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How-to: Swimmable mermaid tail
Published: 2009-04-06 08:41:38 +0000 UTC; Views: 113053; Favourites: 2417; Downloads: 2831
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Description
See pictures of these in my folder here .This costume is not for everyone. Only intermediate to advanced swimmers should attempt swimming in it, and always have a buddy with you. For those of you who want to know how to swim in it, my Kairi made a swimming tutorial for you. Please practice first and always stay safe.
Lots of requests for this, so here you go.
This took a lot of research online to figure out for myself and I'm sharing it for other fans. xD
The tops are not covered in the tutorial. All I did was take the swimsuit material and cover a bikini top for Kairi, making up my own pattern for it. Sora's is a surfer's rash guard I cut the bottom off, put in elastic, and added the detailing, so when we're next to each other, people can see the similar theme based off their KH2 tops.
Everyone go say hi to my amazing Kairi! She's such a good sport and willing to put up with all my costume crap, and will wear whatever I make her. She needs to get credit for being awesome. ^_^
UPDATE: For those girls wanting to know how I would make a 'naked top' Sora, SEE HERE
Kingdom Hearts and all related characters and art (c) SquareEnix and Disney
A blanket Thank You to everyone who favorited this! If you do make a tail, please post a picture cause I want to see your interpretations and designs!
edit: DeviantArt moved this deviation for me... er... thanks?
edit2: Wow, this got a daily deviation?! No way O.o
edit3: redid the tutorial so it's a little easier to read... and doesn't have spelling mistakes.
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Comments: 333
I wore biker shorts under mine, and my friend wore a bikini under hers. We just slipped the monofin off, took off the tail, and walked. A lot of people asked that question, and it's a really simple answer lol
Being self-conscious is no fun at all. It's fun just to do!
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wow this is so cool did you figure out how to make this by yourself?
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In a 'not really' kind of way. I looked at several tutorials on different ways to make a swimmable tail and kind of gleaned what seemed like the best ideas from each one. There was a bit of trial and error in there too.
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well it's still a cool tutorial
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me, my sister, and my friend eryn (girl) love pretending were mermaids when we swim in Grand Lake. i wanna make this thhx!!!!
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you're welcome! Send along pictures when you do!
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THIS IS SO COOL! thanks for sharing!
awesome kairi and sora pic
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Wow, this looks like a ton of fun! Looks like you guys had fun posing for pictures as well.
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OH MY GAWD UR SOOOO AMAZING I LOVE U!!!!
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lol thank you! And thanks for the 
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Thanks for uploading! I just got the fabric to make my Melody(Little Mermaid II) tail and I'm definitely printing this out and using it.
Also, how do I make the end of it if I'm not using a monofin? Do I just make the tape longer to accommodate my feet, find a way to hide them in the flipper at the end, or just making things up as I go along?
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That's so cool. I have to try that some day. Then again, I already have so many projects on my plate as it is. (hehe)
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It's really worth trying! Lots of fun.
And it really doesn't take all that long to make if you just want a simple tail.
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You bet I'll try it. I just have to wait until summer returns. hehe
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I'm starting my tail after Christmas if i get my monofin. Any monofins you suggest? And where can i find material?
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I use the Wave Monofin because it's the cheapest and it's really durable. It's a basic beginner's monofin tho. I plan on shaping it when I redo my tail.
You can find the swimsuit material at most large fabric stores like JoAnn's. You'll want to look for material that is labeled 'swimwear/dancer' but don't get anything with a high cotton percentage. It will shrink and water-damage quickly. It's also usually very very sheer, so make sure you get liner or wear something under it skin-toned!
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Thank you so much! I was considering the Wave but i wasnt very sure. Again thank you so much! When my tail is done i'll show you!
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omg! i will if i get the money...
i naturally swim like a mermaid lol
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This is Awesome!
I will do it! *0*
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Just found a new mermaid who created a tail off of the tutorial!
Pretty awesome too!
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I want to make one so bad.
Too bad I don't live near a pool at the moment. Oh well.
I'll show this to my boyfriend anyways and see if he'd want to make one too. (he's practically a fish anyways xD)
If we ever do, I'll definitely post the pictures!
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great! just what I was searching for...hoping I'll have mine done before our family outing.. (^.^)
thanks for this one!
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it's lots of fun so you should xD
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Ok, I will xD my pool is a bit small but I should be able to swim in it with this fishy tail (:<
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YEAH!! Now I can go complete my old childhood dream, haha!
Very nice set of instructions, I shall have to try it out whenever I get the chance to!
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I'm curious. did you use the same fabric for the hood or something different?
I'm thinking I might make Link's Zora armor from Twilight Princess. So I'm trying to see what good waterproof fabric there is to use XD
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there isn't a hood on this costume - hoods create a ton of drag and are really dangerous to swim in. The top is just a rash guard I shortened and embellished.
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Sorry I didn't mean the hood part, the hoddie. We'll I guess I should just say shirt, that would be easier XD
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well, some tips for your Link costume should you choose to make it:
Swimming while wearing loose fabric is hard - it creates a lot of drag. You'll have to make everything as skin-tight as possible with as few layers as possible.
Use a real swimsuit underneath or use swimsuit liner. (Both the material and liner are available at fabric stores like JoAnn's.)
There is designated swimsuit material, but it's expensive. So be careful - measure twice before cutting. Some people have tried other materials like lycra. I'm not a fan of lycra because it reveals a lot when it's NOT wet.
Always keep a friend nearby when you're first trying out your costume in the water.
Have fun and good luck
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Hmm thanks alot for the tips 
I think I should be able to keep most of it tight, ill just change the costume around a bit so its more suitable for swimming.
Sadly I don't have a JoAnn's around here. in fact I think the only fabric store closed down >.> (except wall mart)
oh well. ill be able to get fabric somehow.
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That is.....Amazing 0.0 I was looking for reference for a mermaid Sora plushie, and I am shocked to come upon this. I will definitely make this ^^
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thank you ^_^
And I wanna see it when you're done P:
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This is so amazing! I've always wanted to make a tail for Ariel cosplay; xD maybe one day.
Thank you for making this tutorial ^^
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you're welcome ^_^
I wanna see it when it's done!
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LAWL; Okay, but that wont be for a whiiile!
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Nice. I've seen quite a few of these, and I've been planning on making my own. Its always nice to see other people's tails. <3 Happy swimming!
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You have inspired me to do an atlatica sora !!!
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Ahh, 'ello there! I spotted you and your Kairi around Metro this weekend. Love the cosplay, I had no idea you could swim in it! That's really clever, and very, very cool! Kudos you to two~!
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sankyuu~
But yeah, it's swimmable. Elsewhere in my gallery are underwater shots we did.
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That is byfar the most amazing thing I have ever seen. You did an awesome job on them!
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