You Can DIY Your Way to Lauren Conrad's Mermaid Costume

By Hannah Weil McKinley
LaurenConrad.com
LaurenConrad.com

We've come to regard the crafty Lauren Conrad as something of an authority on Halloween costumes. If you've followed her Halloween getups over the past few years then you already know why. The reality-star-turned-designer and lifestyle blogger has years of clever costumes under her belt, but this year's might be the best yet — especially since she's showing us exactly how to DIY our own.

Lauren took to her website to unveil her mermaid costume for this weekend's festivities, and with the sneak peek gave us a step-by-step guide to getting the glamorous look all on our own. With 24 hours left till party time, this nine-step costume might be just the thing to turn your Halloween plans around. Get your DIY on when you scroll.

Here's what you will need:

  • Two large scallop seashells
  • Your choice of mixed seashells (Lauren recommends tiny starfish)
  • Corset or strapless bra
  • Shimmery green fabric with some stretch
  • Dark green or turquoise sequined fabric
  • Tulle in different shades of turquoise and blue
  • Needle and thread
  • Straight pins
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun
  • A dress form (or a friend!)
For the Seashell Bra

For the Seashell Bra

  1. Lay the bra on a flat surface, and arrange the seashells to your liking.
  2. Use your hot glue gun to secure all of the seashells onto the bra.
For the Mermaid Tail

For the Mermaid Tail

  1. Wrap the shimmery green fabric around your dress form, making sure that the fabric is inside out.
  2. Pin the fabric in place with your straight pins so that you know where to go back and sew it together.
  3. Remove the shimmery green fabric once it is all pinned. Remove the straight pins as you sew, and use your scissors to cut off excess fabric. This will be the layer underneath your dark sequined fabric.
  4. Wrap the dark green sequined fabric around your dress form, and secure it with straight pins just like your first layer of fabric.

  1. Pin the fabric just below where your bottom will be in the mermaid tail.
  2. Grab the multicolored tulle and begin layering them to add volume to your mermaid tail. To sew the tulle tufts onto the tail, take the needle and thread and pull it through the center of the tulle layers and sew it to the inside of the dark sequined fabric.
  3. To make the tail extraglamorous, sew on a few extra layers of tulle. (Tip: Sewing tulle under the front of the tail makes it easier to walk.)
The Finished Product

The Finished Product

Once you sew the final tulle tufts onto your mermaid tail, the only thing left to do is try on the completed costume.

To see more photos of each step go to LaurenConrad.com.