Make a Mermaid Shell Top

One of the most important parts of a mermaid costume, besides the tail, is a sea shell top. Mermaids are very fashionable creatures, and wear all sorts of tops. Sea shell bras are their favorite, but some of the more modern mermaids prefer t-shirts with shells painted on them. Regardless of which method you choose, you are bound to end up with something that will be the envy of any mermaid.

Steps

Making a Sea Shell Bra

1. Get a strapless bra that fits you. You will be covering this bra with shells, glitter, and other things, so make sure it's one you don't care about. The bra can be any color, but a skin-toned one would be the best. You can also use something that matches your mermaid costume, such as teal or purple.
   • A strapless bra works best because it has less fabric to peek out from behind the shells. If you can't find one, try to get one with re-moveable straps instead.
   • You can also use a tank top instead of a bra.
2. Get two shells big enough to cover your bra. You can find large shells in an arts and crafts store. You can also find large, plastic shells in a party or costume shop. If they came from a mermaid costume, you may have to cut the strings connecting them off.
   • Avoid getting abalone shells. They are too heavy for shell tops.
   • If you are getting real shells, make sure that they match up as closely as possible.
3. Paint the shells with spray paint or acrylic paint, if desired. You don't have to do this, but it's a great way to add color to your costume. You can use any color you want, but purple is especially popular amongst mermaids. For extra sparkle, choose a metallic or pearlescent paint. Let the paint dry before moving on.
   • Keep in mind that most paints will dry a shade or two darker.
   • For an interesting effect: paint the shell a flat color, let it dry, then lightly go over it with a dry brush and a matching metallic color. The paint will stick to just the raised surfaces, giving it a subtle shimmer.
4. Coat the shells with extra-fine glitter for extra sparkle. Coat the shells with glue first, then sprinkle glitter over them. Use iridescent glitter or glitter that matches the shell color; this will prevent the glitter from clashing against the shells.
   • You can use spray-on glue or liquid glue (ie: Mod Podge, school glue, etc).
   • Extra-fine scrapbooking glitter will look much better than the chunky, craft glitter.
5. Hot glue the shells to the bra. Coat the back of the shell with hot glue, then quickly press it against the bra cup. Repeat this step for the other shell and bra cup. You can have the shells pointing straight up-and-down, off to the sides, or at slight, outward angles.
   • You can also use industrial-strength glue, such as E6000.
6. Embellish the seashell bra with rhinestones, sequins, or beads. Use hot glue or superglue to attach rhinestones, sequins, or beads to the shells. You can glue them randomly over the shell, down the groves, or focus them on the bottom of the shell. For something more subtle, glue mini rhinestones along the top edge of the shell instead.
   • Use colors that match the shell or your mermaid costume. White, clear, or iridescent are great options too.
7. Fill the gaps in on the bra with more embellishments. Focus on the spot between the two shells. If you have any bra cup material peeking out, it would be a good idea to cover it up as well. Avoid putting anything on the bra strap itself, otherwise it may lose its stretchiness.
   • Consider gluing a smaller shell or starfish in the spot between the two shells.
8. Add some final touches, if desired. Here is where you can get really creative, and add those last few touches to bring character to your mermaid bra. Listed below are some ideas:
   • Glue lace trim to the edges of the shell for a more feminine look.
   • Add a strand or two of pears or beads between the two bra cups. They will dangle against your ribcage.
   • If you don't want the bra strap visible, you could loosely cover it with some fish net to make it is obvious.
   • If you used a tank top, you could glue some more embellishments to the shoulder straps.

Painting a Shell T-Shirt

1. Tuck a sheet of cardboard inside your desired shirt. You can use any type of shirt you want for this, but a loose-fitting shirt, such as a t-shirt, would work best. The fitted shirt may cause the paint to crack when it stretches.
   • Sleeveless shirts, cropped shirts, and shirts with lace insets work especially well.
   • The cardboard will protect the paint from transferring to the back of the shirt. Make sure it is big enough for your design.
2. Create a shell-shaped template. Draw a large, fan-shaped shell onto a sheet of thick paper and cut it out. If you don't know how to draw a shell, find a simple template online, print it, cut it out, and use that instead.
   • The shell needs to be big enough to cover your breast, or between the size of your palm and hand.
3. Trace the shell onto the t-shirt. Position the shell where your breast would be on the shirt, just below the sleeve. Trace around the shell with a pen or pencil. Move the shell over for the other breast, and trace it as well.
   • You can have the shells pointing outward at slight angles, off to the style, or straight up-and-down.
   • Try the shirt on, place the shell against your chest where you want it to go, then make a light mark with a pencil as a guide.
4. Paint the shell using fabric paint and a paintbrush. Start by painting the outline first, then fill the shell in. If you can, try to use a brush meant for fabric paint; it is usually sold in craft stores, right next to the fabric paints.
   • Mix some extra-fine scrapbooking glitter into the paint for a sparkly effect. Use iridescent or a matching color.
   • Your shells can be any color you want, but purple or teal are popular mermaid colors.
   • You can also use acrylic paints as well, but you'll need to add one part fabric medium to two parts of paint.
5. Apply a second coat of paint, if needed. Let the first coat of paint dry to the touch. If it looks blotchy or uneven, you will need to apply a second coat. Let this second coat dry before moving on.
6. Paint on some details using a thinner brush, if desired. You can make these details any color you want, but they'll look better if you use a darker shade of the same color as your shell. A great idea would be to outline the shell, then paint the ridges.
7. Let the paint dry completely. This may take a few hours, but it would be better if you let it dry overnight. From time to time, pull the shirt away from the cardboard. This will prevent it from sticking.
8. Heat set the paint, if needed. Some types of fabric paints/mediums need to be heat set to make them permanent. Check the bottle of paint or fabric medium you used for specific instructions. In most cases, you will need to cover your  design with a tea towel, then iron it for about 2 minutes.
9. Glue on some embellishments, if desired. Rhinestones, sequins, and pearl beads make great choices. You can also outline your shells with a skinny sequin trim instead. Lay them out first, to make sure you like the design, then glue them down with fabric glue. Let the glue dry, preferably overnight.
   • You can remove the cardboard after everything dries.

Tips

• You can use any color of glitter you want, but it will look better if it is the same color as your shell. Iridescent is also a great option.
• Extra-fine scrapbooking glitter will give you a higher-quality look than chunky craft glitter.
• Treat these tops with care. The shell bras are not washable. The t-shirt bras are, but they should be washed by hand.
• You can make your shells any color your want, but purple or teal are popular mermaid colors.
• Acrylic paints tend to dry a few shades darker. Keep this in mind when painting.
• Use beads, sequins, and rhinestones that match your shells.

Things You'll Need

Making a Sea Shell Bra

• Strapless bra
• Two large shells
• Paint (optional)
• Spray-on glue or liquid glue
• Extra-fine scrapbooking glitter
• Rhinestones, sequins, beads, etc.
• Small embellishments, shells, starfish, etc.
• Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Painting a Shell T-Shirt

• Cardboard
• T-shirt
• Cardstock
• Pen
• Scissors
• Fabric paint
• Fabric paintbrushes
• Tea towel and iron (if needed)
• Extra-fine scrapbooking glitter (optional)
• Fabric glue and embellishments (optional)

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make a Pot of Lavender Potpourri
• Make a Quill Pen out of a Feather
• Collect Sea or Beach Glass
• Make a Bird Nest
• Clean and Polish Seashells
• Paint a River Rock
• Make a Dreamcatcher
• Create Seashell Wind Chimes
• Do Taxidermy
• Make Natural Dyes

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