How to turn your child into a pirate: Halloween costume idea #297

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It’s Orange Tuesday, which is Halloween’s answer to Black Friday.

In other words, if the costume retailers don’t have a really good day today, they hang their heads and cry. But that is not our concern.

Our concern is how to make Halloween easy and fun for everyone, which Heather will tell you takes years of practice. (See Control Freak Mom Survives Holiday Centered Around Candy, the Prequel)

The first thing that’s fun is that BuyCostumes.com is offering 20% off. Click through this link to find princesses and ninja turtles, superheroes and tigers for babies, toddlers, kids and adults. Again, use this link to the 20% off page.

When my son was four, he was a pirate. Though you can purchase a head-to-toe pirate outfit, he was still satisfied with my half-way homemade costume projects at that time, and I saved a bit of money by outfitting him in an old black maternity shirt, belted at the waist with a scarf, over red and white striped PJ bottoms that he already owned. We made it authentic with a package of accessories. The most important bit to get your hands on is a felt child’s pirate hat, but a bandana can work as well.

We went with the red and black color scheme, bandana and all, but there’s also this brown get-up that’s as easy as adding the whole thing to your cart.

And Melissa and Doug makes this pirate costume which you might not come across because they call it “role play” so that you can use it year-round. Thanks for the permission, Melissa and Doug, but we are pretty clear that being a small child is a sufficient excuse to wear costumes year-round. I think this is the way to go if you are not a DIY costume person. Simply add black pants or PJ bottoms and perhaps black rainboots.

Next tip: Parents should dress up if they like to. Coordinating with the kids is like, the cutest thing ever. My dad absolutely hates costumes, though, so if you’re in his camp, I get it. He’s a really great dad anyway.

If Mama wants to be a pirate, wear black boots, red pants and a long black top. Wear your partner’s top if it’s bigger, and belt it. Then add accessories: patch, bandana, etc. Not a black boot owner? Consider these Pirate Lady Boot Tops.

Other where-to-buy and how-to-make costume posts:

5 easy Halloween costumes from vests
Homemade Halloween costumes from readers
10 ideas for Baby’s first Halloween

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Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.