Fun, Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids: Boys' Pirate Costumes

Time was when we could all raid our mother's closet for two or three silk scarves, and some colorful crinolines with which to transform our girlish selves into smoldering gypsy dancers or fortunes tellers, complete with kiss curls, red lips and every piece of gold costume jewelry we could cajole our mothers to part with for the big, costume party night.

Little boys were similarly arrayed in Dad's white shirt, collar turned under, and sleeves carefully pinned in at the cuff to simulate blousey pirate garb, all cinched in at the waist with the biggest, widest belt in the house. Some lucky boys even sported wicked looking, tin-foil covered, cardboard scimitars, along with a mascara mustache and sideburns à la Errol Flynn to complete the look.

In these days of down-sizing and de-cluttering, those sartorial treasures, once relegated to the back of the wardrobe or banished to a trunk in the attic, are now cast out completely - gone to the Goodwill, or fabric recyclers. The really good pieces are often snapped up by collectors who patrol garage and estate sales in search of such prizes.

What's a kid to do nowadays for an easy, inexpensive Halloween costume? Like Indiana Jones, journeying around the globe in search of fabulous relics, we attic and closet raiders must now resort to ranging farther afield in search of our treasures.

Sure, we can all traipse down to the nearest big-box store and pick out a ready-made, off-the-rack costume - and there are some lovely ones available - but where's the fun in that? It's quick, easy, and efficient, and that could be just what the doctor ordered for many of us, pressed for time as we are these days. Sometimes, though, those lovely costumes can be a bit pricey - and the nicer they are, the more they cost.

For those with a bit of time, and a little imagination though, there's a world of possibilities out there, just waiting to be explored, where the challenge comes from sorting through what's available, and creating something wonderful out of ordinary bits and bobs.

One of the best places to find super costume ideas is your local Value Village, or thrift store. You can make some amazing finds, especially around Halloween, when many stores trot out their period wear, and stock up on fake hair, crazy wigs, and inexpensive Halloween paraphernalia.

Unfortunately, some of these stores are trying to modernize their stock. They have simply gotten rid of a lot of the older clothing items that weren't selling. This is great news for those of us who depend on thrift stores to eke out our clothing budgets, because we know their styles will be more current. For those of us in search of inexpensive really, really, old clothing, it's not such a great policy.

Do not despair, though. As long as you know what to look for, you can still create super and inexpensive Halloween costumes for your kids.

Shirt:

1. Remove collar from shirt using scissors; button the shirt and turn it inside out, then sew the placket shut on both sides of the buttonholes, as high as the third-from-the-top button. This allows room for the shirt to slip over your child's head. Snip off all the buttons and remove any thread bits.
2. Cut off the sleeves in a ragged and uneven manner so the bottom edge will fall about half-way between your child's elbow and wrist. Shred the sleeve bottoms in several places.
3. Trim the hem from the shirttails in a raggedy and uneven manner, Shred the shirttails in several places. Shirt may be belted or worn loose.

Pants:

1. Pin or baste the waist of the suit pants so that they fit your child's waist.
2. Trim the pant legs in a ragged and uneven manner so that the legs end roughly half-way between your child's knees and ankles.
3. Shred the leg bottoms in several places.

Attach amulet to leather cord or string. The pirate amulet should hang about mid-chest, over the shirt. Fold head-scarf in half and tie over your child's head with the knot and tails to one side. Fasten the belt around your child's waist over top of the shirt. Tie the second scarf just below the belt, knotting to one side so the tails hang down unevenly.

Finishing touches you can purchase: eye patch, plastic pirate sword. You may not want your pirate to go barefoot, so the brown or black exercise slippers are a good alternative.

It's both simple and inexpensive to add a sleeveless vest to your child's pirate costume. Simply find a brightly colored silky or velour shirt, and remove the sleeves. Cut off the button placket from both sides, and then shorten the vest to the desired length.

The newly-created vest is worn over the shirt, belted, and tied with a colorful (long scarf) sash. If you wish, you can sew on gold or metallic rick-rack trim to finish the cut edges.

The costume on the right features a red jacket, gold sash, and fun fake prosthetic (hook hand), along with a silvery cutlass.

With a little work, some basic sewing, and very little cash, it's possible to create some truly fun, unique costumes for your kids ,These are the kinds of costumes that can involve the whole family in both the shopping and in the making - costumes that you will all remember for years to come.

© 2011, Text by Elle Fredine, All rights reserved