The ship was moored but yet without sails, so we got to work and made her some!
Bamboo poles were rigged as a mast (cable ties and rope did the trick!) and an old basket serves as the crow’s nest. Because everyone knows you can’t have a pirate ship without one of those. We tied some cotton sash cord to the horizontal bamboo booms to stabilize it, and then tied the sails to them.
Simple fabric rectangles with some ribbon ties look lovely and festive.
Margaux painted an anchor on the bow with some enamel paint – because every ship has to have one of those too.
The ultimate prop though has to be the rope detail – Margaux spotted this very thick worn rope around a tree on the farm and it really just completes the picture. VERY handy to have a professional stylist around!
A simple steering wheel was made with 2 circles cut from solid timber, 6 short dowels and 6 small door knobs. Remember to add washers to the bolt when you install it so that the wheel will be able to turn freely. And another handy tip: to keep the little knobs upright while they dry, stick them into small pots filled with sand or soil.
Now, don your hat and set sail, Mates: the world is your oyster!
Happy pirating!
This was not a sponsored post although the following tools were kindly provided by Bosch SA:
PLR Laser Distance Measuring Tool
POF 1200 AE Router
PSR 18 LI-2 Cordless Drill Driver Combi
91 Piece V-Line Accessory Set
You could win this same set of tools by entering our competition here! For more great DIY ideas, get your copy of our DIY & Styling e-book!
2 responses
Absolutely awesome! Almost to scared to ask what Jean is doing level with the sails 🙂
Little monkeys climb on everything!