DIY Fleece Mermaid Blanket
I just got 10x more excited for Christmas. I’ve said it before that I love this season – the emotions, the smells, the family and friends – it’s not just the presents. Although I do love seeing my family’s reactions when they open gifts, and I know two little girls who are going to be very, very excited. I originally saw a crocheted mermaid blanket somewhere, and I thought it was awesome, but I ain’t got time for that (and I don’t know how). So I got two yards or green fleece, two yards of purple fleece, and some batting from Joann’s when it was on super sale. I wanted to get the super-soft minky-type fabric, but we’re moving so I’m on a super tight budget. I ended up spending about $16 for two blankets. 
The first thing I did was fold the fabric that I used for the main part of the tail in half, and I drew the shape that I wanted. If you use a fabric that has a front/back side, make sure the good side is on the inside. Sorry that I don’t have any brilliant techniques besides free-handing, but I barely even measure when I bake. 
When it’s cut out, you will have the two pieces that make the body of the tail. I made these extra large so my girls could use them more like sleeping bags than lap blankets, and so they could grow into them a little bit. The bigger one is 20″ across on the top, and the length is almost the full width of the fabric (just shy of 60″). The smaller one is 18″ wide, and a little bit shorter. 
To make the fins, I folded the accent color in half, put it under the bottom of the main piece, and drew the shape I wanted. And then I did it again on the other side. 
Then just pin, and you’re ready to sew!
I started with the fins, making sure to keep the part that connects to the tail open for the batting. I used a pretty tiny, slightly zig zagged stitch.
For the batting, I traced the shapes and cut a little bit inside of the lines. Then I stuffed the fins, and sewed a couple decorative lines through them to keep the batting in place.
When it came time to sew the main part, I went about 2/3 down to leave room for the fins. Attaching them was the trickiest part, because I had to stuff them inside the end of the tail, making sure to keep them the right way (the first one was wrong and I had to rip the whole seam). Then I re-pinned, and sewed the rest of the tail. 
When I turned them right-side-out, this is what I got! The larger one actually fits me as a (slightly snug) lap blanket, and I’m tempted to make one for myself. Because who hasn’t dreamed of being a mermaid?! Mostly, I just can’t wait to see their faces on Christmas morning! 
