★ The Accessory Making FAQ ★

[PearlieMae]

Thanks! But I can't take credit, Pearl Ex is pretty standard here!

In another note, coming soon to my Etsy shop:

[Kait]

Yay PearlieMae! As a DD this makes me very very happy! Shell tops are always too small

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Yay PearlieMae! As a DD this makes me very very happy! Shell tops are always too small

I find its the opposite! Shell tops are always too big!

[Mermaid Aria]

I find its the opposite! Shell tops are always too big!

I agree! I stuggle to find premade mer-tops to fit my 34A chest.

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[PearlieMae]

I have smaller lion's paw shells and scallop shells (pretty shallow) for smaller busts, too. Haven't tried an ombre gradient on these yet, but will try that soon!

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Having been both large-chested, and now small-chested, I feel all of your pain! Although, to be honest, overall it is WAY easier to find things to fit smaller boobies. Those shells are beautiful Pearlie!

[PearlieMae]

Having been both large-chested, and now small-chested, I feel all of your pain! Although, to be honest, overall it is WAY easier to find things to fit smaller boobies. Those shells are beautiful Pearlie!

Thank you!

I hope to soon be able to get a cohesive breakdown of the various shells available online.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Thank you!

I hope to soon be able to get a cohesive breakdown of the various shells available online.

A dream top for me, is shells that fit exactly a 34C chest without too much cleavage overflow.

Because mine don't, move? Sag? Its like the rest of me have grown old but my teen boobs haven't!!!

Is one of the reasons why I wear one piece swimsuits... I got nothing to show!

[Mermaid Tuwala]

Another possible glue option is water proof hot glue sticks. I'll have to find out the exact name/brand. But they work in a regular glue gun. I've never used this glue for accessories but we use it in the hatchery at my work for everything. (marine hatchery in Canada -so very cold sea water). The main thing we use it for is gluing mesh to plastic. It's never come off on its own before and we've been using it for years. Like it will be submerged in flowing sea water 24/7 for at least months at a time. If the mesh tears and needs replacing we have to scrape/tear the glue away and sometimes there is still some left.

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[spyderskiss]

I go to Dollar Tree all the time but I have never seen these shells. What section do they keep them in at your store?

[Winged Mermaid]

I go to Dollar Tree all the time but I have never seen these shells. What section do they keep them in at your store?

Dollar Tree and other Dollar Store store items come and go with supply availability, location, seasons, and whatnot. What one person may be able to find at their store may not be in another one. I just poke my head in every once in a while to see what they have.

[Ashton]

sometimes they are in the floral section

[HamptonsMermaid]

My Clamkinis are usually about 5" diameter. I usually recommend them for A-B but my girlfriend pictured here (in the pink & purple shells) is a size C and she was surprised at how well they fit her. I have made Clamkins with shells that are about an inch wider too. And I sold a version with sliding vertical shells to my size D friend for the mermaid parade (have to bug her for the pics).


$60 from Hamptonsmermaid.etsy.com

[HamptonsMermaid]

Another possible glue option is water proof hot glue sticks. I'll have to find out the exact name/brand. But they work in a regular glue gun.

Are these different from normal hot glue sticks? I use normal hot glue in my waterproof accessories. Even the Clamkinis (pictured above) don't come apart in chlorine, salt or fresh water and I have pairs that I've been wearing regularly for 3 years. I just don't wear them in hot tubs tho because of the hot glue haha.

[BlueCorvidae]

So I'm having a terrible time of finding a tutorial on how to actually attach netting, plants, shells etc. to the top (besides just gluing, I'm sure there's more too it than that). Youtube is no help, showing a bunch of videos for halloween costumes and other things ill-suited for swimming in. I have a bra, e6000 glue, fifteen square feet of netting, two strands of pearls, two lion paw shells and some greenery and no idea where to start. Anyone know of any tutorials anywhere?

[PearlieMae]

Try searching for costuming tutorials

[BlueCorvidae]

Try searching for costuming tutorials

Not to be rude but I feel like that's a little more vague than what I've been searching already.

[PearlieMae]

It's basic costuming. Sew the netting, glue the greenery.

[Dogfish]

So I'm having a terrible time of finding a tutorial on how to actually attach netting, plants, shells etc. to the top (besides just gluing, I'm sure there's more too it than that). Youtube is no help, showing a bunch of videos for halloween costumes and other things ill-suited for swimming in. I have a bra, e6000 glue, fifteen square feet of netting, two strands of pearls, two lion paw shells and some greenery and no idea where to start. Anyone know of any tutorials anywhere?

This might sound daft but I just usually try stuff out and see what works. Perhaps do a practice or tester and see if it holds up using glue or other techniques you can think of. I'd reckon just glue would be fine then when you figure it out you can make tutorials to help other merfolk out ^^

[BlueCorvidae]

This might sound daft but I just usually try stuff out and see what works. Perhaps do a practice or tester and see if it holds up using glue or other techniques you can think of. I'd reckon just glue would be fine then when you figure it out you can make tutorials to help other merfolk out ^^

Yep, I've been working on it slowly and just figuring it out for myself. Sewing the netting on made my bra tighter, and I wasn't anticipating that. It still fits, I just have to ask my fiance for help taking it off now. Also, my boobies are huge, so it's taking a LOT of greenery to cover up the bra cup. The shells only cover half of it. >_>

I have a couple of seashells (real ones, sorry about that) that I was going to paint, but I recently saw that you can dye them like easter eggs. I'm going to go ahead and try that and see if it holds up to water. If not, I can always just paint them after.