A Homemade Pirate Party

Argh, mateys! Whether you are trying to save money or just enjoy showing off your artistic skills, you can create a homemade pirate party for your loved one. Plan the perfect pirate party by making your own invitations, decorations and activities. Convert the entire party area into a pirate's dream that all the guests will be talking about for months to come.

Invitations

For simple homemade invitations, simply print a pirate ship or skull and bones on sheets of paper. Write the party details on each invitation and mail. For added fun, mail each guest a pirate eye patch along with the invitations. Make a treasure map invitation by printing the party details on parchment paper. For added decoration, burn the edges or the paper, roll it up and tie with a piece of twine. Hand-deliver the invitations to each party guest. If you want to mail the invitations, tear the labels off water bottles and mail the treasure map invitations in the bottles.

Decorations

Make your own pirate party banners using a large roll of butcher paper. Use large markers to write "______'s Pirate Party" and "Ahoy Mateys" on the butcher paper. Print pictures of treasure maps, skull and bones, treasure chests, pirates and a pirate ship on sheets of paper or card stock to hang around the party area. If you have a trampoline, flip it upside down and wrap all the way around the legs with brown butcher paper to create a "pirate ship." Leave a hole on one side for the entrance. You can also make a treasure chest by painting a cardboard box to resemble one.

Activities

Give each child an empty paper towel roll to make his own spyglass. The children can decorate their spyglasses using construction paper, stickers, paint, markers and crayons. Have them cover each end of their spyglass with clear plastic wrap. Alternatively, have the children make their own treasure chest using cardboard boxes or shoeboxes and the same craft supplies. For added decoration, give the children plastic gold coins to glue on their treasure chests. Have each child write his name on his treasure chest using a permanent marker or paint pen.

Games

Using your creativity and imagination, you can make your own homemade pirate games for the guests to play. Put a twist on the classic game musical chairs with a game of musical islands. Cut island shapes out of brown construction paper and scatter on the ground. Make a pirate prize walk by printing pictures of pirate-themed items and scatter them all over the party area. Write the items names on small pieces of paper and place them in a cup. Tell the children to go stand or touch any pirate picture. Call out an item from the cup and the player touching that item wins a small pirate prize.