Pirate crafts are fun to make and play with.
Pirates, with their dramatic flags, swashbuckling attitude and colorful costumes, have long been an inspiration for creative projects. Whether your idea of a pirate is "Treasure Island"'s Long John Silver or Captain Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean," you can easily make pirate crafts for a project or party or just for your own entertainment.
Pirate Flag
Every self-respecting pirate captain needs his own flag. Cut out pirate-themed shapes from white material or card stock. Skulls, bones, swords and hour-glasses are popular pirate motifs. Glue the cut-outs onto a piece of black cardboard or fabric with craft glue. Use masking tape to secure your flag to a long gardening stick so you can display or carry it where you want.
Eye-patch
An eye-patch was a favorite and often necessary accessory for battle-loving pirates. Make your own from a piece of black card stock. Draw a large "D" shape on the card stock and cut around it. Lay it flat with the curve of the "D" at the bottom. Use a white marker pen (or corrector fluid pen) to draw a small skull and cross bones outline in the center of your patch. Punch a hole on each side of the card and thread through a length of elastic, long enough to fit over your head. Knot each end at the holes and your patch is ready to wear.
Parrot
Every pirate needs a parrot friend. Create a simple parrot from an old toilet-roll tube. Paint the tube in parrot colors such as red, green, yellow or blue. Cut out two ovals from card stock and glue them on either side as wings. To make a beak, cut a triangle of orange card stock. Make a narrow fold along one edge to create a flap and glue the flap toward the top of the roll (the head of the parrot). Stick on two self-adhesive googly eyes. Glue on a few colored feathers (available from craft shops) around the top of the roll to create the parrot's crest.
Treasure Map
Treasure maps suffer through time, buried in the ground and fought over by rival pirates. To create a torn, yellow-aged map, first draw an island on a piece of white paper. Use crayons to add features such rivers, caves, trees and a large "X" with the words "here be treasure" underneath (you will add liquid to the map later so the color must not be water soluble or it will run). To age your map, dip a sponge in cold coffee, dribble it over the paper and then sponge it over. While the paper is still wet, tear off the corners and a rough border around the edge.
Tags: card stock, piece black, your patch