No self respecting Pirate would be without a treasure map! And my pirate was no different! We decided that a treasure map was a great way to tie the pirate theme to the room, plus it would be a great project to do together too.
The Pillow, corkboard and throw rug with the pirate map on them were probably the most time consuming to prepare for but the most fun for both of us/ With my son helping design his “treasure map”, we sketched the map on a sheet of craft paper the size of the pillow. He chose the route his ship would take, the addition of mermaids, skull rock and even some palm trees.
With the exception of the pirate ship drawing, the majority of the map was his design and because of that, he is exceptionally proud of this part of his room. I then took over and transferred the pattern onto the various items using carbon paper.
After that I drew the details onto the pieces using permanent SHARPIE markers in various thickness’ and colors. Since SHARPIES come in so many colors now, the sky is the limit as to how detailed you can get with this project. You can certainly use fabric markers but they are much more expensive than SHARPIES so I made do with what I had available.
My carpet square was purchased at my local HY VEE as a carpet sample for about $1.50, the cork board at HOBBY LOBBY for under $5.00, and the pillow at TARGET for $5.00. For under $15 all three projects were completed and great additions to the pirate theme were added with little effort or artistic talent.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When all else fails, a pirate must spend some of his “booty”!
Pirate theme items purchased were:
Parrot at Oriental Trading …about $5.00
Pirate flags used by ceiling….Oriental trading about $8.00
Assorted skeletons with pirate themes …WALGREENS at 2 for $5.00
Pirate theme bandana fabric for pillow….$4.00 per yard & stuffing at WAL MART $1.99.
Pirate Lego model $5.00 (on sale)
Captain Jack Sparrow figure $6.00 (sale at TARGET)
Sign with skull & crossbones…Oriental Trading $6.00
Pirate swords and cutlass’….dollar store –$1.00 each
Eye patches & earrings….dollar store–$1.00 for pair
Small Styrofoam skulls…2 for $3.00 WALGREENS
Wicker trash can …clearance item at KOHL’s $2.00
Black Quilt for loft bed…TARGET Clearance $10.00
Links for the following merchants are below along with some other websites that proved to be inspirational in design or have items I am considering purchasing in the future. If you happen to know of any others, feel free to post links in the comments and I will add them to this list as well.
Oriental Trading main page
Oriental trading link to pirate theme items (over 200 of them!)
Dead Men Tell No Tales.com …
they have tons of neat pirate stuff from inexpensive eyepatches (including multi packs for parties) http://www.deadmentellnotales.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc
….To a super deluxe pirate tree house (you have GOT to see this one to believe it!) I wanted to buy this one myself but hubby said I’d have to get a builders permit to put it up! DARN!
And what pirate cabin would be complete without books…. ones as simple as Dora the Explorer to ones on Anne Bonney and other famous (and not so famous) pirates
Though most other sites pale in comparison to “Dead Men tell no tales”, CenturyNovelty.com Does have some inexpensive extras you can purchase for your room or at least get some inspiration from.
And speaking of inspiration…first-school.com has some great coloring pages you can use for patterns for your room or simply print out and create a personalized coloring book for your pirate kiddo!
If you need some ideas for your pirate map, check out this one on familyfun.com
my son liked this one so much that he adapted much of it for his very own treasure map.
And if you don’t want to purchase a pirate flag, here’s instructions on familyfun.com on how to make your own.
Here is a link that has some neat pirate theme bookmarks to print as well as some other simpler crafts to do with your child.
The skeleton pirate images on kidsturncentral.com
are a bit older in nature so check them with your child before using them…we want the room to be fun not frightening!
Here is one COOL 6 foot tall cutout of Jack Sparrow…
I don’t know about my son, but I wouldn’t mind having it myself! 😀 Seriously though, scroll down a bit lower on the page to find lots of links to other pirate theme items.
HGTV has info on making a “pirate bed” here
…though we didn’t use it, the project seems simple enough and certainly does have the “air” of a pirate’s cabin.
If money is no object, TARGET.com offers a “Pirate room in a box” For the nominal fee of only $299.99
And if you would like wallpaper or border for your room, wards.com has a neat design at a pretty decent price as well.
Want a pirate theme chandelier for your kid’s room?…check out this one…but be warned, you’ll need a lot of “booty” to pay for it!
…you know,given enough time, some craft clay and a few black lampshades and I could probably come up with a passable copy of this….it would definitely be a challenge.
Want a fun bed for your room?….Scroll almost down to the bottom of this webpage to see some neat pirate theme beds…
again, I’ll bet some “crafty” person that is handy with power tools could create a great version of these beds!
Here is a cool wall hanging that I am still contemplating purchasing for my son…
plus here is a page listing ALL the pirate theme items the site has for sale…the pirate “scourge of the sea” plaque is too cool for words…or so my son says!
Thisbedding is a little too “cute” for my son, but it might just work for your pirate so pilage away if it works, just don’t forget the plastic, olivekids.com frowns on pirates grabbing booty and running!
Well…there’s a start for you in decorating the perfect pirate room...I hope I’ve helped those out there that have had requests for pirate rooms but didn’t know where to start. But you know what?!? I’m not done yet! I have oodles of more ideas and will post more links and ideas as they materialize. Keep your eyes peeled Matey and your cutlass sharpened…it’s time to hit the high seas! Savvy?!?
