin right sides of fabric together.

Sew sides and bottom with straight stitch using 1/2″ seam allowance. Do not sew the top. Trim seam back to 1/4″.

Note: You may wonder, why sew 1/2″ seam allowance only to cut back to 1/4″? Why not just sew 1/4″? For experienced sewers, maintaining a 1/4″ seam allowance is not difficult. However, the 1/4″ mark on most sewing machines is under the presser foot. Unless there is a clear mark on the foot, it can be difficult to maintain a 1/4″ seam allowance. Too small of a seam allowance can lead to a weak seam. Steer clear of any issue by sewing a 1/2″ seam allowance, then cut back to 1/4″ so there isn’t too much bulk at the seam.

Note: I used contrasting color thread to highlight stitches.

** For dragon tail, cut scales from felt.

Insert felt between right sides of fabric so scales point inside the tail and outside edges line up. Sew sides and bottom with straight stitch using 1/2″ seam allowance. Do not sew the top. Trim seam back to 1/4″.

4. Sew Casing For Elastic Waistband

Fold top raw edge over 1/2″ so that wrong sides are together and iron. Fold over another 1/2″ and iron again. Pin to secure.

Sew a straight stitch along lower edge of casing, 1/8″ from the bottom of the fold. Leave a 2″ opening to insert the elastic and backstitch at each end.

Cut elastic the same length as the stuffed animal’s waist.

Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic and feed through the casing (the safety pin makes it easier to feed elastic through the casing). Remove safety pin. Overlap elastic ends by 1/2″ and sew together forming a rectangle with an X through it.

Slip elastic into the casing and pull the waistband to evenly spread the elastic.

Close the opening by sewing along the 1/8″ seam allowance, making sure not to sew over the elastic.

5. Flip and Turn any Stuffed Animal into a Mermaid

Clip corners and curves so fabric doesn’t pull and to remove bulk. Be careful not to cut too close to the stitch line.

Turn the mermaid tail right side out and push out the corners. Pull the mermaid tail onto the waist of a stuffed animal to create an animal-mermaid. This tail works great for dolls also.

How to Involve Kids in Sewing a Stuffed Animal Mermaid Tail

If your child is old enough to sew, work together through the steps. For younger kiddos, encourage them to select fabric, measure, thread the elastic through the casing and watch you sew. They will learn a TON about sewing just by watching and listening to you explain the process.

Enjoy turning any animal into a mermaid (or a dragon)!!