How to Make Pirate Doo Rags

You can make your own head of pirate hair attached to a doo rag.

Pirates traditionally have long, grungy hair that is covered with a bandanna or doo rag. If you are making a pirate costume, you can make a pirate doo rag using a few simple materials. By converting an existing doo rag to meet your needs, you do not require extensive sewing or patterning knowledge. The hair will be in the form of weft, which is human hair that is braided onto threads at the root end, resulting in a row of hair.

Things You'll Need

• Black doo rag
• Iron-on skull
• Iron
• Weft
• Black thread
• Needle
• Hair gel
• Beads, feathers and other ornaments
• Dirt

Instructions

1. Preheat an iron to the cotton setting.

2. Place a skull and crossbones onto the forehead of a black doo rag.

3. Hold the iron on the transfer for 10 to 30 seconds, depending on the instructions provided with the transfer.

4. Cut three sections of weft for each side and the back flap of the doo rag. The exact length depends on the size of the doo rag, but the hair on the sides should not extend farther forward than your ears.

5. Sew a piece of weft to the inside of the sides and back of the doo rag with black thread. They should be slightly above the lower edges of the sides.

6. Sew another row of weft into the doo rag 1 inch above the first row, then a third row 1 inch above the second row.

7. Rub some hair gel into the hair to give it a grungy texture. Add beads, feathers and other decorations to make the hair look more authentic.

8. Rub dirt into the doo rag to give it a matching grungy appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• Weft is available at many beauty and wig stores.

References

• DMC Creative World: How to Use Iron-On Transfers
• "Stage Makeup-Sixth Edition"; Richard Corson; 1981