Little Mermaid costumes are available to young girls who have a distinct fascination for mermaids, and of course the underwater queen of them all, Ariel.

Mermaids have always been one of the dominant folkloric creatures anywhere around the world, which has immediate access to the sea. Fishermen in the past, up until now, propagate reports of them seeing some creature which has the upper body of a human female, but the lower body of a fish. In fact, mischievous fraudsters with an eye for elaborate pranks and media sensationalism have taken advantage of these legendary stories and have created their own hoax stories. It just goes to show how mermaids are still in the minds of people and how they affect the imaginations of little kids everywhere.

There are several different parts involved in most mermaid costumes including: a tail, top, and wig or other hair decoration. Also, you will likely want to put together some special makeup to complete your mermaid costume. Let's break that down:


Step One: Mermaid Tail

Creating your mermaid costume tail doesn't need to take a lot of sewing. If you can find a dress or skirt which tappers inward at the bottom, you're halfway there. If not, you can also take a skirt or dress and take in the seam at the bottom in order to tapper it in toward your ankles. You can then add some shimmery or sparkly fabric at the bottom to form the fins of your costume. If you are hoping for the Ariel look, try a green dress or skirt.


Step Two: the Top

One of the easiest ways to create a mermaid costume top is to use a bathing suit bikini top or a bra. You can dye a bra yourself with fabric dye and even add some fabric glitter. For more modest mermaids, you can use a one-piece bathing suit that will also cover your stomach. Then choose a contrasting color fabric and cut out two shell shapes and sew or glue them onto your top - one on each side to appear like they are covering your breasts.


Step Three: Hairstyle

For Ariel, red hair is an absolute must. A red wig will certainly be a lot quicker but if you are intent upon making your own costume from scratch, you can do so with red yarn. Just keep in mind that this can be very time consuming. For non-Ariel mermaids, most any hair color will do although the classic images of mermaids generally depict them with long, flowing hair. So if your natural hair is short, you may also want to consider wearing a wig. Shells and flowers make great accents for your hair.


Step Four: Makeup

A color palette that matches that of both your costume and the natural colors of the sea should work best. Try greens and blues and add a pinch of glitter to your mermaid costume makeup.