Make Your Own Pirate Costume

Consider yourself fortunate if you get invited to a pirate themed costume party this year. Pirates are definitely in vogue this year. Your basic choices for a pirate costume are to rent an expensive costume at a costume rental store, or to make your own pirate costume from materials you may already have on hand.

Making a Male Pirate Costume

To make a white shirt for a pirate costume, start with a white dress shirt and a red dress shirt. Cut off the arms from both shirts. Cut the cuffs off of the arm pieces of the white shirt, and slit the white cloth arms lengthwise at the seam. Gather the fabric together at the cut end and secure it at the throat with a safety pin, forming a fluffy ruffle at the neck. Cut the hem and fray the edges of the fabric to give the bottom of the shirt a ragged look.

Take the red shirt and cut the hem diagonally to make a vest, keeping the hem shorter at the sides and longer in front, forming a V in the front when the shirt is closed. Glue three large black fabric dots on either side of the vest to look like double breasted buttons.

Pirate Costume

Accessories

Some pirate costume accessories are better purchased at the store than trying to make them at home from scratch. Visit your local craft store or five-and-dime toy store to purchase a black pirate's eye patch, a black, three-corner pirate's hat with a white skull, and a plastic or foam-core pirate's sword.

Making a Female Pirate Costume

Start with a loose white or pinstriped shirt and a length of dark vinyl or pleather fabric. Cut a wrap-around corset out of the pleather fabric, and cut four parallel slits down each side of the front of the corset. Lace an extra long, sturdy, strong ribbon through the front of the corset. Tie it in a bow at the bottom of the corset.

Cut the collar off the dress shirt and turn the raw edge under. Stitch by hand or with a sewing machine, to form a casing. Thread another ribbon through the casing and gather it to form a peasant blouse neckline. Cut the sleeves off and finish them in the same manner, tying big bows on the outside hem of each puffy sleeve. Tie a black headband around your head, and finish the look off with knee-high leather boots.