Designing your child’s, or for that matter your own pirate Halloween costume this year is neither difficult not time consuming, only requiring a healthy dose of imagination and a little time scrounging up all the raw materials. Most of the items you’ll need you probably already have around the house and what you don’t is easily obtained. Let’s take a look into just how to recreate Black Beard, Long John Silver, Jack Sparrow, or whichever bloodthirsty cutthroat you are fond of!
The basic pieces of this pirate Halloween costume are a pair of old black pants that are of no use any longer, and a colorful blouse, preferably gold or red (something flashy). The pants we’ll be cutting a bit, sort of making the bottoms shorter as well as fringing them up a tad. A colorful scarf can serve as a belt that any self-respecting high seas marauder would be proud of!
For the blouse, if you happen to have an old one in your closet that is very colorful, shiny and a bit oversized for your fledgling pirate, then you won’t have to go hunting for one. The key here is to have flowing blousy sleeves and something flashy and easy to move in. If you don’t happen to have any old pirate blouses hanging in your closet, or something close to that, then hit the thrift stores. The ladies sales racks have many, many possibilities in this area, especially in shiny, loud colors.
If your pirate is fortunate enough to be the captain of this heinous bunch of high seas bandits, then you’ll have to come up with a hat of some sort. Felt and cardboard can do wonders with a makeshift pirate’s hat, and if your pirate is simply a common cutthroat, then a flashy, (probably red) bandana will do just fine.
You can also fashion a hook for a hand with cardboard and some craft paints, and you can also come up with various weaponry this way. Be careful to make your broadswords non-lethal. Tin foil over stiff cardboard should do the trick nicely with a few added painted touches.
No self-respecting pirate would be caught dead without some pirate booty; Preferably gold. Any old, gaudy costume jewelry will work just fine, and if you don’t happen to have any lying around the thrift stores will. A well-placed earring is a nice touch, as well.
An eye patch is easily fashioned with some elastic and black material, and a little face makeup can add some dramatic touches as well. Perhaps blacking out a tooth or a black beard is called for. You can even add a fake bird toy your outfit if you happen to have one around. Be sure and affix the bird securely to the shoulder.
Coming up with a fantastic pirate Halloween costume doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. Scour your closets and you’ll find most of what you need, with the rest available for only a few dollars.
