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.

There are few things that boys between 4-10 love as much as a pretend pirate sword. Sara from Mom Endeavors has a great video showing you how simple it is to make these swords. These would make great party favor for your little pirate’s next party or a fabulous addition to your dress up trunk. [how to make a pretend pirate sword]

Project estimate:

• Paint stir stick, on hand or $1
• Popsicle sticks, on hand or $1
• Stapler, on hand
• Scissors, on hand
• Duct tape, on hand
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up!

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Avast ye mateys! International Talk Like a Pirate Day be celebrated every year on September 19. Celebrated officially since 2002, today be a great day t’ unleash your inner pirate. Want t’ find out more? Visit the official site! While you’re thar, be aye t’ take the The Pirate Personality Index Test. Want help talkin’ like a pirate? Visit the English to Pirate translator! You can also Google like a pirate!

Crafts

Yarrrrrn Pirate Embroidered Knitting Tote by Geek Crafts [Pictured]

Treasure Chest Cross-Stitch Chart by Un Jour, Une Grille de Point de Croix Gratuite

Felt “Softie” Pirate Hook by bugaboo, mini, mr & me at Everyday Mom Ideas

Pirate Pin-Up Embroidery Chart by Corvus Tristis

Ninja vs Pirate Dolls by Geek Crafts

Printable Halloween (and Pirate) Paper Dolls by Gwenny Penny at The Idea Room

Food and Drink

Pirate Pie Pop Treats by Bubble and Sweet [Pictured]

Pirate Cake Topper by Belle Cake Topper and Mould

Scary Pear Heads by Martha Stewart

Fun and Games

How to Have a Pirate Day Play Date by Make and Takes [Pictured]

Pirate Inspiration Board by Tiny Prints

Fashion

Scurvy Pirate Ship Onesie by Geek Crafts [Pictured]

Quilted Felt Pirate Beard and Patch by Factory Direct Craft Blog

Free pattern and tute: Flowery pirate by Stash Books

Pirate Embroidery Patterns by Urban Threads

Pirate Costume for a Toddler by Pane Amore & Creativita

Little Girl Pirate Costume by Shwin & Shwin

Past DSC Pirate Posts and Round-Ups

Pirate Crafting: Pirate Ship Snowglobe [Pictured]

25+ Ways to Celebrate Pirates of the Caribbean in Style

Make a Pirate Ship Cupcake Stand

How to Make a Pirate Tricorn Hat

The post It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day 2011 Mateys! appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Recipes

Apple Pie-rate Ship by Diamonds for Dessert [Pictured]

Jack Sparrow’s Tricorne by Diamonds for Dessert

Pirate Recipes by AllRecipes

Pirate Recipes and Ideas by Wilton

Pirate Hat Cake by Everyday Mom Ideas

Printables

Aaargh! Pirate Birthday Party & Free Printables by Cottage Industrialist [Pictured]

Printable Pirate Party Decorations by Fantasy Jr.

Pirate Party Invitation Printable by Everyday Mom Ideas

Crafts, Activities and Costumes

Talk Like A Pirate Day Crafts by Alpha Mom [Pictured]

Ahoy, Make Crafts for Talk Like a Pirate Day! by Alpha Mom

Pirate Treasure from Trash, Really! by Instructables

No-Sew Pirate Costume by our own Heather at Amazing Moms

Pirate Hat Tutorial by From the Hive

Pirate Hat Craft by Birthday in a Box

Felt “Softie” Pirate Hook by Everyday Mom Ideas

Little Girl Pirate Costume by Shwin & Shwin

Pirate Costume Accessories by Martha Stewart

Parties

The craftiness of the pirate party by Three Fat Hens [Pictured]

Pirate Birthday Party Ideas for Kids by Amazing Moms

Pirate Birthday Party Ideas, Crafts, and Games by Everyday Mom Ideas

Other Roundups

Disney Pirate Crafts & Recipes by Disney Family [Pictured]

Pirate Crafts for Kids by Craft Jr.

Inspiration Board: Pirate Birthday Party Theme by TinyPrints

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day by CROQzine

Books for Pirates (of all ages),  Talk Like A Pirate Day Party Kit, Knit Like a Pirate and Stuff for Junior Pirates by International Talk Like A Pirate Day

Previous DSC Posts

Give a Pirate Party [Pictured]

How to Make a Pirate Tricorn Hat

Make a Pirate Ship Cupcake Stand

Don’t forget to bookmark this page so you are ready for International Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19, 2011!

The post 25+ Ways to Celebrate Pirates of the Caribbean in Style appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Pirates are a perennial favorite of kids, making them a very popular birthday party theme.  Angela from Little Blue’s Room has been helping a friend prepare for her soon-to-be-4-year-old son’s birthday party, and during a brainstorming conversation they decided a pirate ship cupcake display was a must.  Unable to locate something suitable, she decided to make one instead.  If you’re planning a pirate party, your spread just won’t be complete without a pirate ship of your own!  [how to make a pirate ship cupcake stand]

Project estimate:

• Shoe box, on hand
• Kraft paper, on hand or $1
• Posterboard, on hand or $1
• Twine, on hand or $1
• Popsicle sticks, on hand or $1
• Wooden dowels or bamboo skewers, on hand or $1 and up
• Fabric, on hand
• Paint, on hand

Total:  Free and up

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A lot of people made Lego Minifig costumes this year, using a large variety of techniques. If you’re not up on your Lego jargon, a minifig is the little Lego guy.

Handmade Lego Minifig Costumes

Lego Star Wars Minifig Luke Costume (from here)

This looks like it’s hand-sewn with reinforcements in all the right places (boning, plastic canvas or cardboard?) and worn over some long underwear. It’s one of the most impressive minifig costumes I’ve come across.

Lego Astronaut Minifig Costume (from here)

The specific minifigs (Astronauts, Star Wars, etc.) are my favorites, so I love seeing the human versions of them! This Astronaut minifig costume looks like it was made with cardboard, styrofoam, and acrylic paint, and I especially like the clever way the face was made (with posterboard?) – with plenty of room to see out of the mouth.

Classic Lego Minifig Costume (from here)

This Lego minifig costume is clean and sleek. The costume creator said: Lego man minifig costume made from cardboard, and a hatbox!

Brickbeard the Pirate Lego Minifig Costume (from here)

The creator of this costume said: My son loves anything Lego so this year we made a Brickbeard the Pirate Lego costume out of cardborad and styrofoam.

Special features on this Lego minifig costume are its amazing paint job, and the shiny finish on the minifig’s head. It looks perfect and Lego-y.

Legoboy Costume (from here)

If I made a Lego minifig costume, it would probably be like this. Recycled plastic container for the head (that’s my guess, anyway), duct tape-covered cardboard for the torso. Hand-held hands. Looks like it offers maximum mobility for a little guy.

A Trio of Lego Minifigs by katie08 on Craftster.

Katie made three minifig costumes by carving styrofoam and provided some great making-of photos:

The heads were the most work. The “stud” on top of the head, the neck and the top and bottom of the head were made out of carved styrofoam. We cut it with knives, then sanded the styrofoam. Then we covered it with drywall putty and let it dry. Then we sanded the dry wall putty for a smooth finish. We painted the pieces with yellow paint.

More detailed info about making these Lego minifig costumes here.

Lego Minifig Costume by Dollar Store Crafts Reader Shea at All Things Shea

The post 7 Handmade Lego Minifig Costumes appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Can you believe Halloween is this week? You probably have one or more parties to go to that involve dressing up. Have you decided what your Halloween costume will be yet? Have your children? If your kids are like mine, many ideas have flown around (ours: Backyardigans, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a piece of pizza, candy corn), but you  might still be looking for that perfect costume. At this point, the “perfect” costume has to be quick and easy! No problem. I have a bunch of no-sew costume ideas for you.

No-Sew Pumpkin Costume

I made this one out of an orange t-shirt (find it at your dollar store or craft store), some felt, and a hot glue gun. The hat was quick and easy to make with recycled cardboard, felt, 1/4″ elastic and a hot glue gun. [Pumpkin Costume Tutorial & Video]

No-Sew Princess Costume

I don’t have any little girls, but if I did, I’m betting they would want to be princesses for Halloween (and beyond).  I came up with a simple no-sew princess dress for you to make. That’s right, even if you can’t sew, you can make this dress! [instructions for the no-sew princess costume]

This would be a good one to combine with the Rapunzel costume.

No-Sew Popcorn Costume

My sons are so excited by the idea of dressing as food (see our list of possible costumes above). My 2 year-old son was so excited to dress as a bucket of popcorn for our photo shoot. Secret sidebar: I added an interactive element on this tasty costume: popcorn you can attach and detach and move around on the costume. Hot glue the popcorn kernels onto the scratchy side of a piece of velcro, and then they’ll stick to your costume. [No-Sew Popcorn Costume Tutorial]

No-Sew Pirate Costume

There are so many ways to dress as a pirate, I practically wrote a book about it. You can cobble this together from stuff you have on hand, and add a dollar store pirate accessory set to give it a little extra zing. [get all my tips for dressing like a pirate at AmazingMoms]

No-Sew Ladybug Costume

This costume is all based on that grade school trick to making a symmetrical heart. If you can do that, you can make this costume! Making a ladybug costume is so simple, but it could not be cuter. It was so cute, in fact, that I made one for each of my boys. All you need is about $1 worth of felt yardage, cute ribbon, and a hot glue gun. [how to make a ladybug costume]

Other Homemade Costume Ideas:

Last month, I gave you some other great no-sew costume ideas, so don’t miss them:

• Bumblebee costume
• Rapunzel costume
• Octopus costume
• Spider costume
• Paper Doll costume
• Homemade costume roundup

So, have you decided what you’re going to dress your child (or yourself) up as for Halloween this year?

The post Roundup: Last-Minute No-Sew Costumes appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

My dollar store has a lot of these pirate play sets in stock right now, and they include a foam pirate hat. It’s cute, but it’s not as cool as a tricorn pirate hat (a la Captain Jack Sparrow), so I quickly hacked my dollar store pirate hat into a tricorn hat. Much more piratey! Just in time for Talk Like a Pirate Day, September 19th.

If you’re an adult in need of a tricorn hat, pick up a round floppy hat at the dollar store (straw or felt hats will work), and follow this tutorial to make it into a tricorn. Instead of staples, you might want to use a sewing needle and embroidery thread and tack the hat with a large X stitch. If your hat isn’t the right color, paint it before you modify it. Add ribbon or feather trim, and you’re done.  If you are using the stapler method of construction, Youtube user guilty67 suggested using permanent marker to disguise the staples – great suggestion!

Project Estimate:

• Dollar store round pirate hat, $1
• Desk stapler and staples, on hand
• Electrical tape, on hand
• Permanent marker, on hand

Total: $1

p.s. If you YouTube, be sure to subscribe to the DollarCraft YouTube channel.

Additional Inspiration:

• I love the pirate crafts on AlphaMom’s Talk Like a Pirate Day Crafts post (by Lindsey of FilthWizardry)
• More Talk Like a Pirate Day Crafts on AlphaMom
• Make a Rhinestone Pirate Shoelace Bracelet
• Pirate Birthday Party Ideas (from my son’s first birthday)

The post How to Make a Pirate Tricorn Hat appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Arrrgh, September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day! Here’s a piratical craft in honor of the special day! Of course, ye can make a snowglobe with any ingredients ye want, so if ye aren’t into pirates, feel free to adapt it to yer own interests! Craftster user ohiodiygirl made this snowglobe using stuff she got at her dollar store. She ingeniously paired a round glass vase with a drain stopper to create her own snowglobe! [click here for lots of pictures and more info]

Project Estimate:

• Round glass vase, $1
• Drain stopper, $1
• Gold coin party favors, $1
• Glitter, $1 or on hand
• Pirate ship magnet, $1
• Hot glue or aquarium silicone sealer, on hand

Total: $5

To Make:
Ohiodiygirl used hot glue to secure the drain stopper to the top of the vase, but it might work better if you use silicone sealer (like for aquariums). Here is what she said about her process:

I found the key is to make sure the water doesn’t touch the brim and then I hot glued it in and left it sit and completely dry before touching it. If the water gets in while the hot glue is drying it will cause the lid to pop out. I would recommend trying something other than regular glitter though, maybe test what you want to use in a glass of water first because now it is starting to get a little cloudy.

Martha Stewart recommends adding a bit of glycerin to distilled water to keep the glitter from falling too fast.

The post Pirate Crafting: Pirate Ship Snowglobe appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money for a birthday party! There are lots of things you can do to keep costs down and keep things fun and festive.

For my first son’s first birthday party (in 2007), I had a pirate-themed party. I asked all the guests to come dressed as a pirate. Here’s grandpa and the birthday pirate boy. I made the boy’s swabbie stocking cap out of a sleeve from a thrifted shirt. He wore a striped onesie he already had, and some pants with elasticized ankles that sort of look like short breeches or something. I put some of my own striped socks (pulled up tall) on him.

Things to do to keep things cheap but fun:

• Plan ahead and shop around
• Make it a costume party (fun & free!)
• If it’s a costume party, use costume parts as party favors (for us: dollar store eyepatches, spy glasses and rings)
• Make your own cake and/or snacks
• Get decorations at the dollar store or make from your craft stash
• Make “big” decorations (for me: the “sail” for our ship)
• Use a location you have free access to (for me: my parents’ backyard deck)
• Use consumable decorations (for us: a basket of fruit)
• Balloons & crepe paper streamers are super cheap, but have big impact

Pirate boy later got an eyepatch, a parrot finger puppet (gift), and a plastic sword (gift) to round out his outfit.

Dressing up as a pirate was fun! One of the reasons I chose the theme (besides liking pirates a lot) is because everyone should be able to cobble together a piratey outfit from things they can find in their closets. For mine, I used a blue bandanna, a stripey shirt covered by an old work vest (turned inside out), rolled up pants, a chiffon tie around my waist, white knee socks and black buckled mary jane shoes. I also added a funky plasticky necklace because it had funny pirate charms on it.

If you choose to have a costume/dress up party, try to choose a theme that won’t require special costumes or equipment. Good themes for this: pirate, cowboy, prince or princess, army man, etc. If you have a party for kids and ask them to wear a costume, it’s nice to include a list of suggestions for those parents who aren’t as creative as you are!

Everyone interpreted the pirate look differently, which just added to the fun.

I used the back porch as our “ship” and made a sail out of two long wooden stakes I got at Home Depot for less than a buck. I stapled a plastic tablecloth to the boards for a sail. I got the pirate flag garland, and some of the other piratey decorations at the dollar store. I used the pirate tablecloth on the table, and the excess was hung up on the wall for extra decor. Also, I swear by using crepe paper and balloons to decorate for a party because they are easy and cheap, and make a huge impact for very little money. They also help make the photos really colorful and festive!

I decorated the party table with “booty” displayed in decorative bowls and baskets we already had on hand. Some of the party booty: Gummy fish (bulk from Winco), gold coin chocolates, dollar store jeweled rings, dollar store eyepatches and spyglasses. I put tropical fruit from the grocery store in the basket to add to the atmosphere.

Pirate ship cake made out of cake (baked in a loaf pan) decorated with cookies and candy to make it look more piratey. I had long gold candles that I stuck out of the sides of the cake to look like cannons. Bamboo skewers were threaded through paper sails, and a paper cup became a crow’s nest. Plastic pirates from the party store manned the ship.

Since I love first birthday parties to have a special cake for the special guest, I made a small loaf cake and cut it open to make it look like a treasure chest with M&M treasure in it.

You gotta have that gratuitous first birthday cake shot!

I know my son won’t remember his first birthday, but I had a lot of fun planning it, and it was a great way to start out my birthday party giving traditions!

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