Homemade Pirate T-Shirt Ideas

Bold designs work well for pirate T-shirts.

Pirate parties are popular with kids and adults, and creating a costume to wear to a pirate-themed event is an enjoyable part of the preparation. Search through your closet for old items or buy clothing from thrift stores to customize. Create pirate T-shirts in a variety of ways easily and inexpensively to produce a unique costume. Keep it in your dress-up box and you can use it again.

Layered T-Shirt

You will need two T-shirts to create this look -- black and red work well. Use the red shirt as the undershirt. The black overshirt should be slightly smaller if possible. Adapt it by cutting the hem of the shirt to jagged points. Cut around the neck and the hem of the sleeves to create rough edges. Make several slashes in the front of the shirt so the red shirt underneath is clearly visible. Team with black pants for a bold pirate look.

Striped T-Shirt

Traditional pirate outfits often feature striped T-shirts. Source an old striped shirt to adapt, or use a plain white T-shirt and add stripes with a fabric pen. Cut the hem of the shirt to jagged points and slash it across the neck to make a wide neck opening. Add some slashes to the front and back of the shirt.

Funky Tie-Dye Pirate T-Shirt

For this look you will need a plain white T-shirt. To create circular patterns insert buttons or small coins randomly across the shirt, securing them in place with rubber bands. Use as many as you wish. Soak the shirt in black fabric dye following the instructions on the packet. When the rubber bands are removed they will create white circles on a black shirt. Cut away the edges of the shirt and team with black pants and a tie-dye bandanna for a funky pirate look.

Skull and Crossbones Stencil T-Shirt

Look online for a skull and crossbones design to print out and trace as a stencil. Cut a stencil out of contact paper and peel off the sticky backing to attach it to the front of the T-shirt. Put a thick piece of cardboard inside the shirt to protect the back of the shirt from the paint bleeding through. Sponge on the design with black fabric paint, following the manufacturer's instructions. Peel the stencil off when dry. Add a pirate name using black dimensional fabric paint.

References

• All About Stencils: How To Garment Stencilling