Ahoy, nerdy nobles and masked marauders! ⚔️ We set sail for the Swashbuckler Soirée – A Legends & Lanterns® Masquerade Ball, and it was nothing short of inconceivable fun. We donned our finest fairytale pirate gear as The Dread Pirate Roberts and Princess Buttercup – though Sarah added her own twist as The Dread Pirate Buttercup 🏴‍☠️ (because why let Westley have all the swordplay?). From 3D-printed masks, weapons, and belt hardware worthy of Florin royalty, Sarah brought our costumes to life in true DIY fashion. Scott even sacrificed his beard for a full Ron Swanson-style mustache – commitment, right? We made it to the costume contest finals, mingled with another Dread Pirate, dodged a few ROUSes, and were serenaded by a live band with a custom Princess Bride song just for us.

Dread Pirate Buttercup

I already had the Princess Buttercup dress tucked away in my costume closet, so I gave it a pirate-worthy makeover! I used her belt as the color inspiration for the 3D printed mask, then pinned up the skirt with safety pins to show off a layered white-and-black steampunk underskirts, fishnets, and black boots. And of course, no pirate is complete without a weapon – so I made her a dagger fit for the high seas. Fairytale meets fierce! 🏴‍☠️

Mask

3D printed a flat mask using red, gold, and black PLA, then heat-shaped it to fit my face. To give it a little extra sparkle, I brightened the gold with acrylic paint and added an elastic strap. I raided my craft stash to embellish it with ribbons, lace, gems, and feathers – and even 3D printed a mini skull, painted it gold, and perched it above the central gem for a dramatic pirate touch. To top it all off (literally), I added a lace headband and a red-and-black hat from my costume closet for that extra swashbuckling flair. 🏴‍☠️✨

Dagger

3D printed the Buttercup dagger, strengthened/smoothed it with UV resin, and painted it with acrylic paint.

Dread Pirate Roberts

Scott last dressed as the Dread Pirate Roberts back in high school, but we were missing a few key pieces to bring the look fully to life. Luckily, we had a black renaissance shirt, pirate pants, and boots tucked away in our costume closet. I brought it all together by recreating the missing elements – starting with the very first sword I ever 3D printed, then crafting the iconic mask and belt to complete the legendary look. A true throwback with a DIY upgrade!

Mask

3D printed a generic Carnival-style mask, then heat-shaped it to perfectly fit Scott’s face and added an elastic strap. For the bandana, Scott generously sacrificed an old polyester shirt, which I cut and hot glued to the top of the mask – turning basic into bold with a pirate twist! 🏴‍☠️

Sword

3D printed the sword and sheath back in 2020 – my very first 3D printed sword! It kicked off my love for crafting cosplay props and still holds up as one of my favorite DIY pieces.

Belt

3D printed the belt buckle and tip in black PLA, then gave them a metallic finish with silver acrylic paint. Then super glued the pieces onto a faux leather strap – instantly transforming it into a pirate-worthy belt fit for the Dread Pirate Roberts himself. 🏴‍☠️