Pirate Canister Character Assembly Guide

Pirate character can be a Halloween "guest" 

or a gift box for celebrating a birthday or party theme. 

Build and decorate the included canister shape 

to create a modified octagon closed-bottom “tube” 

to add to the spirit of your seasonal décor. 

Details: tri-corner hat has skull and bones rosette cockade, 

head wrap, layered face with wrinkle cuts and eye cut outs, 

earring, colorful shirt, undershirt and side "jacket" panels, 

swash-buckle belt, hand that supports the companion, detailed parrot. 

Built in flanges on the hat’s underside 

fit into the top of the canister to help hold it in place. 

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A canister body

B top rim opening reinforcement

C bottom rim opening reinforcement

D bottom opening cover

E hat brim with rim accents

F hat crown segments (8)

G hat crown base platform

H hat flange strip

I hat pleated rosette with center circles

J skull & crossbones accent shapes

K pirate "body"  base (shirt), vest, side jacket accents

L belt with two-part buckle

M hand and thumb shapes

N face with nose, chin, cheek, eye shapes, earring, patch, head scarf & knot, contr. base

O parrot elements

2. Prepare the canister body by folding all vertical perforations back, rim segments back, rim tabs forward.

Finger is indicating the circle symbol cutout at the upper left corner of image, which indicates that this edge - with the wider rim segment - is the TOP.

3. Fold the top and bottom rim segments to the back of the body shape, and fold the edge tabs outward, away. 

Locate the long side seam tab (on the right of this image), then locate the opposite end rim segments and attached tabs. Leave these un-folded.

Glue rim segments to the canister backside while keeping free the edge tabs.

4. Form the canister into a tube shape to bring the long straight edge to overlap the long tab to perforation line for the side seam.

Adjust top and bottom to make sure corresponding rim tab perforations match up, then attach the seam.

5. Fold the remaining rim segment for top and bottom edges to the inside of the tube, and glue the rim segment only to the inside surface of the canister.

6. Bend the tabs of the openings - both top and bottom - outward toward the center of the canister tube.

NOTE that you can see the circle symbol cut into one tab. This indicates that the TOP opening is shown here.

7. Apply adhesive to the tabs, then insert the rim reinforcement ring to sit/rest on the tabs.

NOTE: you may need to "squash" or rearrange the canister tube opening to make sure it matches the ring shape to get it at accept the ring shape.

8. Apply finger/thumb pressure carefully all around to get the ring to attach to the tabs completely.

Complete the ring attachment to both top and bottom of canister tube.

9. Apply adhesive to the BOTTOM rim ring only, then insert the bottom cover oval and apply whatever pressure is possible to get the oval to adhere in place completely.

10. Layer and join the upper and under buckle. Thread the belt strip through the openings and slide the buckle down to near the bottom right as shown.

11. Layer the body base (shirt "show-thru" shape) with the vest (round neck shape) and the right jacket shape and join. Layer the belt assembly on top with the short ends lined up with the body side edges. Adjust the buckle down near the bottom, then glue the buckle and belt in place.

12. Position and attach the left jacket shape on the left side, overlapping the upper part of the belt.

13. Prepare the face shape. Layer the chin/jaw shape with the cheek circle. Position and attach to the face. Add the tooth abutted at the mouth curve edge. (NOTE: the mouth edge was smudged with red distressing ink prior to layering.)

Layer eye patch and position. Layer head scarf with knot (and end, if desired for contrast). Position at top of head overlapping eye patch. Adjust patch if needed, then attach both.

Layer and join hand shapes.

14. Separate earring at top cut, insert end through ear front at hole, then "close" cut and glue in place on back where it touches face.

15. Position and attach upper face contrast on the backside of head that will show through eye wrinkles and ear contour lines.

16. Position the eye white liner oval behind the eye socket opening and glue edges to backside of face.

Not shown: Position larger eye "iris" circle near bottom of eye opening, then smaller eye "pupil" on top of it to complete eye.

17. Pre-assemble parrot components as shown.

Layer wing shapes. Layer upper beak onto under beak and attach to main body shape. Also attach center tail feather.

Layer claw upper and lower shapes onto bottom backside of back whole body shape.

18. Position head underlay that will provide show-thru contrast for eye wrinkles.

Position and attach eye socket linker from backside to cover the opening.

Not shown: position and attach larger iris and smaller pupil eye shapes to complete the eye.

19. Assemble the body unit by positioning and attaching the hand unit, and the bird with claws holding onto the thumb.

20. Position and attach the body assembly to the bottom front of the canister front.

NOTE: the long angles of the canister will be the front or the back of the canister.

21. Position the head assembly on the top front of the canister, with top of head even with canister top edge. Attach.

22. Prepare to assemble the hat by first identifying the crown shapes. The 8 segments are practically identical, except the bottom tabs are shaped so they don't interfere with the tabs folding of the base, which is shown face side up here.

The front segment has a circle symbol in the tab. 



The back has a tiny triangle symbol.

The segments that will be joined on right and left sides near the front segment have trimmed off tabs that look like this.

Segments #1 and #7 which are right next to the front segment have the narrowest tab (shown at right here as segment #7).

23. Bend each segment back on the horizontal perforation lines, bend the bottom tab forward, bend the side edge tabs back.

24. Working backward in numbered order, begin with the center front segment (circle symbol) and segment #7. Apply adhesive then overlap the bottom section straight edge of the second (left) shape to align with the perforation line/edge, adjust, then hold until secure.

25. Bend the second sections to bring the straight edge to line up with the perforation line/edge, adjust, and hold until secure.

Repeat the same bending, alignment and holding process for the final two sections of this first crown seam.

NOTE: it may be necessary to apply adhesive to only one section, or one or two sections in order to have it fresh enough to join. To access the surface where adhesive can be applied, you can bend back the front/left shape forward slightly on section lines.

26. Add a third segment (#6 in the assembly shown here) following the same process.

Then add a fourth (#5) to complete one-half of the crown assembly.

27. Repeat the half-crown building process by beginning with the back segment #4, and joining 3, 2 and 1 in order.

28. Apply adhesive to the tabs of the two half (or to pairs of tabs at a time), then bring the half seams together, overlapping straight edge to tab perf line as done previously.

Continue to join the edges and tabs until all at both seams are complete, flexing top downward slightly as necessary for alignment.

NOTE: My preference is to join the bottom two tabs on one side, then bottom two on the opposite seam, then work to complete the remaining four tabs as I flex the dome downward, applying finger pressure from inside.

29. Bend the edge tabs of the crown base triangle upward.

Insert the dome from the backside through the octagon opening, first making sure that the crown is oriented correctly with the triangle symbol at the back of the base.

Identify the back of the base by noting that it aligns at the tab perforation line, and also have a tiny triangle symbol in the tab area.

30. Apply adhesive between the tabs and the underside of the base shape, then apply pressure to join all in place.

NOTE: to facilitate securely attaching the tabs, turn the base/crown assembly right side up on a flat surface and apply finger tip pressure at the crown edges where the tabs are underneath.

31. Prepare the brim shape by bending back gently (rolling bend if possible to simulate a hat) on the triangle layout perforation lines.

Add curl to the brim edges, if desired, by rolling around a thick dowel or handle.

32. Add faux stitching 'X' to each side with thin twine or perle cotton yarn on the smallest gauge tapestry needle possible, leaving tails on the brim inside.

NOTE: it is possible that the pleated rosette cockade may completely cover the X stitch on one side of the brim. This stitch may be omitted if you choose.

Tack the tails of the stitch yarn or twine in place on the backside of the brim as neatly as possible.

33. Prepare the flange strip by folding along the horizontal "center" perforation line to press the tabs upward (backsides together). 

Leave the tab opposite the end connector tab flat as shown. Glue all other tabs in folded-upward position.

34. Form the flange strip into a ring to bring the straight edge (where tab was left unfolded) to overlap the opposite tab perforation line, and glue in place.

35. Fold and glue the final tab in place.

36. Prepare to insert the top tabs of flange ring into the slots on the underside of the brim by identifying the longer front and back tabs and slots.

Insert appropriate tabs into slots all around, working the flange fully flush with the bottom surface of the brim.

37. On the backside of the brim, fold the tabs outward, apply adhesive, and glue in place. Apply pressure to make sure these are secure. 

38. Position and attach the rim accents to the face side of the brim.

39. Prepare to attach the crown assembly to the backside of the brim assembly by first identifying the back of each (NOTE the parallel flange tab on brim, and the crown section symbol, etc.)

Apply adhesive to the base triangle under surface, and tabs.

Position crown over brim, adjust, then . . . 

. . . apply pressure to securely attach all glued areas.

NOTE: it may be helpful to work on a table top corner to "hang" the flange past the table edge so that the base portion is flat and can be pressed.

40. Bend the brim "lobes" up to touch the crown. Apply adhesive (hot glue or other "quick-grab" is suggested for this attachment) between brim and crown about half way up, and as neatly as possible, so that the glue is not seen.

41. Prepare the rosette by pleat-folding the strip. There are two forms that can be created. I prefer to have the "mountain folds" at the section points.

42. Form the pleated strip into a ring to bring the straight end edge to overlap the opposite end tab perforation. Glue edge to tab.

43. Form the ring into a rosette by placing ring points down, then gently and gradually forcing the straight ends in toward the center, until . . . 

. . . they are condensed into a tight circle at the center, and the rosette is laying flat.

Push in from all sides to tighten the middle opening and close it as much as possible.

44. While maintaining the rosette shape, apply glue (hot glue suggested) to the underside of one of the center circles, then place the circle over the opening. Immediately force rosette center edges inward to tightest position possible, working around the circle to achieve uniformity. 

Also apply pressure to the circle to ensure proper attachment. Apply pressure to flatten the rosette, as well.

45. On the backside (sample paper has white back), position and attach the second circle to help the rosette maintain its flat shape.

Apply pressure and flatten as for the face side.

46. Layer the skull over the crossbones base shape and attach. Attach skull assembly to the rosette.

(Sample also has a short length of coordinating ribbon folded and attached to the bottom of the rosette, with angle-trimmed ends.)

47. Position and attach rosette to hat side (this picture may indicate position near front, which would be one choice; final position for sample is at center.)

Place the hat onto the canister by orienting hat front to canister front, then inserting flange into the rim opening.

Here is the completed pirate canister.