I helped my freind with a pirate party for her son who was turning 7.  We had a great time for the invitations we printed them out with a skull and cross bones and it "Ye be invited to help Captain xxxxx find his loot. So chart ye course to Buccaneer Bay: XXXXX's house on the XXXXX of xxxx. We be a gathering from 1-3.  Raise ye flag if ye be attendin.  We printed them post card style 2 to a page on white card stock.  We then soaked them in tea and let them dry and burnt around the edges. Then we rolled them up and tied off with string and placed them in a clear plastic bottle that had been decorated with skull and cross bones and placed each child's madeup name on the bottle. Captin Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Carribean).  Some of the other names.  Left eye Luke, Boot strap Daniel, First Mate XXXXX, Blackbeard XXXXX, Red Eye XXXX, Peg leg XXXXX, All the kids loved their pirate names. Outside the entrance door we place a sign with a jolly roger plag and black balloons. "ENTER AT YE OWN RISK" As each child arrived we painted their face with black make-up to make beards, Each child was given a pirate hat( bought at local party store) and a sash made by my friends mom. Each was given a name tag with their pirate name. As the kids were arriving they had pictures of a pirate and parrot to color. As well as a pirate book mark to make. We decorated with a huge black Jolly Roger flag and Happy Birthday sign that was made out of paper with torn and blackened edges attached to string (twine) and suspended between tiki torches. We had blue paper on the tables and covered with white tissue paper that had been soaked n tea that we had drawn islands and made into treasure maps on each of the tables. The main table we decorated with pirate hat and sword, gold coins and mardi grai beads.  We had another friend make a pirate cake and appetizzers. cheese, ham, olives with sword skewers.  Took a piece of loaf bread and decorated it like treaure chest to serve spinich dip in. Cut the top off and hollowed the center out into bread bowl, used large prtezels to hold the lid up. Used easy chesse to stick pretzels on each side for handles and then cut a slice of american cheese to look like the lock and placed on the lid (also afixed with squeeze cheese.) We had another friend come over dressed as a pirate and had her tell a story and then play a game of "the pirate says...." with the kids.  they loved it.  For the gift table, we took and decorated it like a boat. (using the picnic table and umbrella stand we just made a mast with sheets and dowel rodes and jolly roger at the top and covered the table with brown table cloth.  For the drinks we froze hawaiian punch in ice cubes and served Sierra Mist in clear platic cups, as soon as we added the ice.  THe drink started turning pink and getting darker like blood as the hawaiian punch melted.  The Sierra Mist was at room temperature so the ice would melt quicker.  After all the presents and cake we played a walk the plank game.  We had made a large circle on the floor with board looking foam and 1 red "X".  We played music and had the kids walk in a circle (much like a cake walk)  Whoever was on the red "x" when the music stopped, got to go to an ice chest filled with water and ziploc bags of clues.  We had six pieces to a puzzel and the other stuff was just pirate oriented pictures. (parrot, beach scene, fish, Boat, Skull & cross bones).  When they got all the pieces to the puzzel that had to put it together to find the hidden treasure. ( Ice chest decorated like a tresure chest). But all the loot was gone. All that was left was empty loot bags.  That is when we pulled out the pirate pinata and had the kids hit the pinata to get the loot back from the pirate. We had added gold coin, candy necklaces, and ring pops to the loot. Ach child got to fill their loot bag and take home their pirate attire.  The kids had the best time.