A Mermaid Tale

Here’s how it goes:  Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Olivia.  She went to Disneyland and, like her sisters, fell head over heels in love with Minnie Mouse.  Her mother was thrilled when the sisters all squealed with delight at the proposal to be Minnie Mouse for Halloween.  So their mother ordered up all the fabric for Minnie Mouse costumes and was feeling quite pleased with her advanced preparation. 

Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Mattel, Barbie rose to new heights of stardom as she performed the part of Merliah in her latest movie, Barbie in … A Mermaid Tale.  Unfortunately for Olivia’s mother, Minnie Mouse was no match for Merliah and her sparkly pink bikini, pink-streaked hair, and mermaid tail.  Knowing this, Olivia’s mother was once again thrilled to find a blue mermaid costume in the stash of recently acquired hand-me-downs.  But try as she might, Olivia’s mother could not convince Olivia that blue was just as good as pink, and so, defeated, she ran to the fabric store and pieced together a stack of fabric and some craft supplies to whip up the most spectacular $10 Merliah costume.  Hopefully, Merliah will remain IT at least until October 31, and will not rub off on the two littler Minnie Mouse fans.  THE END.

The fun didn’t stop there!  Every mermaid beauty needs accessories!

Mandatory Accessories:  necklace and crown “JUST LIKE THE REAL MERLIAH”

This technique could be used really to make any sort of obnoxious jewelry for your children and it proved to be a fun activity for Olivia as well:

        

 I used polymer clay and a candy mold to make the seashell pendant.  I placed just a few drops of water into the mold, pressed the clay in quickly and completely, then removed it.  The water acted as a barrier so that the clay came easily back out of the mold.

Trim off the excess clay and use your finger to smooth out any bumps.  I then used a metal skewer and made a horizontal hole in the top portion of the shell; you must do this prior to baking.  Make the hole large enough to fit whatever necklace chain you will be using.

  

 We baked the shells according to the clay package instructions, then painted them with Mod Podge, and gave them a good sprinkling of iridescent glitter.  We also gave the Mod Podge/glitter treatment to a play crown from the dress-up bin.  I sprayed the dried items with a quick coat of clear sealant and laid them out with some blue beads, jute twine, and metal necklace wires for the girls to string up some necklaces.  Accessories READY!

What’s the latest craze in your house?  Are you making costumes or buying them?