The moment IG-11 leaps into action in the unforgettable first episode of The Mandalorian, he twists and spins with the grace of a dancer. To honor the assassin-droid-turned-nurse-droid, you can make a spinning dreidel — or a “droidel” in this instance — inspired by his shiny silver countenance this holiday season.
A wooden dreidel and paint are all you need to play a Mandalorian-inspired game this Hanukkah — including the rules of the game below! But first, here’s the how-to to handcraft your very own IG-11. (Kuiil would be proud.)
What You’ll Need*
- Unfinished wooden dreidel
- Silver, black, and red acrylic paint
- Clear matte paint
- Black paint marker
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Paintbrushes
*The activities in this article should only be done with adult supervision.
Get Started!
Step 1: Begin by painting the entire dreidel with the silver paint. Let dry completely. (Two coats might be needed for full coverage.)
Step 2: Mix the silver and black paint to create a dark silver. Paint a circle on the rounded bottom edge of the dreidel.
Step 3: Repeat on each side for a total of four dark silver circles around the spinning point of the dreidel. Let dry completely.
Step 4: Use the ruler to draw two lines on one side of the dreidel. Draw the first one close the top, and the other line half an inch below it.
Step 5: Next, draw the dots and circles that make the design of IG-11’s “face.” You can use a photo for reference, but don’t worry too much about replicating it exactly!
Step 6: Lightly use the pencil to write the first letter beneath the second line you drew. Dreidels have four Hebrew letters, one on each side: נ (nun), ג (gimel), ה (hei), and ש (shin).
Step 7: Use the black paint marker to go over the straight lines you drew previously. You can use it with a ruler to keep the lines straight, but take care when removing the ruler so that the paint doesn’t smear.
Step 8: Use the black marker or a paintbrush to add black dots around the top line. Let dry.
Step 9: Next, use the plastic end of two paintbrushes dipped in silver and red paint to add the dotted details between the two lines. Let dry completely.
Step 10: Use the black paint marker or a thin black paintbrush, whichever you are more comfortable with, to fill in the letter. Let dry.
Step 11: Repeat Steps 4-10 for each side of the dreidel, using each letter once.
Step 12: Once all paint is dry, paint one or two coats of a clear matte finish on the dreidel. This will prevent any chipping or scratching of the paint as it tumbles across the table.
Your IG-11-inspired dreidel is complete!
If you’d like to give it a spin with the younglings or foundlings in your life, here are the rules for playing the game:
Each player begins with an equal number of game pieces or currency, usually about 10 or 15. The game pieces can be any object, including nuts, raisins, real coins, or chocolate coins.
To start the game, every player puts one game piece into the center pot.
Each player spins the dreidel once during their turn.
- If נ (nun) is facing up, nothing happens.
- If ג (gimel) is facing up, the player gets the whole pot.
- If ה (hei) is facing up, the player takes half of the pieces from the pot.
- If ש (shin) is facing up, the player adds one of their game pieces to the pot.
Players who cannot contribute after landing on a shin or after another player lands on a gimel and the pot needs to be refilled are out of the game. The game ends when there is one player left.
Enjoy using your “droidel” over the 8 days of Hanukkah from Thursday, December 10 to Friday, December 18.
Kelly Knox writes features and DIYs for StarWars.com. Her writing can also be seen on Marvel, DC Comics, IGN, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, games, and crafts.
Site tags: #StarWarsBlog, #TheMandalorian, #Disney+, #StarWarsCrafts
