What to use as fringe?

[Mermaid Saphira]

I really like the idea of fringe on a tail, but I'm not sure what to use. I have heard of using scraps of material cut up, but I think it's to much work...
No of anything I can use? Thanx mers :D

[koiboi]

i saw a post on here by winged mermaid of a close up of hannah frasers sequin tales that used old vinyl translucent floor matting as fringe which is avialble at home depot i believe. id you could also use tassles or cut up pieces of silk, or string-hope this helps

[Mermaid Saphira]

Thanx u for the help. I knew about the floor matting but it just doen't give the flow I want. What do you mean by tassels?

[koiboi]

tassels like they would sell at a home decor store, usually to hang from say curtains or somesuch.

[Arie]

I'm also looking for none fabric to use for fringe. I've checked out the shelf lining, it all had pre scale like designs (opposite of what my scales will be thought), however I did find vinyl, but its all clear.. I'm trying to find other options or if rheew us a war to colour things? Any tips? Or maybe other stores in Canada that may sell something? Open to anything

[PearlieMae]

I have a selection of colored vinyl shower curtains from my local dollar store, try something like that. Many fabrics will unravel and tangle under the rigors of swimming, and I'm not sure how loose threads might affect pool filters. Stretchy fabrics will sometimes roll, but you might be able to use that to your advantage!

If you cut a tee-shirt into strips across the body of the shirt, when pulled, they roll into cord-like loops. If you cut a section of the tee shirt and sliced into it and pulled the strips, you could make a nice dreadlock-y kind of fringe. Just a thought. :)

[junelong]

Thank you very much for sharing this information!

[Ilyena]

Hi, I have thread like tassles not exactly fabric on my tail, theres pic of them in my album on here. Though if you do, do not get the really long single thread ones as they come apart easily in the water, but the other shorter ones I used are like little twisted loops and are fine after ages of swimming ^_^. Hope that helps

[Ashton]

Has anyone thought of vinyl fabric?

[Arie]

I never thought about showed curtains.
I asked mermaid Kariel if she was willing to share her secret to her fringe, but sadly and understandably she said she wasn't. Totally understandable that she wants to stand out. But that's also why I want to have color ;p

I'm just worried that a shower curtain could rip easier then say shelf liner. However it could be a lot easier to sew

[AmbrGlows]

Hi, I have thread like tassles not exactly fabric on my tail, theres pic of them in my album on here. Though if you do, do not get the really long single thread ones as they come apart easily in the water, but the other shorter ones I used are like little twisted loops and are fine after ages of swimming ^_^. Hope that helps

I was thinking of using something like yours or even lace. LOL, I even thought about a country inspired tail with a gingham pattern tail with eyelet trim along the sides and down the back.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Ready made sequins on a string like they have in the haberdashery section of your local fabric shop. They call it sequin trim, I think.

[PearlieMae]

You would have to tie off every single strand...otherwise they unravel and you'll lose all your sequins.

[AmbrGlows]

Anyone use this stuff on their tails? http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/4-hot-pink-stretch-metallic-fringe-868604/

[AmbrGlows]

Anyone use this stuff on their tails?

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/4-hot-pink-stretch-metallic-fringe-868604/

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[PearlieMae]

That kind if fringe would end up a tangled mess. It would not hold up to the pressure of swimming. It's quite fragile.

[AmbrGlows]

That kind if fringe would end up a tangled mess. It would not hold up to the pressure of swimming. It's quite fragile.

Thanks PearlieMae!

[AmbrGlows]

What about a shorter thicker fringe like that?

[Mermaid Galene]

It really only takes 5 minutes to cut fringe from vinyl. You can get bathtub anti-slip mats in colors, and vinyl tablecloths in all kinds of color and patterns.

[PearlieMae]

That kind of fringe is a knit strand of polyester. It's not secured on the ends and the knit unravels fairly easily. There's some upholstery fringe called bullion or bullion fringe, where the strands are twisted back into themselves, but they are bulky and none of these fringes are made to withstand much handling. They are usually for home decor (how often do you really shake a couch with fringe on it?). Skirts with fringe aren't worn that often and degrade pretty quickly with wear, and that's not taking water into account!

Test it! Buy half a yard of each and sew them to a pair of shorts and go swimming! See how much abuse it can take. See if the color runs. See if it tangles or unravels. Prototype everything! A small investment to test is better than ruining your tail because it might work!

And don't buy ANYTHING from hobby lobby!

[AmbrGlows]

And this vinyl stuff looks good with fabric tails? I've only seen vinyl in clear.

[PearlieMae]

Has anyone thought to use plastic craft lacing? It would be time consuming to attach, but it comes in a rainbow of colors and you can blend them together in your choice of colorways. I even have some with holographic sparkles, and the spools are pretty cheap. I use them in my boogie boards and pol toys and they stay out in the weather all year. Pretty indestructible, too!

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Used to make keychain lanyards at camp out of this stuff!

[Ilyena]

Anyone use this stuff on their tails?

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/4-hot-pink-stretch-metallic-fringe-868604/

22259

I've used that as ankle 'fins' on my tails and they hold up well with no tangling, its just the fringes which are not looped back into itself (cut into single stands) which can be a pain and fray like no tomorrow :(.

These are after one swim
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[AmbrGlows]

I've used that as ankle 'fins' on my tails and they hold up well with no tangling, its just the fringes which are not looped back into itself (cut into single stands) which can be a pain and fray like no tomorrow :(.

These are after one swim

Wow! Thanks, I won't be using that. I found a really pretty fabric for my tail and a pretty ribbon/sequin trim to use at the bottom of the fluke...just a little ruffle.