How to make a fluffy tail with yarn

1. get all the materials and tools you'll need together:
* yarn (acryl-yarn for size 3-5 hook/needle)
* sharp scissors with fine blades
* dog- or cat- brush with iron pins
* sewing needle and threat in the start-color
* hook matching your yarn-thickness
* big ring that can open

2. to make your base: measure the length of your tail + 20 cm extra ( for a belt-loop), fold the yarn double, snip and repeat this until you got 12 strings of yarn. do this in the color that will be at the bottom of your tail.

3. loop those 12 strings onto the ring, so you can get them off very easy when the tail is (almost) done. hang that ring onto something sturdy and start to braid the yarn. when you got to the end of it, make a sturdy knot and cut the ends even.

4. brush that end-part until it's nice, soft and very fluffy. take that fluff of your brush now and then. that fluff you can use for stuffing things or for needle-felting. ~_^

5. now it's time to decide how and where you want the colors of your tail. you can do this by tying a total different color of yarn (mark) around the braid. also put a mark where the belt-loop is going to start.

6. time to make your fluffs: use your hand or something sturdy that is about 5 to 10 cm wide (this will be about how thick your tail will be). I use my hand for this.

7. start wrapping the yarn about 10 times (depends on the thickness of your yarn) around your hand/object and cut all those strings at to side where you started wrapping (it's my pinky here).




































8. make a knot in the middle of those strings. you'll need 4 fluffs for each 'turn'.

9. now it's time to decide if you want 'straight' lines/stripes (pic 1) of if you want to 'fade the colors (pic 2).







10. for straight lines/stripes you'll make all the fluffs using only the color for that line/stripe.

11. for this tail I like to fade the colors. for this you need at least 2 sets of 4 fluffs using the following cart: (I use 8 rings of plain color and 2 rings of each mixed colors)

- 10 strings of color 1

- 8 strings of color 1 + 2 strings of color 2

- 6 strings of color 1 + 4 strings of color 2

- 4 strings of color 1 + 6 strings of color 2

- 2 strings of color 1 + 8 strings of color 2

- 10 strings of color 2

 











12. now you know how your tail is going to look like, it's time to make all those fluffs, brush them and sew them onto the braid. brush each fluff starting at the smallest end until they are nice, soft and very fluffy. put already a piece of threat into your needle, double it and make a big knot at the end.

13. put your needle through the knot from the braid. take your fluff, fold it double so you can see the knot. put your needle thru the knot and sew the fluff onto the knot of the braid. repeat this 4 times (you'll need 4 fluffs for each 'turn'). after each 'turn' (or 2) brush the fluffs that are sewn in.

14. continue this until you get to about 2 cm from your mark. if you want straight lines/stripes, just continue till you are at the mark.

 
15. when you are about 5 cm from your last mark, you are going to make the belt-loop. for this you need to know a 'single crochet'. remove the ring from the braid and use those loops to make your belt-loop. then you crochet (in your last color) around the braid. if needed crochet around it a second time if you still see the braid-color.

 

16. continue sewing in the fluffs until you have no more braid showing. those last 4 fluff will be different. take a string from each side and brush the rest of them. using those 2 strings, knot them around the base of the belt-loop.

17. then brush those last strings (from each fluff) and a finale brush over the whole tail and it's done. all those fluff that came out of the brush can be used to stuff thing or for needle-felting. ~_^

At the moment Sabrina from a little shop called Flowers, Feathers and Fairies. she is thrilled to be sponsoring Markers! Papers! Digis!
She does this as a hobby and is happy to be able to share her art with more crafty people :)

Today her DT and het will share some creations to introduce you to my little shop.
She has some sneakpeaks for a new release that wont be long :)
There will be a coupon up for the weekend in a moment and a little game with a chance to win 1 of our stamps :)
Blog: flowersfeathersandfairies.blogspot.nl/
Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/SabrinaStamps
FB: www.facebook.com/groups/1835781286652100/

For the introduction day of Flowers, Feathers and Fairies she has a game for you.
She has hidden a couple of these roses in shop.

www.etsy.com/shop/SabrinaStamps
Please answer with a number of how many you found and I'll pick a random winner out of the right answers. The winner will get 1 stamp of their choice.
Thank you for playing

As from now on I'm in the design team from Flowers, Feathers and Fairies (https://flowersfeathersandfairies.blogspot.be/), so you will see some makings with there very nice digistamps. 😍😉

Making of my silicone mermaid tail

 As I have may fabric tails, I always want to have a silicone tail, but ordering from out of Belgium is to costly for me (as specially post and taxes). Then I noticed PearlyMae's tail-making technique and asked her if I could use it to make my own tail ans she said yes. 😊
* So in autumn 2015 I started collecting everything I need to make my tail.
- mica-powders at a craft-fair
- dragonskin silicone in a shop in the Netherlands
- fabric in my local shop
- ordered a new (translucent) Triton-monofin online (as it's an European brand, no taxes and cheap shipping for me)
* After the New Year celebrations (2016)
- I started to make my molds out of thermo-plastics:

- started testing my pigments:

- after that I started to cast my scales:

- when I had lost of them, my boyfriend helped to make my body-double:

- that I covered in white lycra (as my white iridescent scales are see-through):

- and started pinning my scales in place, the front first:

- and gluing them with some clear silicone:

- the back and sides:

 - and the top (skin-colored scales):

* After my boyfriends birthday-party (end of February) I started making my fluke:
- my pattern under a layer of saran-wrap and clear tape (the same as my body-double):

- a layer of iridescent organza and 3 layers of colored dragonskin:
























- made 2 of them:

- and sandwiched my yellow monofin in between them, gluing only the sides:

- after that I attached the tail-body to the fluke:

- when that was done, I sealed the outside of my tail with a slime-coat (clear silicone with a lot of fine iridescent glitter):

- then I sealed the inside of my tail with clear silicone (without my monofin):

- then I decided that my clear monofin was better for this tail and sealed it in the fluke, leaving holes for drainage:

- made some ribs for the side of my fluke:
































- attached them and trimmed the excess

* And this is how I store my tail (and also let it dry in the bathroom after swimming):

 * Me enjoying my tail at Elfia (spring 2016) in the Netherlands: