How to Make Pirate Clothes

A bandanna is a must for pirate headgear.

Create an effective -- yet inexpensive -- pirate costume with a dark pair of pants or skirt, striped shirt and bandanna. Make a few alterations and additions to turn these clothes into a pirate's wardrobe. Enter a time warp by adding accessories from the mechanical age of steam.

Things You'll Need

• Bandanna
• Black thread
• Needle
• Scissors
• Pliers
• Watch cogs and wheels
• Pants
• Skirt
• Striped shirt
• Vest
• Rope
• Buttons
• 1 yard of material
• Large safety pin
• Black belts
• Scarves
• Comb
• Leather eye patch
• Tall soft boots
• Chains
• Sword

Instructions

1. Lay a bandanna on a flat surface in a diamond shape. Fold the forward point under, and use the two side points to tie the bandanna around your head. Tuck the rear point under the tied knot. Bend an old watch cog into the shape of a skull with pliers. Sew the skull or old watch cogs and wheels onto the front or side of the bandanna with black thread and a needle.

2. Rip off the sleeves of a striped shirt and unravel the hem with a pair of scissors. Rip the pocket of a vest down and cut any buttons off. Unravel the hem with scissors, and undo the back buckle if there is one. Buckle a belt together and put your head and one arm through it so it is diagonal across your body.

3. Thread a length of rope through the top of a pair of pants. Knot the rope together when you wear the pants. Sew buttons on the fly of the pants, leaving a gap where it looks like one or two buttons have fallen off. Rip out the leg hems with scissors, or cut into the bottoms of the legs to make them ragged -- or just roll the pant legs up. For a skirt, make the hem ragged with a pair of scissors. Wrap a yard of material around the skirt, over your hips, and fasten it with a large safety pin. Attach some old watch cogs and wheels to the safety pin with thread to make a brooch.

4. Wrap scarves around your waist and tie them in place. Rat the scarf fringe by teasing it with a comb. Wear a sword at your side by angling it through the scarves. Tie an eye patch around the bandanna on your head, or place it over your eye.

5. Wear the tall boots over your pants if you do not want to rip out the pant leg hems, and fold the top half of the boots over, pirate-style. Decorate the boots with chains, watch cogs and wheels.

Tips & Warnings

• Steampunk accessories are a trendy way to add decoration to pirate clothes to make your style stand out, as they can be added in place of metal closures such as buckles and buttons, or as brooches.

References

• Coolest Handmade Costumes: Coolest Homemade Pirate Costume Ideas
• Knowledge Hound: Make Your Own
• Make Pirate Costume: Boy and Girl

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Etsy: Steampunk Jewelry