Child's Jack Sparrow Costume build

Mojo_Turbo · May 6, 2011

So after a few minutes of dress up with some spare parts of mine added with my son's toy sword from Disneyland, I have decided to build a mini-Jack Sparrow costume. This won't be extensive or screen accurate, just a "much more better" version of what is offered.

Those of you who have seen the little boy Jack Sparrow costumes know that it looks neither like a pirate to be taken seriously, or Jack - so this is my offering. At this point I have no plans to do a palm glove, facial hair or a wig.

I am just shooting for something more convincing than the store bought costumes, but light enough for walk-around or playtime.

Dutchman · May 6, 2011

This is cool! I really think it could be great if you go all the way with this (has that been done before?)
Thanks for sharing this

Mojo_Turbo · May 6, 2011

Initial parts:

The main costume is the Disney Jack Sparrow child costume (my son has a size 4, which will fit him fine in a year). It was a $40 brand new costume that I was able to pick up on ebay for $12.

I am scrapping the sash, belt, pelt and boot covers that come with it.

The sash is tea-stained IKEA curtain scrap that my wife sewed together a while back "just in case" we decided to do a Jack costume.

The sword is from Disneyland.

The flintlock is a zizzle knock off that I got for free on freecycle.

And the Cannibal Accessory Kit that was on clearance at Party City for $5

Mojo_Turbo · May 6, 2011

Waistcoat: The costume vest seems to be someone's take on Jack's Vest (front) and Jack's Jacket (back). Put together it looks nothing like something Jack actually wears. So the question becomes how much can I mod it, without putting so much effort into it that I could have saved time just making it from scratch?

Add tassels to the collar
Remove the sleeve buttons
Repaint the vest buttons silver
Remove the back "square" of material and buttons

All of the "red areas" are the places I want to work on.

Dutchman · May 6, 2011

Oh...you ARE goin' all the way!!! How cool is that!

The back square seems to be the hardest part to change (what IS that thing?!?) The length of the vest seems okay though.
Thing is, kids grow like grazy (as you probably know off course), so there's no time to waste!!!

Mojo_Turbo · May 6, 2011

First, I popped all of the vest buttons off with a seam ripper and sprayed them silver:

Dutchman · May 6, 2011

Rock on!! And keep us posted

Mojo_Turbo · May 6, 2011

Another element I have is this "second costume" I got from RPF member Sparrowed

My plan is just to gut this costume completely until it's only a Jacket and then rehem the edges. All that inside stuff is just a fake front "dickie" that I will remove.

Oh, and the tricorn hat I got at the Disney outlet for like $5

saeltmarae2k · May 6, 2011

Haha, rad!

IndyFanChuck · May 6, 2011

Probably the cutest thread I've seen in a while. Makes you really appreciate why we do all this costuming! :thumbsup

Mojo_Turbo · May 7, 2011

The inside shirt, sash and "what-not" is all a facade, so I removed it all so that it's only the jacket.

Putting the 2 costumes "together"

The shirt peeks out from under the sash, and technically Jack tucks his shirt into his pants. So I needed a way to keep the shirt intact (because I don't want to buy another shirt) but "tuck it in" to his pants. So now this dickey-style front is only sewn to the waistcoat above the sash.

The only issues now are that the back of the collar is no longer a finished edge and all the buttons came off, because they shared a stitch with the fake shirt

Mojo_Turbo · May 8, 2011

More Parts: The felt tricorn (seen above) and the compass kit. I picked up both of these at the Disney outlet store for under $5 each

To mod these items i'll have to remove the bright red fabric from the hat and replace it with an authentic bandanna. The hat also had very loose stitching and a weird black snap brim, my wife restitched the hats tricorn corners to handle more rough and tumble play, and I used craft glue to fold back the black brim so it would not be as noticeable.

Mojo_Turbo · May 8, 2011

Compass: I won't mod the compass with paint or metal "extras" - I want to keep a lot of this costume "intact" to hold on to the playable aspect. I'm not shooting for screen accurate, so much as I am shooting for "way better than what is available."

But here is what I will do:

I got metal ring hangers from Ace hardware - (these are in the picture hanging section) and black leather cording from Michael's. Both items cost me just a few bucks each. Then I got a drill and made a small hole in the back of the compass to feed the ring hanger "point." Then before I fully tightened the screw, I glued it in place with some super bond.

Last, I threaded the leather lanyard on and made a couple of knots.

Yea, I made the leather cord too long for a 3 year old, but he will grow into it.

TK171 · May 9, 2011

Looking great! I started Nick's Vader thinking nothing too fancy- "just something better than the Rubies kid costume"...... now I live and breath it and probably going too far with some of it :unsure

no need to get uber accurate, cause it already looks 100% better- but seems a Wig or something would be a neccessity.

Mojo_Turbo · May 9, 2011

yea kids dont do to well with things on their face and head, I will be lucky if he wears the bandanna or hat...

Belts: I got these buckles online: they are smaller generic versions of the Jack-style buckles:

I went down to the thrift store to look for cheap belts that would do for the 2 waistbelts. I found a good AM belt, but even better.... I found... Boots!

I removed the buckles from the old belts and used super glue to attach the new buckles and then re-punched new holes to it fit his size.

TK171 · May 9, 2011

Perfect! I saw a pair very similar to those at Wallyworld about a year ago. they were gals boots (I tend to look in the girls sections anyways for jedi/officer high top style boots for my boys)- but I almost bought a pair just like these for later down the road incase they wanted to go all GRRRR ARRGGG Pirate.

I didn't bite on those, but bit the bullet on a pair of brown boots on clearance at the GAP kids last year, and glad I did- they were perfect jedi boots for my son.

Thrift stores rock for this kind of stuff though.

Mojo_Turbo · May 9, 2011

test fitting

Belt effects added....

Mojo_Turbo · May 12, 2011

Completed Belts with hanging accessories

Stuff left to do:
- Sewing projects: put the buttons back on the waistcoat, remove the back of the waistcoat, hem the coat
- make the bandanna smaller
- make the baldric
- restitch the tricorn (it's already falling apart)
- make the wristwraps
- get a piece of eight

He could care less about the bells and whistles... he just likes the gun

Mojo_Turbo · May 16, 2011

Side Project - World's End Map

The Cannibal kit comes with a vinyl treasure map sewn to a canvas back. I bought a bamboo place mat from a bargain bin and used indistrial strength glue to adhere the map to it. Then I just reapplied the velcro ties to the bamboo and dusted it with a little flat black paint.

Glued it down... spray painted the back... trimmed the edges

TheNickFox · May 16, 2011

Is it wrong that I'm jealous of a five-year-old?

Well, I don't care if it is, he's got a nicer Jack Sparrow costume than me! :lol

Fantastic job so far, I really can't wait to see this all finished up...and I bet neither can he.

I think this will certainly be a memory that will stick with him for a VERY long time to come.

-Nick

Child's Jack Sparrow Costume build

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