Free Pirate Map Ideas
A pirate map is an essential addition to Pirate parties. Pirates had very rudimentary navigation instruments and used to steal maps from the Spanish, Portuguese, English and French fleets that they attacked. But you don't have to steal yours! Make your own.
The pirate treasure maps are just a legend and the treasures were not hidden underneath the sand or the soil. But the idea of a pirate treasure map is exciting and makes the concept of pirates themselves and the treasure hunt more exciting.
The real treasure of the pirates were the booties of gold and jewels that they stole from the ships that they attacked and that used to come back from the newly discovered American continent back to the Old Continent (Europe) full of gold and jewelry.
Sorry to disappoint you about the treasure maps story, but let's keep the myth alive of pirate treasure maps and create one, or you can shop for an affordable Pirate treasure map on Amazon.
How to make a pirate map
1. Squeeze up some white paper or fine carboard. They should be preferably white or light brown.
2. Open up and flatten the piece of paper or fine cardboard that you previously squeezed up and look how the future pirate treasure map starts looking old.
3.Tear the edges of the map so it looks even older. You can slightly burn the edges with a lighter.
4. Specially if it is white paper or white fine cardboard that you are using to create your pirate map, then you can give some colour to it pouring cold coffee or tea over it and spreading the coffe or tea all over the map keeping it there for two up to five minutes or use some cinnamon and rub it over the maps edges so they will get more colourful and will bend over more than the central part of the map.
5. Dry the coffee or the tea off the future map with a hair dryer or put it in an owen with a plate or cookie sheet underneath to dry it up watching the map so it doesn't get burnt till it starts hovering up or put it in a microwave on top of a plate with low temperature for half a minute, if not try a minute or longer.
Try the least amount of time as possible in the microwave to dry the map up so it doesn't get burnt, if it doesn't get dry enough try to put it in the microwave a little bit longer. After you get the paper or carbdoard dry they will get more of a parchment look and that is what you want.
Cut-Out and Stick-On Pirates, Map Features and Accessories
These fun and colorful pirate maps are available in two sizes. The basic A4 paper size, and a double-size map that prints across four pages. The larger version is ideal for a Pirate craft activity.
Secure download from Amazon.com
How to draw a pirate treasure map
In a pirate map, usually you will find these elements:
a. An island, desert island or spot where you are meant to be at the beginning of your way to get the treasure.
b. A trail, usually made out of dots.
c. Obstacles and landmarks: waterfalls, mountains, swamps, bay, beaches, lakes, jungles, deserts, forests, caves, desert islands and wild and mythological animals and creatures as bears, dragons, etc. You should give these obstacles creepy, scary names that people will relate to some "tough" obstacles: Waterfalls of the World's End, Jungle of Death, Skull Mountain, Forest of Damnation, Swamps of Terror, Viper Pass, Cave of Hell, Dragon's Fire, etc. Just use your imagination.
d. A cross where the treasure is supposed to be.
e. Arrows for guidance on a side of the map pointing North, South, East and West.
f. Innocent and helpful creatures such as mermaids, fairies and dolphins that could mean that in that spot there is an additional clue to find the treasure, or that the spot is a safe or resting place. You give these creatures the meanings that you find most appropriate for your game.
You don't need to make a super map or to be a good drawer. You can use a thin dark marker to draw the dotted trail, write the names of the places and to draw the cross where the treasure is supposed to be and for example use colour crayons to draw the obstacles, the island, etc.
My choice would be just to use colour crayons to draw and write everything on the map if you don't want the marker bits to stand out too much over the rest. It is up to your creativity.
When you have finished with your map you can roll it up and
put some
ribbon around it, put it inside a bottle, hang it on the wall, make
photocopies of it and use it as pirate party invitations, etc.
You can get some amazing value printable
pirate maps here!
