How to make a cat tail

Ever wanted one of those cool looking animal tails that you see people wearing at conventions and Ren Fairs?  Vendors would like to sell them to you for $30 or more, but you can make your own for less than $15. 

Read on to find out  how...

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Whether you're wanting to make a cat tail, fox tail or other animal, it's easy!  Simply start off by drawing the shape you would like your tail to be.  For my cat tail, I drew something that looked similar to a man's tie (this shape also works for fox tails).  You can make your tail as long or wide as you want, but the length should generally stop at the back of your knee.  Be sure to make the top opening at least 3" to 6" wide so you have enough room to push stuffing through.  


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Once you have your pattern drawn, cut it out and place it over the wrong side of some faux fur fabric (the wrong side is the side without fur). Trace around that pattern and cut it out.  Be sure that the direction of the fur on the right side of the fabric is going down and not up when you do this.

You will do this twice so that you have two identical pieces.

​Using a comb, brush the fur out to remove any excess from the cutting.  Then comb the fur all to the center of each piece so that nothing is hanging over the edges (or at least try your best to).  Now, pin the two tail pieces together with the fur sides facing each other.  Mark a 1/2" seam line all around the wrong side of the fabric, but leave the very top open.

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Sew all the way around (over the seam lines). Once finished,  use the hole at the top to turn the fabric inside out.  Well, technically, it's now right side in.  When you do this, the fur should now be on the outside.

Next, you can use stuffing  (such as poly-fil) to stuff the tail and add thickness. 

​If you want your tail to be able to bend and hold a shape, then you can also insert a thick gauged wire down the middle (like I did for my Miqot'e tail).       

When your tail's completely stuffed (leaving a little space at the top), you can sew off the opening.  I usually hand sew that part since it might be too thick for a sewing machine. 

​At this point, you have a couple of "tail attachment" options.  You can fold over a small strip of matching fabric, sew one end to the top of the tail, loop it through the bottom of a swivel snap hook (pictured left) and sew the other end down.  This way, you can hook it onto your belt, or belt loops. 

You can also sew the top of the tail directly onto a large bow and use the bow's loop to thread a belt through.  (This is what I did.)

To learn how to make large bows, see this YouTube tutorial.

There are many creative ways to attach your fluffy tail once you're finished.  Just be sure that your method can hold the weight of your tail.  I generally stay away from using Velcro or snaps for this, because of their weaker grip.    

If you liked this tutorial, be sure to check out my others here.  I will continue to post them as time permits.