My not-so-budget Jack Sparrow build

Risu

Risu

Master Member
I'm already well on my way to having a "good enough" Jack Sparrow costume, my goal being to have it ready to wear when the new movie premieres. I've got a cheap costume pirate shirt left over from a really mediocre attempt back in high school that I'll be shortening a bit at the bottom to make accurate cuffs and a collar, some grey pants, a vest I can take apart and remake the front of out of some nice blue/grey material I picked up, and some black material for the wrap he wears on his right wrist and striped material for the sash. I'll be picking up the Magnoli bandana pretty soon, and the leather work is in the bag, as that's what I do. I'm not going to mess around with the coat because I think it's unnecessary for the cheap version and California is way too close to the sun anyways. So I've got three items I need some advice on. First, the boots. I have some black vinyl boot tops, don't care for them, want something more accurate. What's the best offering in terms of cost to screen accuracy? The same for the wig. I don't mind putting in effort to make it look right, it all comes down to $$$. And last, I've been eyeing the costume-base 3-pack of buckles on ebay. From the pictures they look to be very good quality, if not necessarily 100% accurate. Does anybody have them and want to offer up a review?

Just for the fun of it, here's a photo I shopped back in high school of my first draft costume. It was a bit of an in-joke. The shirt is the one I'll be modifying, the sash has been doubled in length, and the pants are the same. Everything else is going away.

l_dfe9adfa3330274d630baafc299888b8.jpg
 
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Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Now I know why everyone wants to go back to the moon. They have rum! :lol :p ;)
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

I always giggle when I see the "Jack Sparrow on a budget" threads!!

It is nearly impossible to do mate! Once you get bitten by the Sparrow bug of Screen Accuracy there is no turning back!!!

- Instead of leather think faux leather material (vinyl) readily available at JoAnns Fabrics.
- Plastic sword and scabbard available. Google Captain Jack Sparrow Sword
- Buy the ready made costume licensed by Disney (deluxe version) and modify it to a little bit more screen accuracy.

It's not easy to do a budgeted version buy the journey trying to do it is near next to impossible.

You could always do Governor Island Jack! Shirt, pants, wig, bandana and no boots! That works the easiest!:lol

Good luck!
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Capn_Jack_Savvy said:
I always giggle when I see the "Jack Sparrow on a budget" threads!!

It is nearly impossible to do mate! Once you get bitten by the Sparrow bug of Screen Accuracy there is no turning back!!!
Click to expand...

Yeah, right now I'm fighting not to upgrade my costume that I did for $350. But I have to keep reminding myself that I have no money at the moment. That thought usually helps to keep me from spending money. haha

Risu, if you want any pictures or info on the costume base buckles (I have them with the belts preattached) shoot me an email, I'll tell you whatever you want to know.

Good luck.

-Nick
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

It is possible to do on a budget. You can get some of the inexpensive items and weather them up to the point that you can't tell the difference between a Costumebase breeches or a custom made breeches. Only the wearer knows!!

If you are bitten by the bug come join us over at Keep To The Code! We can take you to the most expensive to the most economical. Some of us Jacks over there have been doing this for many years now.
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Capn_Jack_Savvy said:
If you are bitten by the bug come join us over at Keep To The Code! We can take you to the most expensive to the most economical. Some of us Jacks over there have been doing this for many years now.
Click to expand...

I'm already over there (under a different username) but I mostly just lurk and learn...and get jealous of other people's awesome(ly expensive) costumes. :p

-Nick
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

This costume is one part of my attempt to break away from the screen accurate super expensive sect of costuming. I've gotten really carried away on my tenth Doctor costumes and for financial reasons need to change my MO. So thanks for the recommendation on the forum, but if I sign up over there I'm sure I will get carried away.

Thanks for the ebay link, is that actually the same one Mags carries? Looks like a great price, I'll pick one up shortly.

As for cost, since the stuff I already have was so long ago, I won't be counting it in my budget. That pretty much just leaves a few yards of discount upholstery fabric, boots, bandana, wig, and buckles. Leather costs me virtually nothing, we've got shelves of the stuff at work that we get for business wholesale prices. It's definitely cheaper for me to get real leather than pleather. Since I'm not going all out on SA I don't feel it's necessary to get all the little things that hang off of him, just the compass, beads in the wig, and maybe the sword is enough for me. My cost so far is about $50 with leather, costume-base buckles, and that ebay bandana included should I choose to buy them. With enough work and a little bit of a "meh" attitude, I think I can pull off the budget costume. I do think decent boot will run me around $100 though, any recommendations on those are still welcome.
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Oooooooooo! Any chance of getting in on some of said WHOLESALE leather? You don't work for Tandy in the OC do you???? :confused:love

Go to the Disney Outlet store in Fullerton CA off of the 91 East Lemon ST exit. They have the compass set with kids ring and Map of the Dead sets for only $5,.99!

OI! Where in the LB are you?
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Don't work for Tandy, but I do get my stuff there. Rosie's store, right? Sorry, no chance of getting deals for anybody, my boss wouldn't be too happy about that.

I'll have to drop into that Disney store, is that a limited time sale?

About the paisley, I've been wondering about that for a while, in which movie is the baldric detailed like that? I haven't been able to spot it in 1 or 3 yet, haven't checked 2. I've seen people use pleather, was that how the originals were made, or is the printed pleather just an easy way to copy the tooling? I was just going to dye my baldric a dark brown and leave it at that, but good reference pics would persuade me to put in some real effort.

I live near PCH about 3 miles west of CSULB.
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Yes Rosie!

No the next time you guys place and order you could add a little to the inventory...nudge nudge...know what I mean? Say no more! Of course we would pay for it!!!!

The last time I saw there were only 6 compasses sitting out on the rack. They could have more in back.
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Will what about Barbossa one a budget? I've anyways whated to d that but it seem his stuff is harder to find. why is that?
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Most of Barbossa's items are custom made even down to the buttons on his frock coat and waistcoat. There is woman on FleaBay that sells and entire Barbossa and also Teague costume for around $600.00!
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Well, I was curious to see what I could find out about tricorns at KTTC, so I checked it out. I think I might have to go to Ikea now. The boot tutorial I found was helpful, I've seen that technique used before for other stuff. It was a bit confusing though because there was no info on how to pattern the shaft, much less how to assemble it. The shaft of my Solo boots is sewn up the back on the outside and inside leather pieces, and I'm not sure exactly how that would work with that giant fold at the top that hangs back down. Is that the same continuous piece of leather, or do you attach it at the top somehow?

And as for hats, I saw some very good pictures and you (Savvy) seem to be the person to ask. I want to make my tricorn. The thing that confuses me about it is the bound edge. It was referred to as a french edge, and from that I assume it has to be sewn all the way around? I haven't spent a whole lot of time wet forming leather, about the closest I get to that is making holsters. Is the leather at the edge just wet formed and folded back on itself, then sewn around the edges, or does it have to be cut in places to fold properly?

Sorry for all the questions. I saw a tutorial for a tricorn years ago, but it didn't have the bound brim like that.
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

I did a rushed costume of Sparrow from POTC3, and he definitely does not have a paisley baldric in the screenshots I found:
will8.jpg


I bought the kid's pirates kit with the compass and the rings, and I have to say it works great in photographs. I will probably upgrade my rings soon, and I would love to have a (working?) compass, but that's a project for later.
Also, I'm new here! Hope I can contribute!
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

Rens said:
I did a rushed costume of Sparrow from POTC3, and he definitely does not have a paisley baldric in the screenshots I found:
will8.jpg


yes is the same baldric around 2 and 3.. so YES Paisley is there.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Jack Sparrow on a budget

I've gotten some really helpful PMs so far about the baldric, sash, boots, and one extra helpful member sent me a small novel. :lol Very good stuff. I am still trying to figure out how to make the hat, though.
 
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