★ The Accessory Making FAQ ★

Mary, my top from Etsy has the seaweed glued down. Not sure what kind of glue the seller used, but it's definitely better than hand sewing the whole thing because that would take forever. I would advise hand sewing the high-impact areas (the spot in between the shells in the front has already had a couple pieces fall off) and if you figure out a good way to clamp it while it is gluing that would probably help the adhesion. Also, be careful to glue it while the fabric is stretched. If you don't, the glue will prevent it from stretching once it's dried and you won't be able to put it on!

I used E6000 for adhering my plastic plants to my bra cups, and I have yet to have any come off! I use gorilla glue to adhere the shells to the top as I find it's heavier weight. I also either find a way to clamp the shells while drying or apply glue as directed put on the bra, put the shells where I want them then lay stomach down so my weight acts as clamps till it starts to harden (about an hour).

Another tip I'd give you, is that you can bunch a few pieces of fax plants together with hot glue, then use E6000 to glue them to the bra. Works like a charm for me :) For the straps though, you have to either stretch the band while you glue/while the glue dries OR sew stuff on. I prefer to sew stuff when it comes to the bra strap because it keeping it's elasticity is important, and with all the stretching the glue is more likely to come off over time.

Has anyone worked with this kind of shell before? Is it strong enough for a top?

http://www.deltonaseashells.com/inc/sdetail/130/180305

I've never seen one but it might be too narrow for a top


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Is the 8-9 inches, in width or length? I think at 8-9 inches in length it might be a bit large for a top (unless you have a large top are that can fit 2 without looking awkward)

I had a shell like that. It's not really a good shape for a top unless you have multiples on each side of the top, and that might be a bit uncomfortable.

8-9" is what it would take to cover my boobs decently, Momo, I'm a very big lady even if my chest is proportionally small. I took measurements. I'm having a hard time finding big enough shells, regular lions paws are just too small. :( It seems to be the consensus that they're a bad shape, though, so I guess I'll have to keep looking.

Naufra, I'm not sure if this would be helpful but "Myth and Magic" on Etsy does silicone shells that are 6.5 x 6 " (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1652864...home_active_17) which is the largest I've found tbh. Pearlie Mae also sells cast shells on her Etsy which are smaller (5" I believe.https://www.etsy.com/listing/2110169...?ref=related-5) but she may be able to cast larger ones for you for a custom price? any shell that large unfortunately will probably be pretty expensive. Maybe you can get one of those and then put it on a bra and fill it in with smaller shells or greenery?

Naufra, I know how you feel in the boobage department. You could also get sequins to fill in extra space too.

Thank you for bringing those up, Opal. I have seen them before, and I just might ask Pearlie if she can help since neither of those would be big enough. The dry-wear top I currently have is actually studded with many small seashells. I will definitely need to add extra decorations no matter what shells I use, but I don't want it to look like seashell pasties on a bush. I've seen some that look like that, and it's not something I want for myself. Perhaps sequins are the way to go on this one, I'll look into that.

Pickles, the sad thing about this is that I'm actually a B-cup. 44-B.

"seashell pasties on a bush"
LOL that's what I was worried about too. Sequins could be a good alternative! Or if you were able to save up, I think some of the silicone tops like the Merbellas seaweed ones would look awesome!

Oooh, that's not a size often seen. Opal, that's true too. Thing is, I'd have to pay a bunch extra for someone else to make a top for me because I'm a 34E and uh...bras are about eighty dollars apiece for me. XD

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Originally Posted by Aziara

Is there any reason I rarely (if ever) see polished lion's paws used for tops? I'm thinking of using it for my next one, but I was wondering if there was some reason no one uses them. https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-4869917...s-5-to-6-1.jpg

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*Paws at.... no pun intended.*

I've never seen them before. I can't imagine a reason why they couldn't be used though.

I believe someone responded earlier in the thread that the polished lion's paws aren't as strong as the regular ones and are more prone to chipping. Too bad, they're so pretty!

Well, I just got in a pair from an ebay seller (If anybody is wondering, shrumer2000 is an awesome seller), and to say that they are 'weaker' than normal lion's paws is kinda misleading. You can say someone is weaker than the current heavy-weight wrestling champ, and they still could be pretty strong, lol. I'd say that polished lion's paws would be the same. The unpolished ones are pretty much unbreakable, so the polished ones are still somewhat tough. I wouldn't go banging them around, but I don't really think that tops get that much abuse. Unfortunately my camera is having trouble picking up the gorgeous shine and shimmer they have...http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...228_193344.jpg

I look forward to seeing what you make with them, Aziara! ^_^

Good to know. I assumed they were a little thinner from pics, but it looks like they will make a great top!

[QUOTE=Merman Dylan;198372]Can someone help me with this? I want to make merman bracers, but I'm not sure about all the materials I need to do a good job. I have lots of wire to use. This the sculpting aluminum kind. I was wondering if you could offer any advice for making the Bracers and what kind of materials I need to use.[/QUOTE

Hi Dylan! Are you wanting bracers with fins and scales or more metal cuffs? You could create beautiful silicone bracers which would stretch to fit your arms with a small investment in the smallest shipment the Dragonskin comes in. It can be painted any color combination you wish as long as you mix the paint with the silicone.

Have you worked with it before?

You need stainless steel wires. Any other type of wire and it will rust and tarnish. May also cause allergic reactions on the skin.

Make your master out of your armature wire, clay, and whatever else you want...then make a mold using a urethane resin, or silicone mold rubber, and then use platinum cure (Dragonskin) silicone to cast the brace. Pigment the silicone so you don't have to paint it. Make sure you sculpt an overlap so you can 'glue' the bracer together with more silicone. Voila!

Basic sculpting and casting info. Hope you like videos!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfa...bx8BNbuzRvc5sg

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Originally Posted by Merman Dylan

I just got an idea. My local Joann's sells a material that is water resistant that I tried making a belt out of, and they sell all kinds of spandex, polyester, and other water resistant swimwear fabrics. They also sell a variety of hemp and aquatic plant based rope. I could try making a fabric bracer. I'm pretty good with needle and thread sewing by hand. I like sculpting wire because it's like weaving with a tougher material. i'd love to learn about silicone products, but this is the idea I just got.

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Dylan, you can buy all kinds of textured vinyl and synthetic leathers at Joanns. These would be simple to cut into a large cuff like shape. You can then paint on scales add fins out of the same stuff or switch to some of the shimmery diaphanous fabric for the fins and reinforce them with your wire. Use a silicone glue safe for aquariums to anchor and coat the wire in place. You can also coat the whole thing with a very thin layer of this same glue to waterproof it. It comes in tubes at Lowes or Home Depot.

Another way to create the bracers and is MUCH simpler than sculpting everything first using the Dragonskin silicone. Smooth-On sells it in different sizes and you can order it directly. Cured silicone will peel off any slick surface such as a counter or floor. It is a 2- part process. When you order it comes in equal parts of A and B and have to be mixed in exact ratios to cure correctly. I just use a cake mixer. If you want to color the silicone all the way through add a LITTLE paint or powdered pigment to part B first and achieve the color you want as a base then mix in part A.

If you had created a mold, now is when you would pour the silicone in to cure. However, if you want a simple sheet of silicone that you can cut into any variety of shapes including scales and thin translucent fins, pour some into a cookie sheet, let it cure and peel it out. I use a release agent, Mann Ease Release 200 spray, also available from Smooth-On. Spray the cookie sheet first.

Once you peel out the silicone sheet you can cut it into the scale shape of your choice. Mix up a little silicone to use as glue since silicone ONLY sticks to silicone. Overlap your circles/scales and add a little silicone where they touch to glue them in place. You can create a whole scaled bracer this way. Then cast another cookie sheet for your fins. peel and cut them into the shape you want. They will be very floppy and fin-like. Glue them in place with more silicone running down the length of the bracer. You will want to use straight pins to pin them in place while the silicone cures. Once everything is cured and the way you want it, you can now add more paint to highlight the scales, add veins to the fins, etc. Just remember the pigment MUST be mixed with silicone to stick. You can use a little Naptha to thin it sown to make it a little more fluid. Et Voila!

You can PM me if you have any questions. Good Luck!

I used that same trim for the Hem of a Neptune costume! :)

Wrap it around your upper arm like a snake!

Make sure it's super tight, I noticed even my silicone bracers moved around in the water, and fabric is bound to be more flowy.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a circlet base? I recently chopped my hair to a pixie and would like to make a circlet. I love the look of some of the wire circlets out there, but I would like to make something that goes a little bit more with the shell/fake plant look I have going on with my top. (I have an adorable hairclip from etsy, but unfortunately my hair is too short to use clips now.) I see that some people use metal chains but i'm not super familiar with jewelry making and what is water proof, so I'm wondering if maybe i can do some sort of netting base? Let me know your thoughts. Here's along the lines of what I was looking for:
Attachment 32444 Attachment 32445

I haven't worked with actual fishing net yet, but most fibrous materials, like cloth or rope, stretch when they get wet. With this in mind, I would recommend finding a base material that doesn't absorb water. You'll notice in the second picture you posted that they've used chain as the base and attached the netting to it with jump rings, this way is the net does stretch when wet it won't affect the fit of the circlet. If you do go with the netting as the base, you'll want to keep it lightweight so it won't slip down as readily or maybe add a cross-piece that goes over the top of your head to help keep it up. For swimming in it, you would need to secure it to your hair somehow. If the netting is thin enough, you could use bobby pins to hold it in place, though they would be visible with your hair so short.

As for water-safe metals, most jewelry metals do not react much to water, especially precious metals. Craft store jewelry chain is normally just fine with water, but if you're super-worried about it then I would recommend looking for jewelry parts that say that they're plated in a precious metal. This is a more expensive way to go, but peace-of-mind has value. I don't recommend using copper or bronze so much because they're more likely to oxidize in water and copper alloys are more easily eroded by human sweat and skin oils, but if that's the color scheme you want I suggest coating the metal to protect it. Rustoleum is perfect for this, and nail polish top coat (the clear kind) can work, too, if you take the time to do it carefully. Nail polish will have to be reapplied every so often if you sweat on it a lot.

I'm a trained goldsmith with a college degree in jewelry and I'm pretty handy with other areas of costuming, too, so you're welcome to PM me with any questions, Opal. ^_^

I'm not a jewelry expert, but I know a little bit about sculpting. There's a sculpting material called sculpting wire. It's thin and malleable. Depending on how you bend it, you can create all kinds of shapes. When you twist them into a pattern, the wire can become very strong and unique. The metal doesn't rust or erode if you get the right kind, but I learned from working with it that it does seem to rub something onto your hands. I think the body heat heats up the wire and it leaves a gray or silver mark on your hands that rubs off onto your hands.

This is an example of what you can create with sculpting wire. It comes in all kinds of thickness, and you can create something more hollow or solid depending on how much of the different kinds of wire you use.

http://www.wirelady.com/eaglefishcropd.jpg

It's aluminum wire and very soft. It can be distorted very easily...that's why it's used as an armature, so it can be repositioned while you're sculpting over the top of it. The aluminum will rub off onto your skin.

Great, thanks for the info everyone!

I know this is an older thread, but does anyone have experience with making swimmable accessories out of polymer clay?

Myself and many other use polymer clay to make swimmable accessories and decorations, they're fine for water wear :)

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Originally Posted by Winged Mermaid

Myself and many other use polymer clay to make swimmable accessories and decorations, they're fine for water wear :)

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I know you say this but gosh I am too afraid to wear the lovely earrings you made me in the water lol


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The suggestion of acrylic paint to paint shells with — does it stay underwater? I want to make a headdress primarily for dry events, but if I could take it underwater every now and then for special shoots ... that'd be cool.

Same question for superglue, really. Can it withstand water?

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Originally Posted by PetLoverSpy

The suggestion of acrylic paint to paint shells with — does it stay underwater? I want to make a headdress primarily for dry events, but if I could take it underwater every now and then for special shoots ... that'd be cool.

Same question for superglue, really. Can it withstand water?

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Both of those questions are answered in the original post :)

I did see both substances mentioned but wasn't sure if it was in the context of dry events or underwater wear. I take it everything's meant to work underwater, then?

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Originally Posted by PetLoverSpy

I did see both substances mentioned but wasn't sure if it was in the context of dry events or underwater wear. I take it everything's meant to work underwater, then?

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Yes, that's correct! Sorry I guess I didn't state that very clearly :P If there's issue with something not working for underwater wear or it's better for dry wear I mention that specifically. (Like how I noted that hot glue is not good for for continuous underwater wear.)

No I just wanted to be absolutely sure, I often miss the subtleties of human language xP Thank you!

Was thinking of using a roll of burlap (like those ribbons) to use as backing for hair accessories. Can anyone confirm that this will hold up? The alternative is felt, which I have seen used before. I'm worried about mold. Thanks! :)