How to Make a Realistic Tail for a Cat Costume

Digital71

Editor

posted on 9 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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A cat costume is easy to put together from tights and leotards. Ears are basically triangles of felt, so they aren't a problem and cat face make-up can minimal or complex enough to be a work of art. The tail, though, can pose a challenge. Here is a solution. The wire inside the tail provides spring and movement, and will take your costume to a new level. People will want to pull it and play with it, so be forewarned.

Steps

Begin by purchasing a yard of fleece fabric for around $3.00. Although you will only use a small amount, the stretch must go from side to side, so a yard is required to get the length of the tail. Test the stretch in the store.

Cut out the tail by folding the finished edge of the fabric over three inches. Cut from end to end. Check to see that the fuzzy or right side of the fabric is inside.

Round one end by trimming with the scissors through both layers of fabric.

Sew the tail starting at the rounded end. Either hold the two layers with your fingers and guide carefully with your hands as you sew, or pin using dressmaker's straight pins to keep the piece from slipping. If sewing by hand, go over it twice or more times to be sure it is secure.

Trim the rounded end to 1/4" and turn the tail right side out. A wooden dowel or the long handle of a wooden spoon will make this process easier.

Use fiber fill or polyester batting to stuff the tail. Start by working a ball of stuffing into the rounded end of the tail, using the dowel or wooden spoon to help get the stuffing down the tube of fabric. Keep going, pushing balls of stuffing tightly as you go until the entire tail is stuffed.

To wire the tail, cut a piece of wire twice as long as the tail, plus 12 inches, from a roll of standard household wire that is about half the weight of a clothes hanger. Fold the wire in the center and insert it into the tail. Push until the wire comes to the end of the tail. There should be two six inches pieces of wire protruding. Using a pliers turn each of the raw ends of the wire back and tape over the loop that is formed with a 4" piece of duct tape. Fold the tape over the loop to encase the wire's looped ends in a 2" square of duct tape.

Attach the tail to a pair of dance trunks or the panty part you have cut from a pair of tights to create trunks or briefs. Place one piece of wire to the right and the other to the left of where you will mount it on the trunks. Hand sew around the piece of duct tape, keeping it flat against the seat of the pants. Sew the other side. Repeat to reinforce it again.

To wear the tail you will need to make a slit in the rear seam of the pair of tights you will be wearing as part of your cat costume. Before dressing, work the tail through the slit and put on both the trunks and tights at the same time. You can bend the tail any way you wish and it will have a lot of movement, stand out from the body, not droop and be quite secure.