Pirates of the Cardboard Crew

Daniel was in thrifty pirate mode this past weekend. Why "thrifty"? Because he was interested in making a pirate's outfit entirely out of cardboard cut out from a used box. Scottish Daddy liked that.

He approached me:

Daniel: Daddy, can you cut a box for me?

Me: Why, Daniel?

Daniel: I'm gonna make a patch, and all the things that pirates have, except a treasure chest and a ship...

[and he continued a few minutes later..]

Now Daddy, I'm gonna go get the box so I can really be a pirate!

Per Daniel's explicit instructions, I made an eye patch out of a small piece of card-board and some plastic-coated wire, a sword out of two thin strips of cardboard bound together at perpendicular angles - one clearly defining where the sword's handle separates from the blade, and finally a torso-piece - a box with a hole at the top for the head to stick out, and two holes on the sides for the arms to stick out. At Daniel's detailed direction, I had made a nearly identical "suit of armor" for Madeleine the knight about a week earlier (and I was very impressed that he wanted his sister to be properly suited.]

Later, Daniel reflected: "I have everything a pirate needs except for ripped pants."

(September 25, 2010)