DIY Pirate Ship Halloween Decor

Start by cutting a large sheet of plywood in half to create two 4′ x 4′ sections.

Next, take one of these sections and mark the center of three of its sides. To do this, measure halfway along each of the three sides and make a small pencil mark.

Now, grab a straight edge or a long ruler. Place it so that it connects the mark on the middle side to the mark on one of the other sides.

Draw a line along the ruler.

Repeat on the other side. This should create a triangular point, which will form the front of your pirate ship.

Carefully cut along the lines you drew to shape the front of the ship.

To cut the wood for the frame and railings for your pirate ship, follow these steps:

• Begin by cutting 8 of the 2″ x 2″ boards in half. This will give you 16 sections, each 4 feet long.
• Next, take 4 of the 2″ x 2″ boards and cut them into 45-inch sections. You should have 8 pieces when you’re done.
• Then, cut 12 of the 2″ x 2″ boards into 18-inch and 30-inch lengths. For each board, make two 18-inch cuts and two 30-inch cuts. This will result in 24 pieces that are 18 inches long and 24 pieces that are 30 inches long.
• From 2 more of the 2″ x 2″ boards, cut three 30-inch sections each. This will give you 6 additional 30-inch pieces, making a total of 30 when combined with the previous cuts.
• Finally, cut 8 sections that are 24 inches long from the last 2 of the 2″ x 2″ boards.

Since I wanted the kids to walk through the pirate ship, I built it in two parts. A square back section, and a front section with a point on it. That way I could position them a few feet apart and the kids could walk through the middle.

So we’ll start by constructing the frame for the square, back section of the ship.

You’ll make two rectangles using the 48-inch and 30-inch boards. Take two of the 48-inch boards and two of the 30-inch boards. Position the 30-inch boards inside the 48-inch boards to form a rectangle. Screw through the ends of the 48-inch boards into the ends of the 30-inch boards to secure them together.

Next, connect these two rectangles. Use the 45-inch boards to join them. Attach one 45-inch board at the top and one at the bottom on each side of the rectangles. This will create a sturdy frame.

To further reinforce the structure and prevent warping, add three more 30-inch boards to each side of the frame. Space these boards about 1 foot apart and screw them in place.

Finally, take a square piece of plywood and screw it onto the top of your frame. This will give the back section of your ship a solid surface.

To build the railings, we’ll use a similar process as we did for the frame.

But since the railings will only be on the outside of the ship, there will be 3 sides instead of 4.

And we’ll use the 18-inch sections instead of the 30-inch ones used earlier. This size will make the railings look proportionate to the rest of the ship.

For the square part of the ship:

• Create two rectangles by joining the 48 inch boards with the 18 inches boards.
• Join these rectangles together using two 45-inch boards, one at the top and bottom to create a U-shaped frame.
• Add additional 18-inch boards between the two rectangles, spacing them about 12 inches apart to form the slats of the railing.

For the angled part of the shape:

• Make two rectangles with 24 inch and 18 inch sections.
• Then, create two V-shaped sections using using the same measurements and angle cut as you did for the frame of the boat (step 4) above.
• Join the 2 V-shapes together at the point with an 18-inch board.
• Attach the free ends of each V-shape to a rectangle.
• Fill in the spaces between the top and bottom railing with additional 18″ boards spaced about 12 inches apart.

Begin by cutting pieces of styrofoam to fit the outside of the frame.

You should need five pieces that are 48 inches wide by 33 inches tall, two pieces that are 24 inches wide by 33 inches tall, and two pieces that are about 36 inches wide by 33 inches tall. However, for the best fit, measure the actual height and width of each section of your frame before cutting.

Next, align the styrofoam pieces with the top edge of the plywood on your frame. Use screws to attach the styrofoam securely to the sides of your frame. Make sure the screws are evenly spaced to keep the styrofoam firmly in place.

Once the styrofoam is attached, use wide tape to cover all the edges and cover any gaps. This will help to smooth out the seams and provide a more polished look. Make sure the tape is applied tightly and smoothly to avoid any wrinkles.

Begin by positioning the railings on the top side of the plywood, ensuring they extend right to the edge of the plywood but not over the styrofoam. The styrofoam isn’t strong enough to support the railings.

Secure the railings in place by screwing them into the plywood. Use a drill and screws for this task. Make sure to hold the railing steady and straight while you drill to ensure a firm and level attachment.

Now you’re ready to paint. I used black for mine, but for better visibility at night, you might want to use a lighter color such as grey or white.

Before you start painting, make sure your surface is clean and dry. If there’s any dust or dirt, wipe it down with a damp cloth and let it dry completely.

If you really want to do a good job (or if you are planning on using your ship for a few years), start by applying a primer. (I was in a hurry so I skipped this step). Wait until it has dried before continuing.

I used a paint sprayer to apply my paint (it’s very fast!) But you can do it by hand with a brush or roller.

Just don’t use spray paint since it will eat into the styrofoam.

Once you’ve finished painting, allow the ship to dry completely. This could take several hours or even overnight, depending on the weather and the type of paint you used.

Let’s make the mast for your pirate ship.

I made 2 for my ship. One with a crow’s nest and one without. But you can choose to only make one of them if you prefer.

For the mast without the crow’s nest:

1. Cut a piece of ¾” PVC pipe to 6 feet long.
2. Take a 12-foot long 4-inch wide drain pipe and drill two 1-inch holes straight through from one side to the other. The first hole should be about 1 foot down from the top, and the second hole should be about 3 feet down.

3. Push the 6-foot PVC pipe through the top hole, making sure it is centered.
4. Push an 8-foot PVC pipe through the lower hole, centering it as well.

5. Drill 1/8″ holes through the PVC pipes on either side of the drain pipe.
6. Thread a piece of picture wire through these holes and twist it tightly around the pipe to keep the PVC pipes from shifting.

For the mast with the crow’s nest:

(Sorry, I forgot to take pictures when I was making this, so here’s the finished version).

1. Cut a hole in the bottom of a round laundry basket just big enough to fit over the drain pipe.
2. Push the drain pipe into the hole in the laundry basket, leaving about 1 foot of the pipe showing above the basket’s top edge.
3. Attach 2 or 3 scrap pieces of wood to the drain pipe where the bottom of the laundry basket will rest. Secure the basket to these wood pieces using screws, nails, or staples.
4. Drill two 1-inch holes through the drain pipe for the cross poles. The first hole should be about 1 foot lower than the bottom of the laundry basket, and the second hole should be 2 feet lower.
5. Follow the same steps as above to push the PVC pipes through these holes and secure them with picture wire.

Finally, paint the mast the same color as your ship to complete the look.

To assemble the ship, start by positioning the front and back parts of it with 3 to 4 feet of space between them. This will allow enough room for people to walk through.

Next, cut holes in the center of the plywood using a 4¾” hole saw. These holes are for the masts. If you only want one mast, you just need one hole. Attach it to your drill, and carefully drill through the plywood where you want the mast to go.

Once the holes are ready, place an umbrella stand directly under each hole. Alternatively, you can hammer two pieces of rebar into the ground a couple of inches apart. Make sure the rebar is close enough together so that the end of the pipe can fit over them securely.

Now, slide the mast through the hole in the plywood and onto the top of the umbrella stand or over the rebar. Ensure the mast is stable and upright.

To create the look of sails, drape creepy cloth over the poles on the mast. If the cloth keeps sliding off, you can tie it on with some picture wire.

To really make your pirate ship stand out, you’ll need to add lighting.

Use green and/or blue floodlights to illuminate the sails, creating a spooky and dramatic effect. I used blue on one sail and green on the other to give them more depth.

You can place the floodlights at the bottom of the mast and point them upwards. This will light up the sails effectively.

But for an even better result, position the lights higher up, such as on the roof or in a nearby tree. This higher angle allows the light to spread more evenly across the sails, enhancing the overall look.

If you have an arbor or another elevated structure, it can also be a great spot to place your lights. Secure the lights firmly and ensure they are angled correctly to maximize the illumination.

The next few steps are optional, but I’ll mention them just in case you’re interested.

I added a steering wheel with a pirate captain to the back of the ship.

Mine was a stationary wheel, but now you can get this automated one that I think would be really cool.

To create the look of cannons, cut 4-inch holes in the side of the ship where you want the cannons to be.

Use a drywall knife to make the holes.

Next, take pieces of 4-inch PVC pipe and paint them black. You can use spray paint for an even coat. Let the paint dry completely before moving on.

Insert the painted PVC pipes into the holes you made in the ship. Make sure they fit snugly and stick out just a bit to resemble cannon barrels.

Place a strobe light set on low speed at the bottom of each PVC pipe. This will create a flashing effect that looks like the cannons are firing.

On Halloween night, I also added add a fog machine at the bottom of each of the canons. Position the fog machine so the fog flows through the PVC pipe, and it looks like smoke coming from the cannons.

You can add a final touch by hanging a Jack Sparrow flag at the front of your pirate ship.

First, attach an extra piece of 2″ x 2″ wood to the ship’s railing at the desired point.

Use a staple gun to attach the flag at multiple points along the wood piece.