You don’t have to spend a fortune to put together great halloween costumes for brothers, a clint eastwood man with no name blondie costume or a Heath Ledger Joker costume, there are some great ways you can save money by recycling things you already have in your home to create an excellent pirate costume for your child. Using items that you have on hand or things you can get from a second hand store or yard sale can help you to bring to life the pirate that your child is dreaming about becoming this Halloween. Your first step should be to take a good look around and see what you have handy that could work as a piece of the costume. The most important parts of a good pirate costume are a captain’s hat, an eye patch, a curved pirate sword, a pirate sash, and a pair of buckled boots. For the full effect, a plastic or prop parrot makes a great addition to your little swashbuckler’s ensemble.
If you have a baggy shirt, it can make a great addition to the outfit as well as a pair of black or dark blue pants. A regular necktie can take the place of a sash and adding to an old hat to make it look like a pirate’s hat is also a great way to go. You can make the rim of the pirate hat out of construction paper or cardboard so that it will hold its shape well. Thin cardboard like the kind used for the back page of a notebook or in a gift box will makes a great base for your pirate sword. All you have to do is draw the outline of your sword in the shape you want and cut it out. Silver spray paint or silver art markers are terrific for getting the look of a real blade without risking any real danger worse than a paper cut.
The next step is to find a pair of boots you can turn into your pirate boots. If they’re not black already, you can use fabric to create a sleeve for the boots that will fit over them to resemble a pirate’s boots and complete the effect with a buckle on the side. The only thing left to create is your eye patch. You will need a black piece string, elastic, or a large rubber band as well as some thin cardboard and a black marker. Draw out the size and shape of the patch on the thin cardboard or poster board. Before you cut out the shape, use the marker to color it in on one side so you know where to cut. Finally, use tape on the backside of the patch or punch small holes in the it and attach the string or rubber band so that it fits around your little pirate’s head.
Other cosmetic finishing touches like a scruffy unshaven look or some fearsome looking scars can be achieved with some simple makeup tricks you can find online. A gold hoop earring or some other pirate jewelry as a finishing touch and your pirate is all set to sail the seven seas of your neighborhood in search of treasure and candy!
