Trail effect with drag?

I'm trying to give a trail effect to the object you are dragging. How would you approach this? attaching another object and position it depending on direction? another better solution?

Something like this:

http://pptheaven.mvps.org/images/snake1.jpg

http://i1.creativecow.net/u/238159/star_trail2.png

s000.tinyupload.com/index.php

fade + timer

object drag and drop is dragging - object spawn trailsprite at object.x, object.y

give the trailsprite a fade out behaviour.