Star Wars fans have long embraced DIY culture. Fan-made films, zines, costumes and crafts have been part of the fan culture since 1977. This past year saw an explosion of fan creativity, proudly displayed in various corners of the Internet. Our resident blogging expert Bonnie Burton has been dutifully cataloging these examples of fan expression in the
Craft section of the Official Starwars.com Blog, and compiles here a list of her favorites from the last year.
CRAFTS
Even though this
Millennium Falcon Paper Craft can't make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs, it sure will look splendid on your desk. Check out Shunichi Makino's intricate paper craft of the
Millennium Falcon complete with printable patterns and instructions
here.
Sculptor/illustrator Lawrence Noble gives step-by-step tips on how to make your very own festive Yoda creation from a pumpkin, a gourd and some oranges just in time for Halloween! Get all the instructions here:
Sculpt a Halloween Yoda Pumpkin (StarWars.com)
Craft magazine Senior Editor Natalie Zee Drieu is not only a crafting genius, but a bit of a
Star Wars fan. Thanks to her, I've been able to do
Star Wars craft tutorials at the Bay Area Maker Faire for two years in a row, teaching kids how to make Yoda Dolls and
Star Wars Marble Magnets. So when she told me about the
Star Wars costumes she made for her adorable little dog and her furry friends, I had to know how. Thankfully, she blogs about the costumes and how you can make them easily from felt, cotton fabric, yarn, and ribbon. Check out how to make awesome dog costumes of an Ewok, Darth Vader and Princess Leia (with hairbuns!) here:
HOW TO - Make Star Wars Halloween Costumes for Dogs (Craftzine.com)
When I saw this awesome TIE fighter made from Starbucks stuff, my creative Force powers started to tingle.
Wired magazine contributing photographer Dan Winters made this impressive TIE fighter with 1 tall lid, 10 coffee boxes, 12 sample cups, 37 grande cups, 63 drink holders and 216 stirrers! You can read more about this craft here:
Contest: Make Art From Starbuck's Junk (Wired.com)
When I first spotted the Han Solo Blaster Quote Cross Stitch by craftster Sherezada Kent, I was inspired to find out more. After all, it's not every day you see a
Star Wars sampler. I interviewed Sherezada about the cross stitch, how the idea came about and any tips to get other crafty fans started on their own
Star Wars quotes in cross stitch. Read the interview
here.
Chances are if you attended Celebration Japan, you got to climb onto the full-size dewback created by Japanese Garrison member
Goro Inoue and his dedicated crew. Read more about it
here.
Fan and custom figure creator
Sillof has posted some outstanding
Star Wars Steampunk figures that make us long for an official line of Victorian EU toys. Read more about them
here.
Craftster Sammi Resendes from
Geekcentralstation.blogspot.com recently created
Star Wars Amigurumi dolls of Admiral Ackbar, Princess Leia, Yoda, Chewbacca and Han Solo. There's even a Slave Leia! Read more about
Star Wars Amigurumi and how fans can get started making their own
here.
Every
Star War fan deserves to stay warm, and now thanks to Carissa Knits, you can make yourself this rather stylish R2-D2 beanie for your noggin. This IS the hat you're looking for! Check out all the instructions here:
R2-D2 Beanie
FOOD
It's amazing what you can make with Rice Krispies treats, chocolate and fondant. Debbie Goard of San Francisco's
Debbie Does Cakes made this magnificent Yoda cake with those ingredients and more.
"Yoda's head was made from rice krispies treats, modelling chocolate and fondant. I made the head a few days in advance. Just doesn't feel right if I don't have a disemboweled head staring at me throughout the week, lol! The body was made up of Rich strawberry cake with a Bavarian custard filling. The body was then covered in fondant and airbrushed."
Read all about this cake here:
Geeky Cake of the Week (via Great White Snark)
Even if you aren't a fan of the Gungans, it's hard to resist the lure of an edible Jar Jar. Using jicama as the artistic medium, one fan carved a rather realistic resemblance of Jar Jar, and listed step-by-step instructions so you can too! Check out all the instructions here:
Jar Jar Binks Salad: A Food Carving How-To Guide
If you're looking to bake a cake worthy of a
Star Wars fan, then this is the droid you're looking for whipped up by professional baker Mark Randazzo. It appears as though R2-D2 is really one giant red velvet cake with Rice Krispie Treat Legs! Check out this cake with instructions here:
Making The Most Amazing R2-D2 Cake Ever (B-Side Blog)
When
Star Wars artist Chris Trevas told me his girlfriend and foodie blogger Julie Foxworthy baked him a one-of-a-kind Yoda birthday cake, I was super-impressed! So I asked Julie how she went about making this edible tribute so some of you can put your oven to work making more Jedi Master confections! Read all about it
here.
Hasbro Embraces DIY Culture; Fans Embrace Mighty Muggs
They were previewed at conventions and toy fairs last year, but 2008 marked the year Hasbro's awesome Mighty Muggs hit shelves in a big way. Their box art -- as cool as the toys themselves -- tout proudly that these figures are made of "100 percent recycled awesome," and that's not hyperbole. Drafting off a wave of urban art and DIY culture, Hasbro hit the perfect chord with their cute, stubby, yet stylish figures. Unlike forced fads (anyone remember pogs? Anyone?), the Mighty Muggs and urban style art looks like it's here to stay, and has been embraced by a wide market. Collectors love these expressions of fan favorite characters, kids think they're cute, and artists are looking for opportunities to create and modify their own. Star Wars was part of the kick off series for Mighty Muggs, which has now grown to encompass Marvel, Transformers, Indiana Jones and G.I.JOE.
