Everyone complaining about the budget being around $500... you clearly do not know much about professional made mermaid tails... if you want a tail that looks similar to this made for you... it will cost $2000 at the LEAST some being $3000... not to mention it will not be as customizable with the colors and it wouldn't be something that you could admire for the work YOU put into it.
How did you make it with the zipper? What exact technique and piping bag did you use for the tail? Did you glue in the mono fin or can you take it out? How did you sew the fabric part of the tail? Questions like that. Thank you !
-yes, I sewed the zippers in the neoprene before putting on the paint and silicone. -I piped the silicone directly out of the tube using a regular caulking gun. I cut the caulking tip about halfway to get the size "scale" I liked. The technique is similar to the "petal" icing techniques, however I just pushed down with the tip instead of using a separate tool to pull it out. I would not recommend transferring the silicon to a piping bag because you would get a lot of large bubbles in the process which would ruin the effect. -The monofin is removable through a zip that goes along the side of the fluke all the way to the ankle. I left a few drain holes at the end you can see in the video. It was possible to fold the monofin and squeeze it through the ankle area before I opted for the zip, but it was reaaaally tight and not worth the effort. -The fabric is neoprene, 2 or 3 mm is average for mermaid tails. I sewed it using a cheap 100$ sewing machine using leather needles and the toughest outdoor/sport thread I could find. The zigzag stitch is important to allow flexibility in the seam. I hope this answered your questions!
Anyone overwhelmed with pricing should also consider if you're making your own silicone tail , you do not need to drop the entire cost of materials all at once. This is also a timely endeavor , and easily something you can gather materials for along the way. The silicone will be the largest individual spending point. This is also only one method of tail making, but still one of the most affordable I've seen
I seriously love that you started with price and time. I immediately realized this was way above my head and I should look for something less cool. I SUPER appreciate it! Thank you!!!!!!!
500 is pretty reasonable for a semi-silicone tail. Some higher quality fabric tails can run up to 500 but there are definitely cheaper fabric tail options especially the more simplistic. Full on silicone may be hella expensive and a definite investment. But for a 500$ project that makes your tail just a tad more realistic isn't bad.
I know people like flexibility, but I think tails should be made a bit thicker. The tail looks great until your bending your legs and it looks all awkward. Lol. I'd want a happy medium where you still have some decent flexibility and have it thicker to hide the legs inside.
My kids hate diys but I still looked into it. My family just wanted to save money even though we don't have to I ended up buying a $1700 tail for my oldest daughter BUT my younger daughter is still into crafts so we made one for her, she's in love both were so worth it.
How did you feel the silicone held up overtime? We made one similar we took it out free test Swim the other day and the silicone is coming away from the neoprene so I’m not sure what we did wrong or maybe there is a spot where the water got underneath?
Hi Karmin, The way I see DIY is that it is cheaper then if you buy it already made. A silicone-neoprene hybrid will cost you a minimum of 800$ if you buy it, but it is 500-600$ DYI. The same with a full silicone tail which will be about 2000$ DIY versus 3000$+ if you buy it. Hey, even a house is cheaper if you build it yourself. When you buy something, you pay for the cost of the materials, labor, transport and profit, but if it is DIY you pay only for the materials and you do your own labor so it is never as easy as buying... If you dream of mermaiding, but you do not have a budget for this type of tail, you could make a spandex one DIY for 40-100$ if you can get a good deal on Amazon for a kid's monofin. Anyways It is not worth it for most people to get a fancy tail until they are fully grown.
is the sil a stick specifically able to adhere to the neoprene? Does that mean other silicone products will not adhere to the neoprene? how do you prevent the neoprene from degrading due to chlorine?
Hi there, unfortunately, the product I use here is not meant specifically for neoprene, it is meant to stick to glass for making aquariums. You have to see this as a "mixed media" art project really. Fortunately, this is a very common technique for DIY tailmaking. Other types of silicone are likely to stick to neoprene just as well, but will be more toxic, except for dragon skin which is the safest silicone of all. There is no rule for how long the silicone lasts, however sunlight and petroleum-based products such as certain skin creams will dammage it way faster then chlorine ever will. The trick to long lasting silicone is to keep it out of the sunlight, avoid petroleum-based skin products and lubricants and, to reduce the effects of chlorine, rinsing it after every use. I hope this answered your question :)
so, you made the tail out of neoprene, then painted it (with what exactly?) and then added transparent aquarium silicone?? I'm trying to make this myself so I'm trying to figure out the steps for it :/
The aquarium silicone is inert once cured, however if you really want medical grade and the best of the best, dragonskin from smooth-on is the best and what professional tails are made of
You can check out the mernetwork.com for many tutorials and info on tailmaking. I this case, here were my basic steps as noted in the video: -sewing the tail body with neoprene + testing in the water +adjustments -painting the body of the tail with the fabric spray paint -painting the fluke, then applying the silicon -applying the silicone to the body of the tail -water test, check out my responses in other comments below for more details have fun, but please work with the silicone in a well ventilated area and use both a facemask and safety goggles/glasses PS: I am also working on a few fins to add to the tail...
My plan is to use a base of the green paint and use a mix of silicone with Pearl Ex pigment. I haven't read of anyone putting glitter in their silicone, but there are people with tails with some heavy sparkle. Do you think it would be safe to add glitter?
Your tail will be beautiful! Yes, you can definitely add sparkles to your silicone, some of the silicone on my fluke has glitter in it, and I am making fins with loads of glitter for this tail right now. I would strongly recommend you mix in a bit of paint thinner in with your silicone and sparkles, otherwise the mix will dry way too quickly, faster than you can apply it. I am not sure how you plan to make your scale texture, but it may be better to use the glitter in a "beauty coat" (silicone, glitter and thinner) you paint on at the end. Another advantage of using the glitter in the beauty coat only is that much on the glitter mixed in with pigments will not be visible if the pigments makes your mix too opaque. In any case, please test, test, test first in smaller patches and batches to avoid wasting your materials. Have fun!
Thank you, I made mine but I bought a fabric tails from amazon and then added the silicone. I made the scales a little larger and thin, I love it, thank you for your video.
Hi The Mangle, This in an important question, my honest answer is that I don't know... Aquarium silicone is not certified to be 100% skin safe, because it is not what it was made for, so it's actual toxicity to humans once cured is unknown. If you want 100% guaranteed skin safe, go with dragonskin from smoothon. I chose aquarium silicone because it is the least toxic of the ones available at a hardware store and many other mers used it with success in both pro and diy tailmaking in combination with neoprene. It is safe for fish and other marine life kept in aquariums; however there is no info about the product for human use because it is not what it is meant for. I am comfortable with it because it is not right against my skin, or only a very minimal quantity is. I hope this answered your question :)
I thought that you couldn't bond silicone to neoprene? Do I have wrong information? I've been wanting to buy a neoprene tail and add silicone onto it for more texture
Thank you for making this video! I am doing the same thing, but with layered spandex under the silicone. It was very helpful to see it function in the water!
Hi Macey, thank you! good luck in your project. May I recommend you use dragonskin instead of aquarium silicone to use with spandex as it is stretchier and stronger that aquarium silicone. The base under aquarium silicone cannot be too stretchy or the two layers will peel apart very quickly at tension points such as your knee area and the waist, which is why I used neoprene. The only successful silicone-spandex tail discussed on mermaid forums such as the mernetwork was acheived with dragonskin.
I have a question, how do you sew a neoprene mermaid tail? I know you need thicker needle and thread etcetera but I can't figure out the exact steps. Do you sew the tail and flip it inside out like a regular piece of clothing, do you overlock the edges and flip it inside out or do you leave the seams on the outside, should you include the fluke in the pattern or attach it later? I'm very confused about everything T_T
Hi Anouk, check out the mernetwork.com for tips on how to make a pattern for a tail. Pattern I measured myself at every 3 inches all the way down to my ankles, then I made my hips to ankles pattern. Then I lay over it (making sure my knees are at the same hight as my pattern's) while wearing my monofin and traced my monofin on paper, then adjusted for the thickness of the monofin. The mahina monofin I used here needs an extra inch because it is thick on the sides. Then I attached this new monofin pattern to the hip-to-ankle pattern, again making sure everything was aligned well in terms of crucial lenghts such as knee to ankle. It is worth only loosely connecting the 2 patterns, because it is likely that you will become addicted to tailmaking (!!!) and want to use your legs pattern with a new monofin pattern at some point. Cut and sew Afterwards, I used this pattern to cut the 2 pieces of neoprene for this tail. Thus yes, the fluke was included in my pattern, thus only 2 pieces of neoprene. BUT! This is not absolutely necessary. If you look at my sequin tail, also on the aquamermaid youtube channel, you will see it is possible to have a separate fluke cover that attaches to the body at the ankle. This is really up to you. I even saw a mermaid (Erin St.Blain) who made the 2 parts attach at the knee so she can pop the bottom part right off and walk around with the top as a skirt. It is all about how you plan to attach the 2 parts and how you plan to camouflage the connection. I took a few bits of neoprene and tested a variety of stitching techniques. I recommend you do so too, so you can find the best stitch your machine can muster. I eventually flipped the tail inside out and used the widest zigzag stitch right along the edges, i.e. there is the least amount of fabric possible beyond the edge of the stitch. This makes for the flattest stitch I could make with my 100$ regular sewing machine. There will still be an indentation where the stitch is, however, with this tail, it was camouflaged with paint as well as the silicone scales. When the body is flipped back, the edges rotate a bit and face each other instead of being folded against each other. I left the "tips" of my fluke", flipped it back outeside out, then stitched the tips in the same way. I also left 4x 2 inch gaps along the tips of the fluke to ensure the water can drain, this is essential in any tail and ignoring this step will cause your fluke to fill with water and baloon up. Here I also need to clarify that I needed to take it in after testing it in the pool. Testing at this point is absolutely crucial because neoprene stretches a bit in water and your body also compresses and changes, both changes that are impossible to predict while making a pattern on land. It is also possible that, in testing, you may get a wrinkle near the top of your feet. You can correct this by cutting out the excess fabric in an oval shape and sewing it back up. Whether you do the correction or not depends on the size of the wrinkle and how confident you are that you will be able to camouflage the stitch. This tail has a wrinkle, but I didnt correct it because it is small and only appears when I flex my feet and I was not confident I could effectively hide the stitch. I had a major, permanent, one in my sequin tail, but was able to cut it out and hide it easily with sequins. I hope this answered your question, I will be glad to answer any more if you would like more details. Have fun!
Hi Kakey, you need to use materials that have sorta similar stretch levels otherwise you risk having the layers separate where there is the most tension and stretching i.e. around the ankles, knees and waist. Aquarium silicone is somewhat stiff so it would likely peel away in those spots if you use spandex, which is way stretchier then neoprene, underneath. Many have tried it and failed because of this, only one mer ever succeeded using a very thin coat of dragon skin silicone over spandex. Dragon skin is stronger and more flexible then aquarium silicone. I hope this helps!
Hi, I love how the silicone turned out on your tail! I'm in the process of making my own hybrid tail and I'd like to use the Aquarium brand that you're using. The only problem is, I've searched all over the internet (and MerNetwork) for that brand but I can't seem to find it. Can you tell me what company makes that silicone or what specific store you got it from?
Hi Abigail, I got it at the Rona hardware store on Notre-Dame street in Montreal. The brand is Nuflex and the product is #333. It doesn't have to be this brand, just silicone made for aquariums. It is worth calling your local hardware stores. Also, try to avoid buying it at pet stores as it will be waaaaay overpriced. Have fun! I hope you share your process and final result on youtube and the mernetwork too :)
Thank you so much for the info! I was worried because as I was digging through mernetwork trying to gather some detailed info on hybrid tails, a lot of people were saying their silicone wasn't curing on the neoprene. I knew it was possible because I had seen this video but seeing their posts made me worry that my silicone wouldn't cure.
Hi Abigail, unfortunately, it does happen for some people that it will not cure depending on the brand, temperature and moisture in your area and working room. Dragonskin is way more sensitive but some people have also had issues with aquarium silicone on occasion. I was lucky with this brand, it worked in all 4 Canadian seasons as I work in my garage with the door partially or fully open...even in the winter lol! Finally, thicker areas will take longer to cure. Basically, you know it is cured when it no longer smells like vinegar. If you are not sure, it is definitely worth buying a single tube and testing it at home first, to avoid wasting a whole batch.
Yup, I definitely plan on doing a couple of tests to figure out what'll cure on my neoprene before I end up buying a ton of silicone. Thanks again for the info! It's really helpful!
Hello, unfortunately I cannot remember how many I used, maybe 15-20 tubes. Also, how many you will need will vary depending on how thick you make the "scales" and how many, and if you make fins. Maybe start with 10, or 2 boxes of 6 if you can get a deal and keep your receit so you can return any extra you don't use.
what fabric did you use to fix the silicone to? how did you make the monofin part? i hope you will answer....an already-made tail is too expensive for me :/
I am making one this way soon, but I have a question! How did you do the fluke? DId you do it directly on the monofin, or did you put a neoprene casing around it, etc? Thank you very much!
Hi Hotori, the base of the tail was made with 2 pieces of neoprene, basically the front and back, so it is one whole piece from the waist to the tip of the fluke. The monofin goes in and out using a discrete zipper running from one ankle to halfway down the side of the fluke. I also left a few vents in the seam at the edge of the fluke to allow water to drain. Hope this helps, and have fun making your tail :). BTW there is plenty of ideas and support for tailmaking on the mernetwork.com
silicon tails are really heavy and expensive and I would recommend to wait until you have your full hight before buying your tail. That way you can keep it for a long time :)
Could you elaborate what you mean by painting under? I am trying to make my own, however, this is my first tail and I want to be certain on everything rather than making accusations regarding the advice given.
Idk if u got help yet. But what i think she ment was u paint and put your silicone scales ontop of the paint so the paint is under the silicone and not on it
hi! one question, the monofin is it "stuck" in the tail right, how do you get your feet in place? the mahina is kinda tight. And how did you get the body of the fin together with the fluke, it looks soo good.. my experimentations just goes south when im doing this... tips please
Hello, to help you get inside your fin you can add straps. Check this video at 3:05min it will show you how to do it ua-cam.com/video/p76liR2dNE0/v-deo.html
Hi Emma! The neoprene base is 2 pieces, the front and back, thus each is one continuous piece from the waist to the tips of the fluke. I have a zip going along the seam from one ankle to near the tip of the fluke to get my mono in and out. The trick for the best fit is to make a pattern measuring yourself around the legs at every 3 inches or so from navel to ankle, then you pop on your mono, lie down right on your pattern, making sure your knees align with the equivalent area on your pattern, and then have someone trace your mono to finish the pattern. You can add 1-2 inches later to compensate for the thickness of the mono. After that you sew it up and do a water test and make adjustments before adding any decorations. This step is crucial because everyone's body changes shape slightly under water, so does the fabric's stretchiness. Hope this helps!
Hi Yuki, that is an interesting idea, but you risk an inaccurate measurement because the rounder areas such as the calves, bum and stomach may not flatten fully with the rest of the form. Imagine trying to make a 1-piece pattern for a bra by pressing down an actual bra....it's not going to flatten perfectly and any measurement you make will be inaccurate. You loose a lot of stretch with the silicone on, so you need a very precise measurement. If anyone tries this, I would suggest adding a wider seam that can be adjusted later. Normally this technique, minus the mono, is used to make a dummy, which is definitely a great tool to make and paint tails.
Bonjour Dame Mélusine, tout d'abord félicitations pour tout ce travail, la queue est exceptionnelle ! Magnifique, vraiment ! Je me permets de vous écrire en français car j'ai cru comprendre que vous étiez au canada. Si cela pose problème je peux tenter de vous réécrire tout ça en anglais :-) J'aimerais me lancer dans ce projet. J'ai déjà commencé des tests de mini nageoires ("fin") pour tester le silicone, mais j'ai des questions pour la grande nageoire ("fluke") : J'ai vu un commentaire où vous disiez que la monopalme était incluse dans la queue, et qu'il y avait une fermeture éclair pour la retirer. Est-ce que la partie en néoprène est donc une seule et même partie, y compris la monopalme glissée dedans ? Ou avez-vous créé une "poche" pour insérer la monopalme ? Est-ce que vous auriez une photo où l'on peut voir la fermeture éclair s'il vous plaît ? Concernant la monopalme, est-ce que vous l'avez laissée telle quelle ou est-ce que vous avez ajouté une partie avec du Lexan comme pour la grande nageoire faite maison, pour la rendre plus grande ? Ensuite, toujours pour la grande nageoire "fluke" qui comprend la monopalme, est-ce que vous l'avez créée avec la même technique que les petites nageoires ("fin"), c'est-à-dire en incluant des parties très fines contenant deux couches de silicone avec une couche de "power mesh" entre elles ? Ou avez-vous juste fait les rainures avec le pistolet à silicone et l'intérieur avec le pinceau, directement sur le néoprène ? Finalement, est-ce que la peinture couvre bien le néoprène ? Je n'ai trouvé en magasins que des néoprènes avec des couleurs sombres (noir, gris foncé) ou flashy (jaune, vert fluo). Je sais que ça fait pas mal de questions mais ces quelques parties restent floues pour moi, alors que tout le reste est super clair. Est-ce que vous avez un blog ou un site Internet où on puisse vous suivre ? J'ai cherché mais sans succès. Merci mille fois et encore bravo pour votre créativité. Je me réjouis de voir vos prochaines créations et vous astuces sur le "mermaiding". :-)
Super ! 😊 Je suis en train de regarder toutes vos vidéos, elles sont géniales ! Merci pour toutes ces connaissances que vous partagez, c'est vraiment très instructif.
Bonjour! Je vais tenter de mon mieux de repondre a vos questions. neoprene J'ai achete le neoprene de 2 mm de couleur chair a www.seattlefabrics.com/neoprene.html#Neoprene. Patron La base est 2 morceaux, devant et derriere, incluant la nageoire caudale, exactement comme la majorite des queues en spandex. Il y a des fermetures eclair le long du dos, ainsi qu'une le long de la couture allant de la cheville a la moitie de la nageoire caudale pour mettre et enlever la palme. C'est possible d'entrer et enlever la palme sans zip en roulant la palme sur elle-meme, mais...c'est du sport...et il y a un plus grand risque de dechirures des coutures des petites nageoires de talons et de delaminage du silicone. Si vous confectionnez votre propre queue je recommande fortement de faire quelques tests en piscine avant d'appliquer le silicone, parce que, meme si le patron est parfait au milimetre pres a sec, le corps change dans l'eau, ainsi que l'elasticite du neoprene et les ajustements sont donc necessaires. Monopalme et caudale La palme est une mahina ou j'ai coupe les petits bouts courbes et les petites courbes. Il n'y a aucune autre modifications, je pense qu'elle est beaucoup grande qu'elle parait en ligne! J'ai peint les rainures et les couleurs directement sur le neoprene. J'ai aussi applique une rainure directement sur la fermeture eclair, mais le plus "en surface possible" pour eviter que le silicone s'immice entre les dents. Je l'ai ensuite peint avec la base blanche et ensuite le vert. Apres que tout a ete peint et seche, j'ai coupe delicatement le silicone le long de le fermeture eclaire tout en la decollant. Hereusement, le silicone colle tres peu au plastique de la ermeture eclair. J'ai ensuite peint l'interieur "l'epaisseur du silicone" en vert pour mieux la camoufler la fissure dans le silicone le long du zip. Couleur La peinture "shot of color" couvre comme une teinture, donc elle doit etre appliquee sur une couleur claire. Si vous desirer masquer la couleur du neoprene, il faudra faire une "peinture" en silicone telle que decrite dans les videos pour les nageoires. Il faut absolument eviter les peintures en acrylique et surtout le latex, qui empecheront l'adhesion du silicone. J'espere que ca reponds bien a vos questions!
Hi Greg, I pushed out a bead of silicone while holding the tube and tip still, then scraped the tip for 1-2 inches to pull it out...just like icing a cake lol!
I've wanted to make one ever since I was 11 years old! But I'm sorry but I really doubt anyone has $600 laying around to make something to swim in. Great video, but if there's any cheaper way to make a tail like this, please let me know.
Hi Taylor, the best way to get started in making your own mermaid tail for under 100$ is to make one out of spandex i.e. bathing suit material, which will cost max 40$, as well as a junior monofin by finis or finfun (30-60$). Every mermaid, beginner or pro has a spandex tail in her kit.
I really LOVE aaalll your tails! And always when i see a cool tail, i have a question (with my "perfect" english...). Where is the silicone from?😄 You maybe said that in your video but i just didn't notice that. ilysm💖
Awww, thank you! I got my silicone at a hardware store, Rona on Notre-Dame street in Montreal, to be precise. It is the only place in Montreal I can find it. It is harder to find because it apparently has a shorter shelf life than other silicones and caulkings.
@@damemelusine4879 I can't find this specific aquarium silicone, would any other brand of aquarium silicone work or should I look for specific ingredients?
@@cheyennebradford8755 I can't tell for sure because I am not an expert. I suggest you start by buying the smallest tube you can find and testing it with all of the other materials that you plan to use with it i.e. your choice of neoprene, fabric, paint, etc. That way, if it fails, you will not have wasted a fortune on a large batch.
Hello Liberty! The "old" FinFun that is clear acrylic would not be strong enough for such a tail and risks breaking. It may be possible if you have the newer version that is black plastic and stronger, but only if you have no extra fins or any frills which cause drag. If you go that route, I would add inside an extra layer of neoprene right where the ridge of the fin appears near the heels to prevent it from digging too much in the neoprene.
Hi Ayana, only silicone sticks to silicone. Thus you would need to make your own paint by mixing silicone with pigments (Pearl Ex are very popular for this application) and paint thinner in some cases, and add a clear coat of silicone on top to seal it in. I am currently making fins for this tail and mixing the pigments with the silicone as well as with some paint thinner because otherwise the silicone is too thick and would dry too quickly. I hope this helps!
thank you for sharing your techniques. mermaid season is upon us (sadly just in summer. the winters are long and cold over here^^) and i really want to make myself a realistic tail to swim and play in the lake. btw, the scales look amazing because they're so unique, like it's supposed to be. This is one of the nicest DIY tails I've seen so far. It may sound stupid, but is it safe to use aquarium silicone instead of dragon skin or other type of latex? I do realise that it is used to seal up aquariums, but I'm just curious....
Hi Samara, you got it....this stuff is made to be safe for fish, only dragonskin and similar medical grade silicone are truly tested for human skin. I cannot guarantee safety here as this is a diy project that is more like a multimedia art project; however many mers have already used this technique with no ill effects + there is actually very minimal contact between the skin and the silicone as there is a layer of neoprene in between. It is still crucial to protect yourself aghainst the toxic fumes while it cures though. There ARE, however caulkings that are known to be toxic and made tailmakers actually fall ill such as Alex plus caulkings which should be avoided at all costs. It is worth checking out the mernetwork.net if you have more questions.
Hi Diamond Dragon! I suggest you make your pattern x2 and lay it out on your floor to measure out what you will need. I bought 1 sheet for this tail, but could have skipped about 1 foot. On the other hand I needed 1 and a half for the sequin tail just because my fluke is enormous on that one. It is definitely worth measuring in advance what you will need because neoprene is so expensive. Also, I mostly used the zigzag stitch x2 very tightly against the edge of the fabric to minimize seam thickness. I used outdoor upholstery thread and a leather needle on my cheap sewing machine. So yes, I definitely recommend using your sewing machine if you have one. Have fun!
You are very welcome! BTW for those who dare dabble in tailmaking, I strongly recommend checking out the mernetwork.com where mers go to share everything there is to know about tailmaking. I found it super helpful and inspiring when I made my own.
Hi wer do you live i want to buy thet i live in kisante makilala nort kotabato the gray house noth that are ner in the luklik a buyyer And kan i buy it?
Hi Guys! FYI, we just filmed another series on making fins out of aquarium silicone. ua-cam.com/video/jWqRDzaogys/v-deo.html, and installation ua-cam.com/video/XI1riTK05PM/v-deo.html.
Everyone complaining about the budget being around $500... you clearly do not know much about professional made mermaid tails... if you want a tail that looks similar to this made for you... it will cost $2000 at the LEAST some being $3000... not to mention it will not be as customizable with the colors and it wouldn't be something that you could admire for the work YOU put into it.
Nikki B the mermaid tail I’m buying is $129 from fin fun
Yeah we know! Its fabric! We’re talking silicone.
chill
Celestial Ivory yeah silicone is expensive😞 but if the quality is good it’s worth it😌
500 sounds like low balling the budget for this anyway since most people spend 1k on materials alone.
doesn't anyone think that the tail keeps changing its color
Alexandra Imad true so true
Ya I know Right
Yeah
This is great considering an actual mermaid tail you should buy is on average $2,000-$5,000
I bought my mermaid tail on ebay $38.51
She meant the silicone one
Can you show us how you made it, but in detail please?
Next tail I will add more details promise! Any specific question?
How did you make it with the zipper? What exact technique and piping bag did you use for the tail? Did you glue in the mono fin or can you take it out? How did you sew the fabric part of the tail? Questions like that. Thank you !
-yes, I sewed the zippers in the neoprene before putting on the paint and silicone.
-I piped the silicone directly out of the tube using a regular caulking gun. I cut the caulking tip about halfway to get the size "scale" I liked. The technique is similar to the "petal" icing techniques, however I just pushed down with the tip instead of using a separate tool to pull it out. I would not recommend transferring the silicon to a piping bag because you would get a lot of large bubbles in the process which would ruin the effect.
-The monofin is removable through a zip that goes along the side of the fluke all the way to the ankle. I left a few drain holes at the end you can see in the video. It was possible to fold the monofin and squeeze it through the ankle area before I opted for the zip, but it was reaaaally tight and not worth the effort.
-The fabric is neoprene, 2 or 3 mm is average for mermaid tails. I sewed it using a cheap 100$ sewing machine using leather needles and the toughest outdoor/sport thread I could find. The zigzag stitch is important to allow flexibility in the seam.
I hope this answered your questions!
Thank you so much! :)
Hi! How did you make the fluke?
Anyone overwhelmed with pricing should also consider if you're making your own silicone tail , you do not need to drop the entire cost of materials all at once. This is also a timely endeavor , and easily something you can gather materials for along the way. The silicone will be the largest individual spending point. This is also only one method of tail making, but still one of the most affordable I've seen
I seriously love that you started with price and time. I immediately realized this was way above my head and I should look for something less cool. I SUPER appreciate it! Thank you!!!!!!!
500 is pretty reasonable for a semi-silicone tail. Some higher quality fabric tails can run up to 500 but there are definitely cheaper fabric tail options especially the more simplistic. Full on silicone may be hella expensive and a definite investment. But for a 500$ project that makes your tail just a tad more realistic isn't bad.
WE ALL WANT TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT!!!!!!!
TheDragonMastor It’s pretty obvious
I know people like flexibility, but I think tails should be made a bit thicker. The tail looks great until your bending your legs and it looks all awkward. Lol. I'd want a happy medium where you still have some decent flexibility and have it thicker to hide the legs inside.
Ya your right
I couldn't help but giggle when she said "fish butts"
I am so immature
Thank you Aquamermaid! Making this tail would have been impossible without the mermaiding classes, pool space and inspiration
My kids hate diys but I still looked into it. My family just wanted to save money even though we don't have to I ended up buying a $1700 tail for my oldest daughter BUT my younger daughter is still into crafts so we made one for her, she's in love both were so worth it.
The bra hooks in the back are such a clever way to reduce the back gap
Lol
How did you feel the silicone held up overtime? We made one similar we took it out free test Swim the other day and the silicone is coming away from the neoprene so I’m not sure what we did wrong or maybe there is a spot where the water got underneath?
I wish I would buy all that! DIYs are supposed to be easy and cheap so you can DO IT YOURSELF!
Hi Karmin,
The way I see DIY is that it is cheaper then if you buy it already made. A silicone-neoprene hybrid will cost you a minimum of 800$ if you buy it, but it is 500-600$ DYI. The same with a full silicone tail which will be about 2000$ DIY versus 3000$+ if you buy it. Hey, even a house is cheaper if you build it yourself.
When you buy something, you pay for the cost of the materials, labor, transport and profit, but if it is DIY you pay only for the materials and you do your own labor so it is never as easy as buying...
If you dream of mermaiding, but you do not have a budget for this type of tail, you could make a spandex one DIY for 40-100$ if you can get a good deal on Amazon for a kid's monofin. Anyways It is not worth it for most people to get a fancy tail until they are fully grown.
is the sil a stick specifically able to adhere to the neoprene? Does that mean other silicone products will not adhere to the neoprene? how do you prevent the neoprene from degrading due to chlorine?
Hi there,
unfortunately, the product I use here is not meant specifically for neoprene, it is meant to stick to glass for making aquariums. You have to see this as a "mixed media" art project really. Fortunately, this is a very common technique for DIY tailmaking. Other types of silicone are likely to stick to neoprene just as well, but will be more toxic, except for dragon skin which is the safest silicone of all.
There is no rule for how long the silicone lasts, however sunlight and petroleum-based products such as certain skin creams will dammage it way faster then chlorine ever will. The trick to long lasting silicone is to keep it out of the sunlight, avoid petroleum-based skin products and lubricants and, to reduce the effects of chlorine, rinsing it after every use.
I hope this answered your question :)
Thank you!
you are very welcome ;)
How many bottles of silicone will i need? (Approximately)
so, you made the tail out of neoprene, then painted it (with what exactly?) and then added transparent aquarium silicone?? I'm trying to make this myself so I'm trying to figure out the steps for it :/
also, how harmful is it once it's cured?
The aquarium silicone is inert once cured, however if you really want medical grade and the best of the best, dragonskin from smooth-on is the best and what professional tails are made of
You can check out the mernetwork.com for many tutorials and info on tailmaking.
I this case, here were my basic steps as noted in the video:
-sewing the tail body with neoprene + testing in the water +adjustments
-painting the body of the tail with the fabric spray paint
-painting the fluke, then applying the silicon
-applying the silicone to the body of the tail
-water test, check out my responses in other comments below for more details
have fun, but please work with the silicone in a well ventilated area and use both a facemask and safety goggles/glasses
PS: I am also working on a few fins to add to the tail...
+Dame Melusine thank you so much!
You are very welcome, have fun!
Might as well buy it what's the point in making it.... if it cost that much..........
Taylor mertailor make silicone tails for $800
Dude, a professional made silicone mermaid tail is $2000+, you save like $1k on making this DIY.
They're around 2,000-3,000 dollars
My plan is to use a base of the green paint and use a mix of silicone with Pearl Ex pigment. I haven't read of anyone putting glitter in their silicone, but there are people with tails with some heavy sparkle. Do you think it would be safe to add glitter?
Your tail will be beautiful!
Yes, you can definitely add sparkles to your silicone, some of the silicone on my fluke has glitter in it, and I am making fins with loads of glitter for this tail right now. I would strongly recommend you mix in a bit of paint thinner in with your silicone and sparkles, otherwise the mix will dry way too quickly, faster than you can apply it. I am not sure how you plan to make your scale texture, but it may be better to use the glitter in a "beauty coat" (silicone, glitter and thinner) you paint on at the end. Another advantage of using the glitter in the beauty coat only is that much on the glitter mixed in with pigments will not be visible if the pigments makes your mix too opaque. In any case, please test, test, test first in smaller patches and batches to avoid wasting your materials.
Have fun!
That was ducking expensive
Taylor u said the same thing to me I would of saw this instead dumb head
Taylor your a bitch
Taylor actually it is both stupid idiot
Taylor u insult him\her with proper grammar as well insult me and I could tell my dad he is a cop
Lps MADI ROCKS welp,you've disappointed a Madi. You need school kiddo,and tons of it.
Where did you buy your aquarium silicone? Can’t find it anywhere
Did you put the monofin inside of the neoprene or did you connect it from the outside?
Hi Jessica, the monofin is on the inside of the fluke. It is removable through a zipper on the side.
That tail is just pretty
Where did you buy the neopren
Hi! I'm sorry did you say "neoprene" at 0:29? cause im taking notes of the materials but i didnt get that one right.. Thank you pls reply ASAP. :)
yes, I use neoprene. Make sure you do not use neoprin which is a different material.
Have fun!
chris fuentes thank you! :)
How many oz of silicone did you need to make the tail?
Do you know if there are silicone mermaid tails for kids???
I'm going to try to buy a mermaid fabric tail that's already made and colored and add silicone on it
Can I use hot glue for the scales
Hey I was wondering would you be able to do a video of hot to add extra fins
Tempting idea....thank you!
I rly want a cheap affordable tail which works well but I can't find one :(
Thank you, I made mine but I bought a fabric tails from amazon and then added the silicone. I made the scales a little larger and thin, I love it, thank you for your video.
Would you mind telling me the process you used to add silicone to the fabric? Thanks
Are the fumes the only toxic part about the silicone? Is the silicone toxic to your skin?
Hi The Mangle,
This in an important question, my honest answer is that I don't know...
Aquarium silicone is not certified to be 100% skin safe, because it is not what it was made for, so it's actual toxicity to humans once cured is unknown. If you want 100% guaranteed skin safe, go with dragonskin from smoothon.
I chose aquarium silicone because it is the least toxic of the ones available at a hardware store and many other mers used it with success in both pro and diy tailmaking in combination with neoprene. It is safe for fish and other marine life kept in aquariums; however there is no info about the product for human use because it is not what it is meant for. I am comfortable with it because it is not right against my skin, or only a very minimal quantity is.
I hope this answered your question :)
I thought that you couldn't bond silicone to neoprene? Do I have wrong information? I've been wanting to buy a neoprene tail and add silicone onto it for more texture
How to make a monofin with only a foot socket and neoprene please help me and the spray paint is work
500 dollars isn't bad. Since it fits you perfectly and most definitely looks cool.
Plz make a video how you made it
idc if i have an obsession but i want to be a mermaid
How did she do those scales, she didn't showed...
what type of paint would you use of you were to paint over the silicone
What type of silicone did you use?
Thank you for making this video! I am doing the same thing, but with layered spandex under the silicone. It was very helpful to see it function in the water!
Hi Macey, thank you! good luck in your project. May I recommend you use dragonskin instead of aquarium silicone to use with spandex as it is stretchier and stronger that aquarium silicone. The base under aquarium silicone cannot be too stretchy or the two layers will peel apart very quickly at tension points such as your knee area and the waist, which is why I used neoprene. The only successful silicone-spandex tail discussed on mermaid forums such as the mernetwork was acheived with dragonskin.
Dame Melusine thank you!
I have a question, how do you sew a neoprene mermaid tail? I know you need thicker needle and thread etcetera but I can't figure out the exact steps. Do you sew the tail and flip it inside out like a regular piece of clothing, do you overlock the edges and flip it inside out or do you leave the seams on the outside, should you include the fluke in the pattern or attach it later? I'm very confused about everything T_T
Hi Anouk,
check out the mernetwork.com for tips on how to make a pattern for a tail.
Pattern
I measured myself at every 3 inches all the way down to my ankles, then I made my hips to ankles pattern. Then I lay over it (making sure my knees are at the same hight as my pattern's) while wearing my monofin and traced my monofin on paper, then adjusted for the thickness of the monofin. The mahina monofin I used here needs an extra inch because it is thick on the sides. Then I attached this new monofin pattern to the hip-to-ankle pattern, again making sure everything was aligned well in terms of crucial lenghts such as knee to ankle. It is worth only loosely connecting the 2 patterns, because it is likely that you will become addicted to tailmaking (!!!) and want to use your legs pattern with a new monofin pattern at some point.
Cut and sew
Afterwards, I used this pattern to cut the 2 pieces of neoprene for this tail. Thus yes, the fluke was included in my pattern, thus only 2 pieces of neoprene. BUT! This is not absolutely necessary. If you look at my sequin tail, also on the aquamermaid youtube channel, you will see it is possible to have a separate fluke cover that attaches to the body at the ankle. This is really up to you. I even saw a mermaid (Erin St.Blain) who made the 2 parts attach at the knee so she can pop the bottom part right off and walk around with the top as a skirt. It is all about how you plan to attach the 2 parts and how you plan to camouflage the connection.
I took a few bits of neoprene and tested a variety of stitching techniques. I recommend you do so too, so you can find the best stitch your machine can muster. I eventually flipped the tail inside out and used the widest zigzag stitch right along the edges, i.e. there is the least amount of fabric possible beyond the edge of the stitch. This makes for the flattest stitch I could make with my 100$ regular sewing machine. There will still be an indentation where the stitch is, however, with this tail, it was camouflaged with paint as well as the silicone scales. When the body is flipped back, the edges rotate a bit and face each other instead of being folded against each other. I left the "tips" of my fluke", flipped it back outeside out, then stitched the tips in the same way. I also left 4x 2 inch gaps along the tips of the fluke to ensure the water can drain, this is essential in any tail and ignoring this step will cause your fluke to fill with water and baloon up. Here I also need to clarify that I needed to take it in after testing it in the pool. Testing at this point is absolutely crucial because neoprene stretches a bit in water and your body also compresses and changes, both changes that are impossible to predict while making a pattern on land. It is also possible that, in testing, you may get a wrinkle near the top of your feet. You can correct this by cutting out the excess fabric in an oval shape and sewing it back up. Whether you do the correction or not depends on the size of the wrinkle and how confident you are that you will be able to camouflage the stitch. This tail has a wrinkle, but I didnt correct it because it is small and only appears when I flex my feet and I was not confident I could effectively hide the stitch. I had a major, permanent, one in my sequin tail, but was able to cut it out and hide it easily with sequins.
I hope this answered your question, I will be glad to answer any more if you would like more details.
Have fun!
Thank you so much, this was exactly what I needed. You're so helpful, it's amazing ^^ If I have any other questions I'll be sure to let you know!
I found about 4 tubes of aquarium silicone on Ebay for about £13. Couldn't you use normal swimsuit fabric instead of neoprene to lower the cost?
Hi Kakey,
you need to use materials that have sorta similar stretch levels otherwise you risk having the layers separate where there is the most tension and stretching i.e. around the ankles, knees and waist. Aquarium silicone is somewhat stiff so it would likely peel away in those spots if you use spandex, which is way stretchier then neoprene, underneath. Many have tried it and failed because of this, only one mer ever succeeded using a very thin coat of dragon skin silicone over spandex. Dragon skin is stronger and more flexible then aquarium silicone.
I hope this helps!
Oh, thanks!
Hi, I love how the silicone turned out on your tail! I'm in the process of making my own hybrid tail and I'd like to use the Aquarium brand that you're using. The only problem is, I've searched all over the internet (and MerNetwork) for that brand but I can't seem to find it. Can you tell me what company makes that silicone or what specific store you got it from?
Hi Abigail, I got it at the Rona hardware store on Notre-Dame street in Montreal. The brand is Nuflex and the product is #333. It doesn't have to be this brand, just silicone made for aquariums. It is worth calling your local hardware stores. Also, try to avoid buying it at pet stores as it will be waaaaay overpriced.
Have fun! I hope you share your process and final result on youtube and the mernetwork too :)
Thank you so much for the info! I was worried because as I was digging through mernetwork trying to gather some detailed info on hybrid tails, a lot of people were saying their silicone wasn't curing on the neoprene. I knew it was possible because I had seen this video but seeing their posts made me worry that my silicone wouldn't cure.
Hi Abigail, unfortunately, it does happen for some people that it will not cure depending on the brand, temperature and moisture in your area and working room. Dragonskin is way more sensitive but some people have also had issues with aquarium silicone on occasion. I was lucky with this brand, it worked in all 4 Canadian seasons as I work in my garage with the door partially or fully open...even in the winter lol! Finally, thicker areas will take longer to cure. Basically, you know it is cured when it no longer smells like vinegar. If you are not sure, it is definitely worth buying a single tube and testing it at home first, to avoid wasting a whole batch.
Yup, I definitely plan on doing a couple of tests to figure out what'll cure on my neoprene before I end up buying a ton of silicone. Thanks again for the info! It's really helpful!
How much tubes of silicone does it take? I don't know how much I'll need
Hello,
unfortunately I cannot remember how many I used, maybe 15-20 tubes. Also, how many you will need will vary depending on how thick you make the "scales" and how many, and if you make fins. Maybe start with 10, or 2 boxes of 6 if you can get a deal and keep your receit so you can return any extra you don't use.
what fabric did you use to fix the silicone to? how did you make the monofin part? i hope you will answer....an already-made tail is too expensive for me :/
Asylas this tail is WAYYYY more expensive. Go to finfunmermaid.com and they have cheap sets.
I am making one this way soon, but I have a question!
How did you do the fluke? DId you do it directly on the monofin, or did you put a neoprene casing around it, etc?
Thank you very much!
Hi Hotori,
the base of the tail was made with 2 pieces of neoprene, basically the front and back, so it is one whole piece from the waist to the tip of the fluke. The monofin goes in and out using a discrete zipper running from one ankle to halfway down the side of the fluke. I also left a few vents in the seam at the edge of the fluke to allow water to drain.
Hope this helps, and have fun making your tail :). BTW there is plenty of ideas and support for tailmaking on the mernetwork.com
Thank you very much!
Can I use hot glue to make the total amount of money less?
gaming fan sure if you want to die
Cool where did you get it do you swim in it
Hehe, I made it! Please watch the video for the details.
Can kids were silicone tails and um I am for or five feet tall so do you know how much silicone I would need
silicon tails are really heavy and expensive and I would recommend to wait until you have your full hight before buying your tail. That way you can keep it for a long time :)
Did you use the same technique for your mermaid top? I'm looking to make one and nothing is quite how I want it to look
Hi, yes, I used a sports bra and used a makeshift body form with a pillow and 2 plastic bowls :P
this tail came out beautifully
what fabric is she using under the silikon... pls help =)
Hi Kurenai,
that is neoprene, the same that is used for wetsuits, not to be confused with neoprin which is a spacer material.
Love it where did you get it
do you know anywhere I can buy it:)
How do you get the monofin inside of it?
There is a hidden zipper along the edge of the fin!
Could you elaborate what you mean by painting under? I am trying to make my own, however, this is my first tail and I want to be certain on everything rather than making accusations regarding the advice given.
Idk if u got help yet. But what i think she ment was u paint and put your silicone scales ontop of the paint so the paint is under the silicone and not on it
I dunno why Im looking here...
I JUST LIKE ITTTTT
I think I’m just going to buy one...
We're can I buy a mermaid tail in randfontain
Nowhere, lol. You have to buy it online, sweetie.
How did you make the fluke?
hi! one question, the monofin is it "stuck" in the tail right, how do you get your feet in place? the mahina is kinda tight. And how did you get the body of the fin together with the fluke, it looks soo good.. my experimentations just goes south when im doing this... tips please
Hello, to help you get inside your fin you can add straps. Check this video at 3:05min it will show you how to do it ua-cam.com/video/p76liR2dNE0/v-deo.html
Thank you!!! :D
Hi Emma!
The neoprene base is 2 pieces, the front and back, thus each is one continuous piece from the waist to the tips of the fluke. I have a zip going along the seam from one ankle to near the tip of the fluke to get my mono in and out.
The trick for the best fit is to make a pattern measuring yourself around the legs at every 3 inches or so from navel to ankle, then you pop on your mono, lie down right on your pattern, making sure your knees align with the equivalent area on your pattern, and then have someone trace your mono to finish the pattern. You can add 1-2 inches later to compensate for the thickness of the mono. After that you sew it up and do a water test and make adjustments before adding any decorations. This step is crucial because everyone's body changes shape slightly under water, so does the fabric's stretchiness.
Hope this helps!
Dame Melusine couldnt you also do a perfect template when you clingwrap yourself and the monofin, ducktape it and then cut it open?
Hi Yuki,
that is an interesting idea, but you risk an inaccurate measurement because the rounder areas such as the calves, bum and stomach may not flatten fully with the rest of the form. Imagine trying to make a 1-piece pattern for a bra by pressing down an actual bra....it's not going to flatten perfectly and any measurement you make will be inaccurate. You loose a lot of stretch with the silicone on, so you need a very precise measurement. If anyone tries this, I would suggest adding a wider seam that can be adjusted later. Normally this technique, minus the mono, is used to make a dummy, which is definitely a great tool to make and paint tails.
Bonjour Dame Mélusine, tout d'abord félicitations pour tout ce travail, la queue est exceptionnelle ! Magnifique, vraiment ! Je me permets de vous écrire en français car j'ai cru comprendre que vous étiez au canada. Si cela pose problème je peux tenter de vous réécrire tout ça en anglais :-)
J'aimerais me lancer dans ce projet. J'ai déjà commencé des tests de mini nageoires ("fin") pour tester le silicone, mais j'ai des questions pour la grande nageoire ("fluke") :
J'ai vu un commentaire où vous disiez que la monopalme était incluse dans la queue, et qu'il y avait une fermeture éclair pour la retirer. Est-ce que la partie en néoprène est donc une seule et même partie, y compris la monopalme glissée dedans ? Ou avez-vous créé une "poche" pour insérer la monopalme ? Est-ce que vous auriez une photo où l'on peut voir la fermeture éclair s'il vous plaît ?
Concernant la monopalme, est-ce que vous l'avez laissée telle quelle ou est-ce que vous avez ajouté une partie avec du Lexan comme pour la grande nageoire faite maison, pour la rendre plus grande ?
Ensuite, toujours pour la grande nageoire "fluke" qui comprend la monopalme, est-ce que vous l'avez créée avec la même technique que les petites nageoires ("fin"), c'est-à-dire en incluant des parties très fines contenant deux couches de silicone avec une couche de "power mesh" entre elles ? Ou avez-vous juste fait les rainures avec le pistolet à silicone et l'intérieur avec le pinceau, directement sur le néoprène ?
Finalement, est-ce que la peinture couvre bien le néoprène ? Je n'ai trouvé en magasins que des néoprènes avec des couleurs sombres (noir, gris foncé) ou flashy (jaune, vert fluo).
Je sais que ça fait pas mal de questions mais ces quelques parties restent floues pour moi, alors que tout le reste est super clair. Est-ce que vous avez un blog ou un site Internet où on puisse vous suivre ? J'ai cherché mais sans succès.
Merci mille fois et encore bravo pour votre créativité. Je me réjouis de voir vos prochaines créations et vous astuces sur le "mermaiding". :-)
Oui nous sommes bien au Québec! C'est parfait les commentaires en français :)
Super ! 😊 Je suis en train de regarder toutes vos vidéos, elles sont géniales ! Merci pour toutes ces connaissances que vous partagez, c'est vraiment très instructif.
Bonjour!
Je vais tenter de mon mieux de repondre a vos questions.
neoprene
J'ai achete le neoprene de 2 mm de couleur chair a www.seattlefabrics.com/neoprene.html#Neoprene.
Patron
La base est 2 morceaux, devant et derriere, incluant la nageoire caudale, exactement comme la majorite des queues en spandex. Il y a des fermetures eclair le long du dos, ainsi qu'une le long de la couture allant de la cheville a la moitie de la nageoire caudale pour mettre et enlever la palme. C'est possible d'entrer et enlever la palme sans zip en roulant la palme sur elle-meme, mais...c'est du sport...et il y a un plus grand risque de dechirures des coutures des petites nageoires de talons et de delaminage du silicone. Si vous confectionnez votre propre queue je recommande fortement de faire quelques tests en piscine avant d'appliquer le silicone, parce que, meme si le patron est parfait au milimetre pres a sec, le corps change dans l'eau, ainsi que l'elasticite du neoprene et les ajustements sont donc necessaires.
Monopalme et caudale
La palme est une mahina ou j'ai coupe les petits bouts courbes et les petites courbes. Il n'y a aucune autre modifications, je pense qu'elle est beaucoup grande qu'elle parait en ligne!
J'ai peint les rainures et les couleurs directement sur le neoprene. J'ai aussi applique une rainure directement sur la fermeture eclair, mais le plus "en surface possible" pour eviter que le silicone s'immice entre les dents. Je l'ai ensuite peint avec la base blanche et ensuite le vert. Apres que tout a ete peint et seche, j'ai coupe delicatement le silicone le long de le fermeture eclaire tout en la decollant. Hereusement, le silicone colle tres peu au plastique de la ermeture eclair. J'ai ensuite peint l'interieur "l'epaisseur du silicone" en vert pour mieux la camoufler la fissure dans le silicone le long du zip.
Couleur
La peinture "shot of color" couvre comme une teinture, donc elle doit etre appliquee sur une couleur claire. Si vous desirer masquer la couleur du neoprene, il faudra faire une "peinture" en silicone telle que decrite dans les videos pour les nageoires. Il faut absolument eviter les peintures en acrylique et surtout le latex, qui empecheront l'adhesion du silicone.
J'espere que ca reponds bien a vos questions!
Dame Melusine c'est plus que génial, merci infiniment pour ces précieuses infos détaillées !
Bienvenue :)
how did you make it look like scales
Hi Greg,
I pushed out a bead of silicone while holding the tube and tip still, then scraped the tip for 1-2 inches to pull it out...just like icing a cake lol!
I've wanted to make one ever since I was 11 years old! But I'm sorry but I really doubt anyone has $600 laying around to make something to swim in. Great video, but if there's any cheaper way to make a tail like this, please let me know.
Hi Taylor, the best way to get started in making your own mermaid tail for under 100$ is to make one out of spandex i.e. bathing suit material, which will cost max 40$, as well as a junior monofin by finis or finfun (30-60$). Every mermaid, beginner or pro has a spandex tail in her kit.
I really LOVE aaalll your tails! And always when i see a cool tail, i have a question (with my "perfect" english...). Where is the silicone from?😄 You maybe said that in your video but i just didn't notice that. ilysm💖
Awww, thank you! I got my silicone at a hardware store, Rona on Notre-Dame street in Montreal, to be precise. It is the only place in Montreal I can find it. It is harder to find because it apparently has a shorter shelf life than other silicones and caulkings.
dollarstore???
@@damemelusine4879 I can't find this specific aquarium silicone, would any other brand of aquarium silicone work or should I look for specific ingredients?
@@cheyennebradford8755 I can't tell for sure because I am not an expert. I suggest you start by buying the smallest tube you can find and testing it with all of the other materials that you plan to use with it i.e. your choice of neoprene, fabric, paint, etc. That way, if it fails, you will not have wasted a fortune on a large batch.
It’s really pretty.
Really pretty
OMG!!! Such a beautiful tail!!!
can you use a finfun mono fin?
Hello Liberty!
The "old" FinFun that is clear acrylic would not be strong enough for such a tail and risks breaking. It may be possible if you have the newer version that is black plastic and stronger, but only if you have no extra fins or any frills which cause drag. If you go that route, I would add inside an extra layer of neoprene right where the ridge of the fin appears near the heels to prevent it from digging too much in the neoprene.
Is it possible to paint over this type of silicone? Who was it that you mentioned inspired the scales (at 2:52)?
Ayana Sofia
Tiggs tail and fish butts
Hi Ayana, only silicone sticks to silicone. Thus you would need to make your own paint by mixing silicone with pigments (Pearl Ex are very popular for this application) and paint thinner in some cases, and add a clear coat of silicone on top to seal it in. I am currently making fins for this tail and mixing the pigments with the silicone as well as with some paint thinner because otherwise the silicone is too thick and would dry too quickly. I hope this helps!
Wow issen makaap
Btw you homemade tail is AMAZING
thank you for sharing your techniques. mermaid season is upon us (sadly just in summer. the winters are long and cold over here^^) and i really want to make myself a realistic tail to swim and play in the lake. btw, the scales look amazing because they're so unique, like it's supposed to be. This is one of the nicest DIY tails I've seen so far. It may sound stupid, but is it safe to use aquarium silicone instead of dragon skin or other type of latex? I do realise that it is used to seal up aquariums, but I'm just curious....
Hi Samara, you got it....this stuff is made to be safe for fish, only dragonskin and similar medical grade silicone are truly tested for human skin. I cannot guarantee safety here as this is a diy project that is more like a multimedia art project; however many mers have already used this technique with no ill effects + there is actually very minimal contact between the skin and the silicone as there is a layer of neoprene in between. It is still crucial to protect yourself aghainst the toxic fumes while it cures though. There ARE, however caulkings that are known to be toxic and made tailmakers actually fall ill such as Alex plus caulkings which should be avoided at all costs. It is worth checking out the mernetwork.net if you have more questions.
Hola donde las compras las colas
aquamermaid.com/collections/store/products/mermaid-tail
where can I buy it
You have to make it ;)
How much neoprene do you need?
Also what kind of stitch should I use? And should I use a sewing machine?
Hi Diamond Dragon!
I suggest you make your pattern x2 and lay it out on your floor to measure out what you will need. I bought 1 sheet for this tail, but could have skipped about 1 foot. On the other hand I needed 1 and a half for the sequin tail just because my fluke is enormous on that one. It is definitely worth measuring in advance what you will need because neoprene is so expensive.
Also, I mostly used the zigzag stitch x2 very tightly against the edge of the fabric to minimize seam thickness. I used outdoor upholstery thread and a leather needle on my cheap sewing machine. So yes, I definitely recommend using your sewing machine if you have one.
Have fun!
Dame Melusine thank you so much. I will have so much fun making this
You are very welcome! BTW for those who dare dabble in tailmaking, I strongly recommend checking out the mernetwork.com where mers go to share everything there is to know about tailmaking. I found it super helpful and inspiring when I made my own.
Oh wow! I was always nervous on asking a professional. I'm worried that they might ignore me. Thank you for another person to talk to!
I loved Brazil and I love your channel and I'm going to do mine.
Felipe Oliver why did you mention brasil
because im from brazil :3
Hay im wearing a top that says that today
Idk why you need to know
Hi wer do you live i want to buy thet i live in kisante makilala nort kotabato the gray house noth that are ner in the luklik a buyyer
And kan i buy it?
No, lol.
This Tail is beautiful 😁 But why can't we see how you Make it ? 🤔
It looks like it could break at any moment really cheap looking
It doesn’t take that long it take about a week
For mine I use stretchy fabric and when you put the silicone it becomes water proff and heavier
With the main body. Do I use plastic bags and ducktape? 😁😁😁
OK, that looks creepy real
Can you make me a silicine tail? I want one of this georgeous tails!
No, lol.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing! xoxo
I like how she talks about being broke from making this-
Hi Guys! FYI, we just filmed another series on making fins out of aquarium silicone. ua-cam.com/video/jWqRDzaogys/v-deo.html, and installation ua-cam.com/video/XI1riTK05PM/v-deo.html.
very pretty tail!
I love youre videos 😛
This is amazing !!!!
Fin fun is better because the tail I got from them was 104$ so yea
Beautiful
Uhhh how 'bout we just buy a mermaid tail from finfun cause this is way more expensive!
I AM ALERGIC TO SILLACON. But I LOVE ❤️ MERMAIDS
You can use latex instead if you aren't allergic to latex. It's the next best thing to silicone
Mmh, the scales are big.... but thanks.
that moment when she shows a cut up mahina merfin
I know its my dream to be a mermais but i wish i had a mermaid tail its my only wish i wish i coud be true