How can I make a fish costume?

[melpomene]

We're going to a fancy dress party with an 'under the water' theme and dd2 wants to be a purple fish. I don't know where to start - I have a few vague ideas about making a fishy body/tail but I don't have a clue what to do with her head or face. She's only 3 so the costume can't be restrictive uncomfortable and she won't wear a mask for more than a few minutes.

Help please?

can't you encourage her to be a mermaid? swimming costume then long skirt? maybe an afternoon watching little mermaid...

I agree with twinklytoes about being a mermaid. A swimming costume would definitely work for the top. Have you got an old skirt? If you put elastic just below your dd's knees, you could then cut the skirt so that it's shorter at the front and longer at the back which would look a bit tail like.

For her hair, I would get some green and purple wool, make lots of small plaits and attach them to hair clips to look like sea-weed in her hair.

If she definitely wants to be a fish, for her hair, I would make a cardboard fish and attach it to a small cardboard band so that the fish sits on her forehead. Paint her face with blue facepaint so it looks like the fish is in the sea.

Alternatively, could you get a green bin bag. Cut holes for her arms and head. Cut it into strips (still joined at the top) to look like sea-weed. Then, make lots of small purple fishes and staple them onto the sea-weed on her front and back.

fish hat? cut fish shape twice then stick either side of her head. make scales from tissue paper circles? maybe she could dress in blue and attach weedy bit.

I like the suggestion of the fish kind of leaping out of a cardboard head band. She could then wear green and/or blue leggings and T-shirt with a long green or blue cloak to which you attach lots of little fish, some seaweed etc. Long strips of bubble wrap attached to it could look quite watery as well.

Thanks. DD2 can't be a mermaid though because my dd1 is being a mermaid and it would look a bit lazy to have them both as mermaids, I think. DD2 is quite specific that she wants to be a purple fish.

I like the idea of tissue paper for scales.