Easy DIY Jack Sparrow Costume

This easy DIY Jack Sparrow Costume was a BIG hit in the Crazy Happy household!

I’m going to officially dub last year the “Year of the Pirate”! My kiddo was SUH obsessed with all things Pirates of the Caribbean. So, naturally he wanted to be Jack Sparrow for Halloween. I didn’t mind putting in a little extra DIY effort because I had a few more plans in store for his pirate gear. Not only was he able to use it for Halloween, but we also took a trip to Disney World for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (our favorite!). THEN, we went on a Disney Cruise, complete with Pirate Night. So, Jack Sparrow made multiple appearances last year.

Anatomy of a Rockin’ Costume

After looking at the price and quality pre-made costumes, I knew DIY was the way to go. We decided to go more for the On Stranger Tides look since Jack Sparrow was often hat-less and jacket-less. Easy peasy. The trick is to capture the essence of the costume, not get stuck on recreating an ultra authentic replica…unless you have the time and talents for such things!

Muggin’ Like Jack Sparrow

The head and face are probably the most recognizable features of the costume. It is important to play up main features of the character. It’s easy to do it on the cheap. Let’s break it down:

• Wig:  We already had a cheap Wal-mart pirate wig from years ago. Like most cheap wigs, it left a lot to be desired. So, we spruced it up a bit!
• Red Head Scarf:  I bought an XXL red t-shirt on sale at Michael’s for $2. Tons of red material! To make the scarf, I just cut the bottom of the shirt, wrapped around the head, and tied!
• Red Dreadlock:  Take red thread and wrap it in a X pattern around a section of the wig.
• Bead Strands:  I bought two cheap packs of beads from Michaels. One had silver pieces and one had circular wood beads. String the beads on strong thread and sew to the wig. Be sure to secure the ends of the strands. After losing a few beads at Disney World, I highly recommend adding some strategically placed hot glue to keep everything together. If not, those little suckers will jump ship at the most inopportune times!
• Marlinspike/Shin bone thing:  You could easily add a chopstick to the wig to give the look of whatever that thing is that hangs down from the side of Jack Sparrows head (the Internet apparently can’t decide). I was a little cautious about hanging a stick at eye level on my rambunctious kiddo. So, I skipped that part!
• Goatee:  Use some mascara to create the signature goatee and stache!
• Pirate Smolder:  Practice the smolder. Perfect the smolder. Pirate attitude is everything!

Smelly Pirate Clothes

Ok, so they don’t have to actually be smelly. But you definitely want them to look “lived in.” Here’s how we put our costume together:

• Puffy Pirate Shirt:  I went to a local thrift store on a quest for the perfect pirate shirt. For a whopping $1, I found a woman’s silk shirt that fit the bill. I took a small bit of elastic and attached to the wrist. This cinched it up just enough so the sleeves didn’t hang down to his ankles, thus providing the perfect puffy pirate sleeves.
• Vest:  Ok, so Jack Sparrow technically wears a blue patterned vest, but I had gray fabric. Remember, it is all about the essence of the character…not a precise replica. However, in retrospect, I realized that I should have just bought a blue $2 t-shirt at Michael’s and cut it into a vest. Easy peasy.
• Red Sash:  I cut the sash from the remaining red t-shirt. Tie it around the waist. Done.
• Oversized Belts:  For a kiddo, finding oversized belts is no problem. One around the waist. One around the chest.
• Pants:  My kiddo had some brown pants from a Prince Caspian costume. They worked perfect. Any dark pants will do. Even dark jeans could work in a pinch.

Pirate Boots

This is the part of the costume that I tinkered with the most. Pirate boots are VERY distinct. Costume pirate boots are not cheap. I scoured Pinterest for DIY boot ideas and I couldn’t find anything that would work for me. They were either too complicated or too flimsy.

I decided to make my own boot covers. I bought pleather and then epically failed at sewing them. Shoes are hard. They make no sense as a pattern. Cobblers definitely have their work cut out for them. After several pathetic attempts at boots, I remembered my mantra – it’s about the essence of the character, not an exact replica. Then the idea hit me!

I grabbed a rectangle of pleather (13 inches tall x 14 inches wide for my kiddo) and sewed velcro on the back where the cylinder overlaps. I made sure that the pleather would fit comfortably around my kiddo’s leg with a little bit of extra room for that slouchy boot look…but not so much room that it would slide off under his heel. I stored them with a crease in the front to make it look a bit more authentic. I threw them over some black ankle boots and VOILA!! Pirate boots on the cheap.

Pleather is a great DIY material because you can just cut it and not have to worry about doing finishing stitches on the edges. It doesn’t unravel. Also, a quick trip to Jo-Ann’s with a 40% off coupon (available on their site) means more moola for your pocket! I spent less than $15 on the whole outfit! Not too shabby!

Jake and the Neverland Pirates

This costume can easily be transformed into a Jake and the Neverland Pirates costume. Just skip the wig and goatee and tie a red sash around the head. We learned this the hard way when my kiddo went to summer camp character day as Jack Sparrow, but didn’t want to wear the full (and hot in the summer) wig. Apparently, everyone thought he was Jake. He wasn’t so pleased about that, but I could totally see it!

Jack Sparrow Sightings

Check out the full costume!! He’s ready to trick-or-treat with our Ironman!!

Even Jack Sparrow was pretty impressed! I’m sure his costume costs way more than $15!

As a former theatre major, I love any excuse to dress up in costumes! DIY costumes are always the best!! What is your favorite DIY costume creation? Do you have plans to make your own this year?

Leave me a comment and let me know. Have a link? Even better!!

Peace, Love & Happiness,

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