Need a great Halloween costume in a hurry? Here is the ultimate guide to creating a last-minute pirate costume for Halloween. There are so many different ways to make a great No-Sew Pirate Costume, so I’ll give you all my secrets on how to make, find, or modify each part of the pirate costume to make it work for you.

Arrrgh, don’t worry about yer Halloween costume this year, matey! It’s easy to make a pirate costume using items you already have in your closet. With just a little cleverness and an eye for repurposing, you’ll have a great costume fit for collecting booty (or candy).

• Related Post: How to throw a Pirate Party

Last-Minute Pirate Costume Materials:

(*can be purchased at the dollar store)

Pirate Hat (choose one):

• 1 scarf or bandanna*
• 1 long-sleeve striped t-shirt sleeve
• 1 pirate accessory kit (from the dollar store)*
• 1 large round sun hat (from the thrift store)

Pirate Top (choose one or more):

• 1 striped t-shirt or long-sleeved tee
• 1 vest
• 1 white blouse (women’s, lacy or flowy is good)
• 1 women’s jacket (plain, in corduroy or velvet)

Pirate Pants (choose one):

• 1 pair plain pants (black, brown, navy blue)
• 1 pair pin-striped pants
• 1 pair plain capri-style pants
• 1 skirt

Pirate Shoes and Socks (choose one):

• knee-length white socks and black shoes (tennis shoes, dress shoes, or mary jane-style)*
• knee-length striped socks and shoes (tennis shoes, dress shoes, or mary jane-style)*
• sandals

Pirate Accessories (choose one or more):

• 1 wide women’s belt (black or brown)
• 1 leather belt with metal buckle
• 1 long lightweight scarf
• 1 white or plain-colored bandanna (or piece of fabric)
• eye-patch*
• hook hand*
• toy or paper parrot*
• hoop earring or earrings*
• sparkly jewelry*

DIY Pirate Costume Instructions:

Make the Pirate Hat:

A. Bandanna Hat:

Tie scarf or bandanna on your child’s head for a ship’s mate style hat.

• For square bandannas or scarves: fold in half diagonally. Place long flat side against forehead, and tuck opposite point at back of neck. Bring side points around the back of head and tie together in a knot.
• For long lightweight scarves: put on head and tie in the back. Let long ties hang down back.

B. Stocking Cap

Cut the sleeve off a long-sleeved striped t-shirt for a pirate-style stocking cap. Stretch the wide part of the sleeve over your head like a hat and then, knot the top. Cut off excess.

C. Buy a pirate hat

I found a pirate accessory kit at the dollar store that included a pirate hat, plastic sword, and eye-patch.

D. Make a Tri-corn hat

This is the style of hat worn by famous movie pirates like Captain Jack Sparrow. To make one, find a large, round women’s sun hat at a thrift store. Fold the brim up and staple to the crown of hat, on three sides. I made a video tutorial for making a tri-corn hat, so check that out if you need more visual help.

Put together the pirate top:
A. Long-sleeved t-shirt

A long-sleeved t-shirt is a great base for a ship’s mate style pirate costume. Look for long-sleeved striped t-shirts in 2 colors — any color will do, but just build the rest of your costume color palette around the shirt colors. Or, use a plain white or cream colored henley or thermal shirt.

B. A women’s blouse

A plain white or off-white blouse makes a great pirate captain shirt (or other plain colors, if the details of the shirt fit the pirate aesthetic). If you are dressing your child but using an adult blouse, roll up the sleeves, or put a loose rubber band around your child’s wrist and tuck the cuff around it. 

• Things to look for in a pirate blouse: lace (especially at the neck or cuffs), an interesting non-modern detail on the front like pleating, collars or no collars are fine.
• Things to avoid: zippers and snaps.

C. Add a vest

Add a vest over the base shirt to include another layer of detail. Dark, plain vests are best: black, brown, navy blue, and red are all good choices.

D. Add a jacket

You can also add a women’s jacket if you have one that looks somewhat pirate-y. A plain jacket in dark corduroy or velvet could be good, especially with a belt over the shoulder.

Make the Pirate Pants:

A. Knee-length pants

Many pirates wore short knee-length pants. Choose plain pants (black, brown, navy blue) or pinstriped pants and roll them up to the knee or tuck them into long socks. Plain, dark capri pants can also work.

B. Raggedy pants

Get the shipwrecked pirate look by taking a pair of old pants and cutting them off jaggedly at the knee.

C. Pirate skirt

Twist the idea of the pirate costume by wearing a plain dark skirt. Who says girl pirates can’t wear skirts?

Assemble the Pirate Shoes and Socks:

A. Choose knee-length socks in black, white, or stripes. Pull them all the way up to the knee.

B. Wear black or brown shoes. Best shoes: dark boots, leather dress shoes or mary janes. Add an oversized cardboard buckle, if desired. Plain dark tennis shoes will also work.

C. Another option is to wear sandals without socks (good for the shipwrecked pirate look).

Just Add Pirate Accessories (choose one or more):

The accessories really make your pirate costume. Try to have at least one of the classic pirate details: an eye-patch, a hook, or a sword.

A. Belt/Bandolier: The best pirate accessory is a wide belt with a large buckle, slung over one shoulder. A plain leather belt with metal buckle will also work.

B. Scarf Sash: Make a sash for your waist with a long lightweight scarf. Wrap it around the waist once or twice and knot at the side.

C. Neckerchief: A white or plain-colored scarf (or piece of fabric) tied around the neck with the knot at the neck is a great pirate detail.

D. Eye-patch: You can make an eye-patch if necessary, but it is far easier to buy one. Store-bought eye-patches fit well and look good. You can find eye-patches at the dollar store (toy section), or at a drug store near the visual aids section.

• DIY Eyepatch: If you want to make an eyepatch, cut a half-circle piece of felt and tie on two pieces of ribbon or elastic. Adjust to fit.
  

E. Hook Hand: To make a hook hand take a party cup (make sure the pirate’s fist can fit inside comfortably), cut a slit in the bottom of the cup. Insert a hook made from cardboard (cut a hook shape out) or the end of a plastic hanger. Secure with duct tape or hot glue. (Note: Avoid using wire hangers because they can be dangerous and cause injury).

F. Pet Parrot: Use a toy stuffed parrot or other bird and attach to shoulder. Or make this fun paper parrot with your child.

G. Pirate Earring: Pirates often wore earrings. Hoop earrings are a good choice for girl pirates with pierced ears, or find a clip-on earring for pirates without pierced ears. You can find these at party or dollar stores.

H. Accessorize with jewelry. A pirate medallion will do for a hard-working pirate, or clip on sparkly pins to a fancy pirate captain.

I. Pirate Weapons: Attach a sword or pirate gun to the costume. Find these at party or dollar stores, or make them out of cardboard. Tuck the weapon into the costume with a sash.

• Related: How to Make a Play Pirate Sword

DIY Pirate Costume Tips

Finding your supplies: Remember, you are not limited to just your child’s wardrobe. Don’t overlook old clothes from other members of the family as well. An old blouse from Mom’s closet will make a great pirate captain’s shirt. After you’ve checked your closet for pirate gear, fill in with items from the thrift store or dollar store to round out your outfit. If you are going to cut up or modify clothing, you might want to buy it at the thrift store. Pirate accessories are easy to find at the dollar store or discount store.

Pirate Perfection: Don’t worry if you can’t get everything perfect. Pirates had to use what they could get, and it’s okay to do the same with your pirate costume!

The post Last-Minute Pirate Costume for Halloween appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Whether you need stocking stuffers or gifts for your daughter’s besties, these easy DIY tutorials help you churn out impressive looking gifts that tween girls are sure to love!

Manicure Gift Set by Rhonda on Dollar Store Crafts

Gem Cluster Hair Pins from Mined Strawberry

Handmade Bookmarks from Skip to My Lou

Bent Wire Earrings from Wobisobi

 Pixie Dust Necklace by Carissa on Dollar Store Crafts

Friendship Bracelet Kit from Two Oh Two Seven

DIY Ponytail Holders from SheKnows

Sparkly Strawberry Lipbalm from Torie Jayne

Rainbow Bobbypins from Club Chica Circle

Wire Hearts Ring from Stepping Through Crazy

The post 10 Last Minute DIY Gift Ideas for Tween Girls appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Still looking for a costume for your little one? Look no further than this quick and easy firefighter costume, that can be made with clothes you already have on hand. Add some duct tape in bright yellow and shiny silver, and you have a great last-minute costume for less than five bucks. I made two costumes with a lot of duct tape left over. You can use the basic duct-tape-on-plain-clothes concept to create many different types of costumes, as well, so if you’re thinking of another kind of costume, consider using these techniques to create the look you want. They’ll work for adult costumes, too!

Project Estimate:

• Duct tape, yellow and shiny silver, about $3 each (big box store) and up
• Foam letter stickers, $1
• Shirt and pants, on hand
• Scissors, on hand
• Goo Gone, $1 or on hand

Total: $7 (will make multiple costumes)

Time Needed: About 30 minutes

The Clothes:

We just used stuff we had on hand. I originally envisioned using black clothes, but we had a lot of navy blue available, so we went with that instead. I happened to have two navy blue polo shirts in a hand-me-down box. The shirts were about two sizes too big, which works really well to evoke an oversized fire jacket. The shirts were short sleeved, so I added long sleeved navy t-shirts underneath. For the pants, we used navy blue sweatpants and a pair of navy linen slacks. For the jackets, you can also use long-sleeved collared shirts, sweatshirts, t-shirts. Many different colors will work for a firefighter: red, black, yellow, golden brown (Carhartt work clothes color). Don’t be afraid to mix and match pants and shirt colors, either. Black pants will work fine with a red or yellow shirt, for example. And once the duct tape accents are applied, nearly anything you use will work just fine. Plain t-shirts and sweatpants will look just as good, I think. You can google for inspiration images for reference.

Duct Tape:

You can adjust the duct tape colors to coordinate with your clothing colors. If you have a yellow shirt, you might want to use black or red duct tape stripes. I really like the effect of the shiny silver duct tape, so if you can get it, I highly recommend it. If you can’t get it, try white or standard dull gray, or just skip it altogether.

A Tip for Cutting the Tape: If you clean your scissors with Goo Gone (or similar) before you cut the tape, it will help keep the tape from sticking to your blades as you cut. Clean off the blades with Goo Gone every few cuts to keep your cuts sharp and clean. This is optional, but will make your project much more pleasant! If you squirt a small amount of Goo Gone on a paper towel, you can just keep using the towel over and over. Also, if you don’t already own Goo Gone, it’s a great tool – it removes sticky sticker/price tag residue off of anything. You can get a tiny bottle of GG at the dollar store for a buck. (FTC, I didn’t get paid for this – I just like Goo Gone!)

Applying Duct Tape: When applying duct tape to fabric, keep the fabric stretched as flat and taut as you can when you apply the tape.

Apply base color stripes of duct tape around the collar (just cover the part that shows when it’s folded over), the sleeves, the chest (extend this stripe all the way around the back). Add 2″ strips of duct tape down the center of the garment for “fasteners” (even if your shirt is a pullover shirt, like our polos). Make sure to leave buttons undone if you have a polo shirt because the shirt gets a bit stiff with the duct tape stripes on it, so you want to leave wiggle room for the kid to get in and out of it. I also added a square patch to the left chest for a badge. Add a stripe down the outside of each pantleg, and squares for kneepads if desired. I also used a square of tape to cover up a logo that was on the top left leg of the sweatpants (I just added another badge there).

Cut silver tape in long lengths down the center of the strip. I measured out the length I needed for each stripe, attached the end to the table, then cut a short cut in the other end of the tape, held the end with my fingers and slid my sharp and Goo-Goned scissors down the length of the tape (kinda like you do for wrapping paper). Add the narrow silver strips to the base stripes. For the badge, cut a rectangle of silver, and then cut a rough heart shape (pointy at the bottom), but instead of making the top of the heart shape go down like a heart, just leave it flat in the middle. (The Goo Gone is key here, when cutting a specific shape from the tape!)

Duct tape doesn’t stick that strongly to clothing, so you will be able to easily remove the tape after you’re done with the costume. This also means you might want to keep your kiddo from wearing the costume until the big night (this will be hard, as they will want to play, eat, sleep, and live in them once they’re done!).

Finishing the Costume:

Add letter stickers to the back and badge, if desired. I put “FIRE” on the back and “FD” on the badge. My letter stickers only had one F in each color, but two E’s so I cut the second E into an F for the FD.

Finish off the costume with a pair of boots (rubber boots or snow boots will work fine!). Add duct tape stripes if desired. Black shoes will also work. Just use what you have!

I also purchased costume fire helmets from the dollar store, and firefighter accessory sets (mostly just because my three year-old really wanted a cheap plastic hatchet!). So total, I spent about $10 for two costumes.

Sorry for the terrible photos! It’s been rainy and super dark in the Pacific Northwest since I made these costumes, and my sons didn’t want to cooperate when I was photographing them (this is my three year-old “smiling” for me!) These look really cute in real life. The kids and the costumes. :)

The post Last-Minute Firefighter Costume Idea (Secret Ingredient: Duct Tape!) appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

You can find a lot of great materials at the dollar store with which to make great no-sew costumes that are quick and easy! Your child will look sweet dressed as a petite piece of candy, and everyone will think you are the world’s greatest parent for making your kid’s costume!

Total cost for costume: $5

Time needed: 30 minutes

To buy at the dollar store:

• 2 round placemats
• package of iridescent tissue paper
• stocking cap
• spool of wide ribbon

Supplies on hand:

• scissors
• sturdy tape (I used clear packing tape)
• stapler & staples
• twist ties, rubber bands, or string
• a piece of scrap paper and cardboard (I used the tag from the hat for the cardboard)
• Optional: needle & thread

To make:

1. Wrap placemats carefully with iridescent tissue paper. Because there were only three sheets of tissue in the package, I clipped off the excess at the end of the rectangular piece of tissue before I wrapped the placemat because I wanted to conserve the tissue in case I needed extra for something.
2. Cut one sheet of tissue in half and gather each half up for candy’s side-wrappers. I used a twist tie to gather them, but you could use a rubber band, thread or string. Use whatever’s on hand! Set aside.
3. Measure and cut six 12″ lengths of the wide ribbon for straps. Staple two of them securely to the placemats for shoulder straps.Try the costume on your child at this point and make sure it fits. Mark the insides of the placemats for placement of side ties.
4. Staple the front side ties on in the spot you marked, sandwiching the candy’s side wrappers between the ribbon and the placemat. Staple securely.
5. Staple the back side ties on.

For the hat:

1. Cut a circular piece of cardboard (I used the tag from the hat) and if necessary, a piece of white scrap paper to cover the printing on the cardboard. Wrap disc as a piece of candy, securing sides with thread or wire (I used a piece of wire that came out of the wire-edged ribbon.
2. Attach “candy” to hat by stapling or sewing.

Dress child in neutral under-clothing (we used black because I thought the candy would “pop” against the dark color) and you’re done!

Tell ’em Dollar Store Crafts sent ya!

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