DIY Mermaid Sensory Board

We have a children's space totally dedicated to sensory play where I live. It has all sorts of cool things to touch and see. One of my favorites has always been these little frames filled with that mermaid flip sequin fabric. I don't think that's what it's called, but you get me. They are around six inches to a foot in size and are anchored to the walls for kids to play with.

Naturally, I wanted to bring this idea home.

In a BIG way . . .

I actually bought the fabric for this project before Christmas and just never got around to finishing it. Not that it takes long at all. And I kind of winged the execution, so this "tutorial" is more of a "see what I did, try it and maybe improve upon my method" kind of thing. In its current iteration, it works great. But I'm sure it could be refined.

First, you need your sequin fabric. I bought mine on Amazon, though I'm sure you may be able to find this stuff at your local craft shop. I chose the classic mermaid blue/green and black. It comes in an impressive array of shades, though, so you could get this to match any decor. You know, because this will be living in your living room, most likely.

So, a yard is 36" x 47". Massive.


All I did with the fabric is stretch + mount it inside a cheap plastic poster frame I had bought at Target eons ago. So, for me this project only cost the amount of the fabric. You can get a similar frame for around $10-$15. Alternatively, you could also put the fabric on the wall and then frame around it with wood trim, if you are extra handy.

There really was no trick to stretching it. I just placed the clear plastic frame insert (that would go over the poster) in the center of my fabric. I pulled the fabric taught around it and folded the extra pieces flat. I then put it in the frame and put the backing of the frame over top of the folded pieces. Then I pressed down all those tabs on the back of the frame to keep everything in place.

Note: Keeping the folded pieces there wasn't just laziness -- it helps hold everything tight. You could also cut the fabric to size and glue it to the clear insert. I'm sure there are many ways that would work.

And then we got to playing:


Again, this isn't a very technical tutorial. Ada and Eloise love this thing equally. And it's big enough that they can both play with it at the same time. I think we'll end up putting it in the play room, attached to the wall. But it's also nice to place on a table or the floor.

Oh! If you don't feel like going to all this trouble or spending much money, you can also get those sequin fabric pillows to toss about. They're super fun, too. And most cost around $7. Boom!

Let me know if you try this project! I was incredibly surprised how easily it came together.

HAPPY FRIDAY!