Captain Hook Costumes – A Timeless Choice for Boys
Captain Hook is one of the timeless villains of popular imagination. Sometimes mistaken for an actual historical character, he is in reality the creation of J.M. Barrie, the author of the classic Peter Pan play and novel. As the Peter Pan character and his sidekicks continue to be re-adapted for children – and adults – of every generation, the Captain Hook character remains a part of many a boy’s imagination and therefore is the inspiration for a costume he might wear on Halloween or to a party. And since versions of Peter Pan are often dramatized for school and youth group productions, your son may come home from school or scouting programs with a request to help him make or otherwise acquire a Captain Hook costume.
As his name suggests, Captain Hook has a metal hook in place of his arm, and while this reflects a long outdated attitude that amputees and other disabled people are somehow evil, helping your son make his Captain Hook costume is a perfect way to teach him about tolerance for those who are somehow different. Using actual metal to fashion the Captain’s hook is a recipe for disaster, as your young Captain Hook may well amputate a piece of furniture or glass vase with such a hook arm, but the hook can easily be made from aluminum foil, which is extremely easy to affix to your evil captain’s jacket that could be his band jacket or his father’s old blazer for that matter. Since Captain Hook lost his arm to a crocodile, having a toy crocodile attached to the aluminum foil arm is a humorous and original touch that will get your son attention during his Halloween party, or even get him special mention for his role in the school play if his teacher allows for creative touches as indeed a good teacher should.
Other features of the Captain Hook costume are also easy to make out of commonly available household materials. Of course drawing a mustache on your son’s upper lip is but a matter of using your eyeliner pencil or similar dark makeup, and it is recommended rather than using a marker as the makeup is easier to remove and is meant for use on skin, unlike marker ink which is based on potentially harmful chemicals. Tights are available as athletic wear or dance wear, if you do not have old ones that do not look too feminine and therefore embarrass your evil pirate to be. A pirate hat is easily made from cardboard, and an old large overcoat can complete the Captain Hook costume to your son’s satisfaction.
Captain Hook is a timeless literary character, and Captain Hook costumes will also endure as popular choices for boys for generations to come. They are easy to make, and while there are clear images of the character as portrayed through the centuries, there is always room for creativity and variety in new interpretations of the ages-old villain.