Tutorial: Animal Tails

Well, dang. I had anticipated posting this tutorial LAST week, but well, you know. Last week wasn't our week to meet deadlines of all sorts. Deadlines with work, but also our laundry deadline (i.e. we are down to our last skivvies), grocery store deadline (i.e. do you think that thing in the back of the fridge is edible?) and other stuff. Ugh.

Anyway, I know I said that last week I would post a project and this is it. Our animal tail tutorial. It's really no big deal, but lately, my boy has been running around with pipe cleaners attached to his belt loop calling them a tail. So, I decided to make some tails that may hold up a little better than a pipe cleaner (after playing with them for a few days, it looked like the pipe cleaner had mange).

Okay, let's start! Just find some old (or cheap) socks. I like the long tube socks - the longer the sock, the longer the tail.

Turn the socks inside out:


We want as much length as possible on these tails so I'm incorporating the foot as well. In order to make that look more like a tail and less like a sock, we need to very carefully cut out the heels.


Carefully pin the heel openings together. We're fashioning a tube, so we want to close up this hole.
Sew up each hole. My socks were extra stretchy knits, so I went over the seams again just to be sure. Turn them inside out:


Now you have two tubes instead of socks. The tops of my socks are way too thick, so I'm trimming these away (note: they make excellent arm bands).


I don't want thick ends on my socks because I'm going to cut down about two inches into the sock top (below). These will become my ties to tie the tails onto belt loops. Since this is a pretty good knit fabric, I'm not going to worry about unraveling fabric.


Fill your tails with cotton or poly-fill but not too tight.

Once filled, you're going to sew up the opening. I didn't do anything too fancy here, just made a seam and went over it one more time for good measure. Sew right below your cut.

I like to roll the finished tails in between my hands to get the lumps out and make them more even. Then tie one on and get ready for fun!

Have some fun with your little animals!