Design Your Own Mermaid Tail: Our Fin Fun Custom Tail Creator Review

We used Fin Fun’s Custom Tail Creator to turn my six-year-old niece’s original drawing into a real custom mermaid tail, and the finished design matched her artwork remarkably closely.

The process was simple enough for a child to enjoy: choose the right template, create the artwork, photograph and upload the design, select the tail options, and wait for that one-of-a-kind mermaid creation to arrive.

Jump to How It Works

We received a Fin Fun Mermaid Tail in exchange for this post. All opinions and our love of all things mermaid remain our own.

How to Design Your Own Mermaid Tail with Fin Fun

Yes, you really can design your own mermaid tail.

My days were once filled with girls talking about mermaids: the mystery, the beauty, the legends, and, naturally, what their own mermaid tails would look like. Instead of choosing a ready-made color or pattern, we tried Fin Fun’s Custom Tail Creator and let my six-year-old niece create the design herself.

She started with a tail template and filled it with the colors, stripes, swirls, and patterns she wanted. We photographed her finished artwork, uploaded the design, chose the tail options, and waited for Fin Fun to turn her picture into a real custom mermaid tail.

That is what makes this review different from simply explaining how a mermaid tail designer works. We have the original artwork, the finished custom tail, and the photographs showing exactly how the idea became a real product.

The process also still exists. Fin Fun currently offers a DIY Custom Tail Creator that uses downloadable templates and uploaded artwork, which is the version most similar to the one we tested. There is also a separate online Custom Tail Creator design tool for creating a tail on a computer or mobile device.

At the time of this July 2026 update, the basic DIY custom tail starts at $99.95 before upgrades and other options. Because custom products, prices, production times, and available choices can change, check the current product page before ordering.

This is especially helpful for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and gift-givers looking for something more personal than an ordinary mermaid costume. It can work for a birthday, Christmas gift, creative art project, or a child who has already imagined the exact tail no store could possibly have on a shelf.

Why You’ll Love Designing Your Own Mermaid Tail

• The child becomes the designer. The finished tail begins with their colors, artwork, and imagination.
• You do not need professional artistic skills. Our favorite part was that the drawing looked like a real child’s creation.
• The result is truly personal. No other tail had my niece’s exact collection of pink, purple, orange, blue, stripes, and colorful details.
• The before-and-after moment is wonderful. Place the original design beside the finished tail and you can see the idea come to life.
• It makes a memorable gift. We wrapped ours for Christmas, which made the reveal part of the experience.

What You Need to Create Your Own Mermaid Tail

You do not need an art studio or a professional mermaid tail maker. For the DIY process, gather:

• The correct downloadable tail template for the size and style you plan to order
• Crayons, colored pencils, markers, paint, or another allowed art medium
• A flat, well-lit surface for photographing the finished artwork
• A phone or camera capable of taking a clear image
• Enough time for a made-to-order product to be created and shipped

Let the child do as much of the designing as possible. A polished adult-created pattern might be beautiful, but the crooked stripes, unexpected color combinations, and tiny personal details are what made ours so special.

How to Design Your Own Mermaid Tail

Step 1: Choose the Right Size and Download the Template

Start with the current Custom Tail Creator page and choose the correct size before downloading the template.

This is one step I would not rush. A custom design is attached to the product you order, so check the current size information carefully before the crayons come out.

Step 2: Create the Mermaid Tail Design

Now comes the fun part.

Let your mermaid tail designer color, draw, paint, and create. My niece did not need a degree in underwater fashion. She simply filled the template with the colors and patterns she loved.

Her design was bright, busy, wonderfully imaginative, and completely hers.

That is the point.

Step 3: Photograph the Finished Artwork

Follow the current instructions for photographing the finished design. Place the artwork flat and use bright, even light so the colors and details are easy to see.

Before uploading anything, save a clear copy of the finished artwork. Take an extra photograph or scan it so you still have the original design even after the order is complete.

Step 4: Upload the Mermaid Tail Design

Upload the finished image according to the instructions on the Custom Tail Creator page.

Check the preview carefully before moving forward. Make sure the entire required design area is visible and the image is clear enough for the details to be reproduced.

Step 5: Select the Tail Options and Order

Choose the current tail style and available options carefully before placing the order.

Do not assume every accessory is automatically included. Fin Fun’s products and configurations can change, so check exactly what comes with the tail you are ordering and whether a compatible monofin must be selected or purchased separately.

Step 6: Wait for the Custom Mermaid Tail

This is the hardest step when the designer is six years old.

Custom products are not instant. Fin Fun’s current online design-tool listing says made-to-order custom tails can take 3 to 4 weeks to ship, but always check the exact product page for the current production estimate.

For birthdays and Christmas gifts, order early. Mermaid magic does not enjoy being chased by a shipping deadline.

How Close Was the Finished Tail to the Original Drawing?

This was the question I wanted answered most.

Would the finished custom mermaid tail actually look like the child’s design?

When ours arrived, we placed my niece’s original drawing beside the finished tail.

It was a remarkably close match.

The bright pink sections were there. The purple and blue stripes were there. The orange borders, dark patterns, and colorful details near the fin had all made the journey from a six-year-old’s imagination to a real custom tail.

The photograph tells the story better than I ever could.

Another person can explain how to create your own mermaid tail. This is the part only our family could show: her picture beside the finished product.

What Was the Finished Fin Fun Mermaid Tail Like?

The custom Fin Fun mermaid tail we received was made from stretchy, breathable swimsuit-style material.

I looked at the construction closely. The stitching was consistent, I did not see missing stitches, and the tail felt well constructed for dress-up, play, and the intended water use when all current swimming-safety requirements are followed.

The bottom of our tail was open, allowing access to the feet and space for the appropriate swimming equipment.

In our house, this translated to one very important feature: mermaid in the water, human on land.

Because product materials and construction can change over time, treat these observations as a firsthand description of the tail we actually received rather than a guarantee about every current model.

The Christmas Morning Reveal

We wrapped the custom tail and gave it to my niece for Christmas.

By then, she had already experienced the fun of designing it. Now she was holding the finished version of something that had once existed only on a piece of paper.

She could not wait to try it on.

That was the magic of this experience.

It was not simply that she received a mermaid tail. She had helped create it.

My Best Tips Before You Design a Mermaid Tail

Choose the Size Before Starting the Artwork

Do not let an excited child spend hours decorating a template and then discover it was the wrong one.

Confirm the current size first. Then download the correct template.

Save the Original Artwork

Take a clear photograph or scan before uploading the design.

The original artwork becomes part of the memory, especially when you can later place it beside the finished tail.

Use Bright, Even Light for the Photo

A shadow across the artwork or a dim yellow room can make the uploaded colors harder to judge.

Place the design flat and photograph it in bright, even light.

Remember That Screen and Printed Colors Can Differ

Digital screens and printed fabric do not reproduce color in exactly the same way. Expect the finished colors to be close rather than assuming every shade will look identical under every kind of light.

Keep Important Details Easy to See

Tiny details may not have the same visual impact once the artwork is enlarged and wrapped around a wearable tail.

Bold shapes, recognizable patterns, and clear color sections are easier to appreciate from a distance.

Order Earlier Than You Think You Need To

A custom tail is made to order, not pulled from a shelf.

Build several weeks into the plan and check the current production estimate before promising a specific birthday or Christmas arrival.

Common Custom Mermaid Tail Problems and How to Avoid Them

The Upload Does Not Look Right

Start with the original template instructions again. Make sure the artwork is flat, fully visible, well lit, and photographed clearly.

If the current template contains an identifying code or other required markings, do not crop them out.

The Colors Look Different on the Screen

Compare the uploaded image with the original artwork before ordering, but remember that screens, cameras, lighting, and printed fabric can all affect how a color appears.

The Child Wants to Change the Design After Ordering

Have the child look at the finished artwork one last time before uploading it.

My favorite approach would be to ask one simple question: “Is this the tail you want to see become real?”

You Are Ordering for a Holiday

Do not order at the last minute. Check the current production timeline, shipping estimate, and customization policies before placing the order.

You Are Unsure About the Monofin

Stop and read the current product configuration and safety information before ordering. A tail skin and a monofin are not something I would treat as an automatic one-size-fits-all bundle.

Do You Need Artistic Skill to Make a Custom Mermaid Tail?

No.

At least, that was never the point of our project.

My niece was six. Her design was not trying to win an illustration award. It was a happy explosion of color created by a child who knew exactly what her mermaid self should wear.

In fact, I think the personal imperfections made the finished tail better.

A parent can help with the template, photograph, upload, and ordering steps while leaving the actual creative decisions to the child.

What I Would Do Differently Before Ordering Today

Our original experience was wonderfully simple, but I would add a few steps if I ordered another custom mermaid tail now.

• I would save a high-resolution scan or photograph of the original artwork before uploading it.
• I would check the current size chart before the child started coloring.
• I would photograph the design in bright natural light on a flat surface.
• I would order well ahead of a birthday or Christmas deadline.
• I would confirm exactly what the selected tail includes before assuming a monofin or other accessory comes with it.
• I would read the current swimming-safety guidance before deciding how and where the tail would be used.

I would not change the most important part.

I would still let the child be the designer.

Important Mermaid Tail Swimming Safety

A beautiful custom tail does not make every child ready to swim in one.

Fin Fun’s current guidance says swimmers should be “Mermaid Tail Ready,” remain under adult supervision, stay within their swimming ability, use the product in clear and calm water, and only swim as a mermaid where they could safely swim as a human.

The company also says swimmers age five and younger or under 45 pounds should not use a tail with a monofin.

Before using any mermaid tail in the water, read the manufacturer’s current Mermaid Tail Safety guidance, practice the required swimming skills without the tail, and follow the instructions for the exact product being used.

Our photographs and observations document our family’s original experience. They should not replace current product instructions, swimming ability, or active adult supervision.

Is the Fin Fun Custom Tail Creator Worth It?

For the right mermaid fan, the value is in the personalization.

You are not simply choosing pink instead of blue. You are giving someone the chance to create the colors, patterns, and details themselves and then see that artwork become something real.

Our niece’s reaction mattered, of course. But the photograph of her original drawing beside the finished tail is still my favorite part of the story.

That was the proof.

The custom tail took an ordinary child’s drawing seriously enough to turn it into a real product.

For families looking for the least expensive mermaid dress-up option, a custom product may not be the right choice. For someone who wants a one-of-a-kind gift, a creative project, and a keepsake story all wrapped together, the Custom Tail Creator offers something a standard off-the-rack design cannot.

Design Your Own Mermaid Tail FAQs

Can you really design your own mermaid tail?

Yes. Fin Fun currently offers custom mermaid tail options that let you create a design and have it made into a real custom tail. The DIY version uses a downloadable template and uploaded artwork, while a separate design tool lets you create digitally.

How does the Fin Fun Custom Tail Creator work?

For the DIY option, choose the correct template, create the artwork, photograph and upload the finished design, select the available tail options, and place the custom order.

Do you need artistic skill to design a mermaid tail?

No. Our designer was six years old. The personal colors, patterns, and child-created details were what made the finished tail special.

How close is the finished tail to the original drawing?

Our finished tail was remarkably close to my niece’s artwork. The main colors, stripes, shapes, and colorful details were all recognizable when we placed the original drawing beside the finished product.

How long does a custom mermaid tail take to arrive?

Plan for several weeks. Fin Fun’s current online design-tool listing says made-to-order custom tails take 3 to 4 weeks to ship, but check the exact product page for the latest production and shipping estimate.

What material was our Fin Fun custom mermaid tail made from?

The tail we received for this original review was made from stretchy, breathable swimsuit-style material with consistent stitching and an open bottom. Current models may differ, so check the specifications for the exact tail you are ordering.

Is a monofin included with a custom mermaid tail?

Do not assume it is included. Check the exact current product configuration before ordering because tail skins, monofins, styles, and available options can vary.

Can young children swim in a mermaid tail?

Swimming ability and current safety guidance matter more than simply wanting a tail. Fin Fun says swimmers age five and younger or under 45 pounds should not use a tail with a monofin, and all users should follow its readiness and adult-supervision rules.

Is a custom mermaid tail a good Christmas gift?

It can be a memorable gift for a child who loves mermaids, especially because the design process becomes part of the experience. Order well ahead of the holiday because custom products take time to make.

Final Thoughts: From a Child’s Drawing to a Real Mermaid Tail

My girls spent plenty of time talking about mermaids, their mystery, their beauty, and the possibility that maybe—just maybe—the right tail could make the daydream feel real.

This time, the best part was not choosing a mermaid tail.

It was creating one.

My six-year-old niece took a blank template and covered it with the colors and patterns she imagined. Then we watched that picture become a real custom tail.

We had the drawing.

We had the finished tail.

We had the Christmas morning excitement.

And years later, we still have the photograph that puts the beginning and the ending side by side.

For me, that is what makes this Custom Tail Creator review worth keeping: not simply that the product exists, but that we can show exactly what happened when a child’s mermaid daydream became something she could hold in her hands.