How to Make a Dinosaur Tail

Looking for a cute addition to your child’s dinosaur Halloween costume (or just something fun for playtime)? Make your own at home using fabric and polyfil batting for a 3-D, fun effect.

Steps

1. Pre-cut your tail. By pre-cutting the fabric, it will allow you to assemble the tail a little quicker than measuring, cutting and sewing all at once.
   
   
   
   • Cut the main fabric area: tail--cut 2 sections that are 22″ x 11″. Waist strap: Four pieces of 12″ x 3″. Circle cut 7” in diameter. Spikes cut two 22 x 3.5”.
2. Create tail. Measure 4.5” from the left top corner and bottom left corner of the fabric and 4” from the top of the right top corner of the fabric.
   
   
   
   • Mark and cut.
   • Mark and cut the same measurements on the other piece of tail fabric.
3. Design dino spikes. Draw spikes using your fabric pencil, on the inside of the fabric. Leave approximately ½” between each spike and use the entire fabric size to create the spikes.
   
   
   
   • Sew spikes, inside out.
     
     
     
   • Cut along spike seam line, leaving approximately ¼” allowance for the entire strip.
     
     
     
   • Snip the top of each spike and the corners of the spike triangles. Be careful not to snip through the sewn areas to avoid creating a hole.
     
     
     
   • Turn spikes right-side out and poke spike tips outward using the end of the pen.
     
     
     
4. Attach spikes. First pin the spikes to one piece of the tail with the biggest spike on the wider end of the tail.
   
   
   
   • Sew the spikes to the first piece of the tail with 1/4" seam allowance.
     
     
     
5. Sew tail. Put the two identical pieces of tail fabric together, but inside out.
   
   
   
   • Sew tail leaving 1/2” seam allowance. Leave a space (about 4 to 5 inches) below the spike for the stuffing that will be added inside the tail later.
6. Create and attach waist straps. Put two straps together (inside out) and sew 3 sides (leaving the bottom side unsewn).
   
   
   
   • Trim corners.
     
     
     
   • Turn strips right side out and then add top stitching along the edges.
     
     
     
   • Sew Velcro pieces on the ends of the waist straps.
     
     
     
   • Pin waist straps inside the tail. Make sure Velcro pieces match up so they will attach when worn. Sew straps to tail.
     
     
     
7. Sew the circle around the tail.
   
   
   
8. Stuff and close tail. Add polyfil stuffing and then replace with circle to close tail. Stitch around the sides to secure in place.
   
   
   
9. Done!
   
   
   

Things You’ll Need

• fabric (nothing too stretchy)
• spike fabric
• 5″ Velcro
• Polyfil batting
• Fabric pencil

Tips

• Use this method to make other tails such as a mermaid tail.
• Consider adjusting the tail length based on your child’s size (smaller children require a smaller tail).

Sources and Citations

http://ift.tt/1FI9lNX

source How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1JrbSUC