Children love to dress up as pirates, perfect for having all sorts of swashbuckling adventures. Making and designing their own, homemade outfit is the ideal opportunity to get involved in simple craft activities.
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Start with the Basics
The basics of a pirate’s outfit are very simple and most of the clothes are found in children’s’ wardrobes. They will need a striped T-shirt or a simple white shirt. Take a bright length of scrap fabric and tie it around the waist for a typical pirate belt.
Team this with simple trousers that have been cut off at the knee and allowed to fray. Add a pair of long white socks and a brightly coloured bandana for the headdress. This is the basis of a pirate’s outfit. Now for the fun bit, it’s time to be crafty pirates.
A Beard
It’s very easy to create a simple pirate beard. Cut a paper plate in half and attach a loop of elastic. Make sure the edges of the plate are covered with tape so they don’t irritate small faces when the beard is being worn. An adult will now need to carefully cut a shape in the right place for the mouth. Cover the plate with a thin coat of PVA glue and apply lots of cotton wool balls for hair.
A Pirate’s Hook.
Draw a scythe shape onto a piece of stiff card and cut the shape out. Young crafters can then set about covering the shape with foil to make an effective hook. Find a tall polystyrene cup and poke the flat ‘arm’ of the hook shape through the top of the cup, secure the hook firmly. Finish by painting the cup a bright colour and covering the surface with glitter and sparkly shapes.
A Treasure Map
No pirate could go about his or her work without a treasure map. Have fun designing a map with clues and symbols to indicate where the treasure may be hidden. Now carefully cut around the edges of the paper in a ragged and irregular way.
Finally lightly sweep a damp teabag over the surface of the paper without making the paper too damp. A good tip is to very lightly sprinkle a few dots of instant coffee on the map. As you draw the teabag across the surface, it will create authentic ‘age-spots’. Finish the treasure map by drying it somewhere warm and dry like an airing cupboard.
To finish, roll the map into a scroll and secure with a length of red ribbon.
Ahoy there Telescope!
Another great accessory is a telescope. This is easily created using a cardboard tube as your base. Paint the tube gold or brown and decorate with bands of folded silver foil at regular intervals down the length of the telescope.
Face Paint
Face paints are a fun and creative way of adding to your costume. Use black paint to make a pirate’s eye patch. Pirates often have tattoos, so try some fun doodles on the arms to create a realistic effect.
A homemade pirate’s costume is very simple and effective using a touch of imagination and lots of crafty fun.