How To Make A Costume Tail

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A wolf or cat costume is not complete without a tail. Store-bought tails can get expensive, and they aren't ever very unique. Luckily, information technology is easy to make your own tail at home. Using fake fur is the easiest, quickest method. If you have a lot of time and patience, however, you can brand a brushed yarn tail, which looks like a realistic wolf or fox tail when complete. All-time of all, you tin can combine different colors to create your own unique design!

1. i

   Create your design. Make up one's mind what shape you want your tail to be, then draw it onto a large canvas of paper. For a cat tail, you could make a long, skinny rectangle that is rounded at 1 end. For a fox tail, you lot could make an elongated almond shape instead.

   • It would be a good idea to add together a ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) seam assart to your blueprint at this indicate. If you don't yous'll need to add together ane afterward.

2. two

   Transfer your design to the back of a piece of fake fur. You can pin the blueprint to the fur or you can trace it using a dressmaker'due south chalk or pen. Make sure that the tail goes with the grain of the cloth, and that the fur ends at the tip, like a existent tail.

   • Choose long, fluffy fur for large tails, such as fob or wolf tails.
   • Choose curt fur for skinny tails, such every bit cat tails.

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3. 3

   Cutting the blueprint out from the dorsum of the fabric. Set the fake fur down onto a flat surface with the back side facing you. Slide the tip of your scissors into the fur, so begin to cut along the pattern. Cutting like this will prevent y'all from accidentally cutting the fur fibers themselves.^[1]

   • If you did not already add a seam allowance to your pattern, be certain that y'all add together a ½ inch (i.27-centimeter) seam allowance now.
   • Alternatively, y'all can cut the pattern out using a box cutter.

4. 4

   Cut some other piece for the other side of the tail. If yous chose a unique shape for your tail, such as a curved husky tail, make sure that y'all flip the pattern over first.

5. 5

   Comb the fur in, away from the cut edges. This includes the fur at the tip of the tail. Doing this will prevent the fur from getting caught in the seams, and make cleaning information technology up at the cease easier.

6. half dozen

   Pivot and sew the tail together. Place the two pieces of fur together, with the wrong sides facing out. Run up along the fur using a ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) seam assart. If the thread breaks, apply a looser tension or switch to a stretch run up. Leave the top of the tail open.

7. seven

   Turn the tail right-side-out through the opening at the top. Utilize a dowel, pen, or knitting needle to help push the end of the tail out further.^[2] If your tail had a curved shape, like a croaking tail, be certain to cut notches into the curved parts. This volition assistance it lay smoother.

8. eight

   Stuff the tail with polyester stuffing or fiberfill. Yous can find bags of this stuff in fabric stores and arts and crafts stores. If y'all want a bendable tail, consider sticking a thick wire into the tail after you stuff it.

9. 9

   Hand sew the top of the tail shut. Tuck the raw edges into the tail, then run up the sew close using a ladder stitch. Yous will be using a safety pivot to secure the tail to your costume. If you'd prefer to use loops instead, cutting one or two loops out of cording, and add together them to the top of the tail before you sew it shut.

10. 10

    Run up a flat-backed prophylactic pin to the top of the tail. Alternatively, you can sew a keychain ring or hook to the pinnacle of the tail instead. If you lot added loops of cording instead, you tin skip this pace and slide the tail onto a chugalug instead.

11. 11

    Comb or brush the fur out. Focus on the seams where the fur may have gotten caught in the stitch. Adjacent, castor the fur from the top of the tail towards the bottom so that it lays naturally. If you make a husky tail, you lot will need to comb information technology at a downward angle instead and so that it points towards the outer part of the bend.

    • If the fur is still caught in the seams, use the tip of a knitting needle to pull it out, then comb it again.

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1. 1

   Get 100% acrylic yarn. You lot tin can apply whatever color you desire, even a "fantasy" color, such every bit pinkish, purple, or teal. The yarn must be 100% acrylic, otherwise the method volition not work.

2. two

   Wrap the yarn around a piece of cardboard a few times. Y'all will exist braiding this yarn, so the cardboard should exist about twice the length you want your tail to be. Wrapping the yarn around the cardboard about 12 times should be enough.^[3]

3. iii

   Cut one side of the loops and tie the other. Use a pair of scissors to cutting the wrapped yarn forth the bottom edge of the paper-thin first. Slide the bundle off of the cardboard, and so tie a short piece of yarn effectually the middle of the packet.

4. iv

   Complect the yarn together. Use the short piece of yarn to tie the packet to a support, such equally your toe, a table, or a chair. Split the yarn bundle into three fifty-fifty sections, then complect those sections together. Tie the tail end of the braid with some other piece of yarn a few inches/centimeters from the bottom.^[4]

5. five

   Comb out the tail end of the braid. Utilize a pet comb with broad bristles to brush out the yarn at the end of the braid. Keep brushing until the yarn strands unravel and turn fluffy and wavy. The tail cease volition become shorter and yous volition become a lot of fluffy bits of yarn. Discard these fluffy bits or save them for another projection.

   • The fluffy bits that come up out of the yarn are perfect for making plush animals.

6. 6

   Use a hair straightener to straighten the tail end. Ready a hair straightener to the lowest temperature setting possible. Working a few strands at a fourth dimension, straighten the brushed yarn at the finish of the complect. Keep straightening, one small section at a time, until the yarn is straight. Do non employ too high of a setting, otherwise you will melt the yarn.

   • Rummage through the straightened section with a fine-toothed pet comb to aid polish them out further.

7. seven

   Wrap some yarn around a vii to 8-inch (17.78 to 20.32-centimeter) piece of cardboard. Do this until the paper-thin is full, then cut the yarn at the top and bottom of the paper-thin. Y'all'll finish up with lots of 7 to viii-inch (cc-centimeter) pieces of yarn.^[five]

8. 8

   Necktie viii to 10 pieces of yarn together in the middle. Gather 8 to 10 pieces of the cutting yarn together. Make sure that the ends match upward, then tie the bundle into a knot in the middle. Repeat this step for all of the pieces of yarn that you cut. You'll stop up with lots of trivial bundles.^[6]

   • For a thinner tail, wrap the yarn 6 times. For a thicker tail, wrap the yarn 13 to 16 times.

9. nine

   Brush the yarn package out, except for two strands. Separate two strands from the bundle, 1 on each side of the knot. Use a wide-toothed pet comb to brush the other strands out until they unravel and turn wavy. Repeat this footstep for all of the yarn bundles.^[7]

   • Again, you will end up with lots of fluffy $.25 of yarn. The yarn packet volition become shorter. This is normal.
   • Rummage the parcel one more time with a fine-toothed rummage to soften information technology further.
   • Y'all'll be using the two unbrushed strands to tie the bundles to the tail. For a more secure tail, brush these two strands out equally well.

10. 10

    Straighten the brushed out yarn bundles. Set your hair straightener to the lowest setting possible. Use it to straighten the brushed out yarn until all of the ripples and waves disappear. It'll be easier if you straighten first one side of the knot, and then the other.^[8]

    • Do non straighten the strands that you used to tie the bundles together.
    • Brush the bundles out with a fine-toothed pet rummage later to help them lay more smoothly.

11. 11

    Tie your first bundle to the braid. Place a brushed-out yarn bundle against the bottom of the braid, right above the necktie. Have the 2 strands of yarn yous used to tie the bundle together, and wrap them around the braid. Tie the strands together into a tight, double-knot.^[9]

    • If yous brushed all of the strands out, run up the bundle to the braid by the knot instead. You lot tin too use a driblet of hot gum or textile gum instead.

12. 12

    Trim the strands off. Alternatively, you can castor these strands out, and so straighten them, just like y'all did for the bundles. This will accept more fourth dimension, however, but information technology will give yous a neater finish.

    • If you sewed the bundles on, skip this step.

13. xiii

    Tie the next parcel on the other side of the complect. Flip the braid over so that the dorsum is facing y'all. Position the next bundle right in a higher place the knot where you tied off the beginning bundle. Wrap the necktie strands effectually the braid, and tie them into a knot, but like before. Trim the strands out, or brush and straighten them.^[10]

14. 14

    Go along tying the bundles to the tail. For a fuller tail, add the adjacent tertiary and fourth bundles on the left and correct side of the tail. Repeat the procedure: front, back, left, and right, until you lot achieve the top of the braid. Scrunch the bundles down every bit much as you tin so that they are stacked on peak of one another and you can't come across the inner braid.

    • For a thinner tail, tie the bundles ½ inch (one.27 centimeters) apart.^[11]
    • If y'all are sewing the bundles on, work in peachy rows, with the knots right adjacent to each other.

15. 15

    Make more bundles, if necessary. At ane point, yous may run out of bundles. If this is the example, make another batch using the same method every bit before. If you lot have any bundles left over, consider adding them into the tail to fill in any gaps.

16. 16

    Attach the tail to your costume. There are a few ways you lot can do this. You can use the ties at the peak of the braid to tie the tail to your belt. You can also utilize the ties to secure the tail to a key chain hook or ring, then hook that over your belt. A tertiary pick would be to sew together or glue a flat-backed safety pin to the peak of the tail and pin it to your costume.

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Add New Question

• Question

  What if I don't have acrylic yarn? Volition normal scarf yarn work as well?

  

  Yes, any kind of yarn should work fine.

• Question

  Can I exercise a wikiHow on how to brand fake fur?

  

  Yeah, if information technology is something that yous are knowledgeable about. It would be helpful to pass on your knowledge to others.

• Question

  What if I don't take yarn or fluffy stuff?

  

  Jerry Xu

  Customs Answer

  You could maybe use cotton assurance or pieces of an quondam mattress. Maybe tear up tissue paper of the desired color and mucilage them back together.

• Question

  How do I attach this to my fursuit?

  

  You should use textile glue, hot glue, or velcro to attach your tail to your costume.

• Question

  If I don't take a dog brush, is there something else I can utilise?

  

  A fine-tooth rummage works well and fluffs up the fur. I suggest starting at the end of the fur and going upwards, gently and slowly.

• Question

  How do I brand my tail poseable?

  

  I have used pipe cleaners, which piece of work fairly well. Slide a pipe cleaner into the tail and hot-glue it to the inside. I suggest doing it before information technology is sewed. (I don't know if this will touch a sewing machine, every bit I paw-sew).

• Question

  Can I wear this to school in the 5th grade?

  

  Probably not. Check your school's dress code or enquire your teacher to be certain.

• Question

  How do I brand a tail if I don't take a pet brush? Practise I have to straighten it?

  

  Any kind of rummage or brush will do, simply a fine-toothed one will be neat. And no, you don't have to straighten it.

• Question

  How do I modify colors if I am making a yarn tail?

  

  For colored tails, endeavour using black yard braid and follow the steps for the faux fur. Effort straightening the different colors together. Crimping works fine too.

• Question

  Does a nit comb work as well as a fine-toothed one when making a tail?

  

  Information technology would probably be a tad bit harder to work with just because the beard are very stiff and pressed tightly together, merely you lot can try! I would recommend using a fine-toothed one, though (or even better, a slicker brush).

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• For a multi-colored fake fur tail, cutting and sew unlike colors of imitation fur together first, then cut and sew together your tail.

• Brushed yarn tails do non accept to exist all one color. Make different colors of yarn bundles to create different patterns, such equally stripes or spots.

• Make a short brushed yarn tail to make a fluffy faun tail.

• Y'all tin brand the yarn bundles shorter if yous want to, just you might not exist able to brand them longer. Yarn pulls apart later a certain indicate, so you can merely become them to a certain length.

• Depending on how elaborate you want your costume to be, you can as well create a mask to match with your tail. For example, create a paper pull a fast one on mask to pair with a play a joke on-way tail.

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• Do non get brushed yarn tails moisture; they will become curly once again.

• Keep your tail away from heat; fake fur and acrylic yarn will both melt when exposed to heat.

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Things You'll Demand

• Fake fur
• Large sheet of newspaper (ie: newsprint)
• Dressmaker's chalk or pen
• Fabric scissors
• Sewing car
• Needle
• Thread
• Sewing pins
• Polyester fiberfill/stuffing
• Safety pivot, cording, or keychain band
• Thick wire (optional)

• 100% acrylic yarn
• Broad-toothed pet rummage
• Fine-toothed pet comb
• Hair straightener
• Scissors
• Cardboard
• Keychain ring

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