The Cutest Costumes on the Block

Dashing Pirate

What you need

White long-sleeved T-shirt, red sweatpants, black boots or high-top sneakers, one 30 x20 inch sheet of white art paper, red electrical tape, two sheets of textured black art paper (poster-board size), one sheet of metallic gold art paper (poster-board size), six 8 inch gold-painted paper doilies, Velcro strips, glue gun, utility knife, scissors.

To make vest:

Fold sheet of white art paper in half so that it measures Trace template, as shown, onto folded piece of paper, and cut out. Unfold and press with cool iron to smooth. To add stripes, use a pencil to mark 3/4 inch intervals until entire vest is covered (see diagram). Following this guide, add strips of red electrical tape. Lay vest stripes-side down, and fold front pieces in to form vest shape. To finish, glue front shoulders to back shoulders using a 1/4 inch overlap.

To make wrist cuffs:

Cut two 3 x 8 inch rectangles from black, textured art paper and set aside. Using a utility knife, cut out a 2 inch circle from the center of each of the four doilies. To attach doilies to rectangle, open the circle by making a cut from the outer edge in toward the center. Glue two opened doilies to the inside edge of each paper rectangle. Form into cuffs, and add Velcro strips to attach around wrists.

To make jabot:

Fold edges of a doily in to meet. Then fold outer edges out, as if folding a paper airplane. Repeat with a second doily. Place one on top of the other, and glue together. Then glue to T-shirt, just below center of neck opening.

To make boot cuffs:

Enlarge cuff template as needed, and cut out. Trace cuff twice onto black art paper, and cut out. Following our diagram, fold top portion of cuff and add Velcro strips to each end to attach over boots.

To make shoe buckles:

Enlarge shoe-buckle templates as needed, and cut out. Trace buckle twice onto gold paper, and cut out, following our diagram. Add Velcro strips to secure to boot tops.

To make belt:

Cut out a 2 x 26 inch rectangle of black art paper for the belt. Enlarge buckle template as needed, and cut out. Trace onto gold paper, following our diagram, and cut out. Slide gold buckle onto belt. Add Velcro strips to each end of belt to fasten.

To make hook:

Cut out a hook shape from gold paper, and set aside. Next, cut out a 5 x 14 inch rectangle and a 4 inch circle from the black art paper. Set the rectangle aside. From the outer edge of the black circle, make tiny slits, 1/2 inch in, toward the center, all the way around. Fold snipped edges down. Glue black rectangle to the snipped edges, all the way around, until you've formed a cup shape. Turn cup over. Using a utility knife, cut a slit in the center of the black circle and insert hook, leaving enough of the handle for your child to hold.

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