How to Make a Pirate Captain's Long Jacket Costume

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Things You'll Need

  • Knee-length coat

  • 2-inch wide ribbon, enough to go up one side of coat and down the other

  • Piece of cloth 32 inches long and 4 inches wide, matching either coat or ribbon

  • 20 metal buttons

  • Wide-brim felt hat

  • Large needle

  • Pair of leather laces

  • Black boots

  • Piece of leather 45 inches long and 4 inches wide

  • Black or striped leggings

  • White shirt

  • Loose vest

  • White scarf

  • Black leather belt

  • Toy sword with scabbard

Especially since the popularity of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, a pirate has become a top choice for a Halloween costume. You can make a costume from scratch, but you also can pick up some things at a thrift store and alter them to create the look of a buccaneer. Look for a wide brim hat where the brim is wider than the crown is high. Check the woman's department of the thrift store for a suitable coat, and get your sword at a costume store.

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Altering Coat

Step 1

Remove the buttons

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Step 2

Iron the lapel out flat and the collar up.

Step 3

Fold the lapel to the inside of the coat; tack it down with needle and thread, and iron the folded edge. You want a straight line from the bottom of the collar down.

Step 4

Sew ribbon from the hem up one side of coat, around the collar, and down the other side to the hemline. Sew or glue 10 bright metal buttons on each side.

Step 5

Cut the strip of cloth in half, and sew each piece into a circle big enough to fit loosely around the end of the sleeve.

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Step 6

Sew to the end of the sleeve, and fold back into a cuff.

Hat

Step 1

Fold the back third of the brim up, and pin to the crown.

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Step 2

Fold the remaining brim into a point at the front, and pin to the crown. Your hat is now the shape you want.

Step 3

Sew the brims to crown with the leather laces, using an X-shaped stitch. Remove the pins.

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Boots

Step 1

Get a pair of old black leather boots.

Step 2

Cut a strip of leather in half, and sew each piece into a circle big enough to fit loosely around top of boot.

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Step 3

Sew to top of boot, and fold down to form a cuff.

Get Dressed

Step 1

Put on leggings, shirt, vest and boots.

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Step 2

Wrap the scarf around your neck from front to back and back to front. Tie in front.

Step 3

Put on the coat. Slide the scabbard onto the belt, and buckle with the sword at your left hip.

Step 4

Put on your hat, and go plunder something.

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