Is it just me, or does it seem mermaids have gained in popularity over the last couple of years? Maybe they’ve remained popular and I just missed it because I have three boys…

There seems to be an influx of mermaid-related products – from lunchboxes to swimming gear and everything in between. Even my 5-year-old son has gotten into a couple of mermaid series shows on Netflix in the past year (which I happily snuggled up with him on the couch to watch).

To further support my theory that mermaids are all the rage right now (and not just in my head), a good friend who designs jewelry has had quite a bit of success with her wonderfully creative mermaid-inspired pieces. (You can check out her work here.)

It’s probably no wonder, then, that I’ve found myself drawn to mermaid projects in the past year: mermaid tail blankets, mermaid-esque skirts, and anything with adorable mermaid printed fabrics.

Last fall, as I began my annual search for a new project that would make the perfect gifts for my adorable nieces and nephews at Christmas, I stumbled upon the idea of mermaid tail blankets. They basically combine all of my favorite things – fun, comfort, and imagination. So, of course, they were a perfect fit!

There are some beautiful designs, especially for those who knit (which I don’t). Rather than taking on a new craft on a deadline (because I never make up my mind until the last possible moment), I decided to find a design I liked that could be sewn instead.

If you’ve ever shopped for patterns for a project, you know how excruciating it can be to find the perfect design; if you haven’t, imagine searching for the source of a Pinterest “win” among a haystack of tutorials for the Pinterest “fail” version. Or, perhaps I’m just too picky. Either way, I want the things I make to look nice, and the only way to make that happen is to start with a good pattern.

I found exactly what I was looking for (and then some) with this pattern from Modern Vintage Designs. That’s because it also includes designs for a shark and fish tail that I knew would work well for the boys in our family. Not only does it produce quality-looking blankets, it’s well-written and provides lots of photos, which make it really easy to follow along.

A few shark tails and several mermaid tails later, I still love this pattern, and have even come up with a modification for a dragon tail (because my dragon enthusiast needed one). I’ve graded it up to accommodate some exuberant adults who wanted in on the fun, too, although the shop sells adult-sized patterns, as well. I haven’t done so yet, but have been thinking another fun modification would be to play around with the coloring to make a killer whale pattern.