Bring Light and Life to Your Collection with This Starlight Beacon DIY Bookend

The Star Wars: The High Republic space station will rise on your bookshelf.

June 14, 2022

During the time of the High Republic, Starlight Beacon serves as a symbol of peace and prosperity. The shining space station is home to Jedi Knights, dignitaries, technicians, and explorers of the Outer Rim frontier. This pillar of the High Republic is so strong it can hold up even the heaviest weight: your Star Wars book collection!

You can construct your own space station by using materials you can find in your kitchen and recycling bin. Then add it to painted wood blocks for a one-of-a-kind High Republic bookend. Here’s the how-to.

What You’ll Need

2 unfinished wood blocks (4 inches by 4 inches, 1-inch thick)
PVA glue or wood glue
Black acrylic paint
Paint brush
White acrylic paint
Small paint brush or dotting tool
Three plastic drink bottle lids, one large and two small
Hot glue gun
Toothpicks
One sheet of printer paper
Wooden chopstick
Clipper or wire cutter (for the chopstick)
Large plastic straw
Scissors
Craft foam, any color
Plastic bits (from packaging and spare LEGO pieces)
Black spray paint
Silver spray paint
Orange acrylic paint
Silver acrylic paint

Get Started!

The activities in this article should only be done with adult supervision.

Step 1: Lay one wood block flat on the table. Line up the other block vertically along one edge to create an “L” shape. Use PVA or wood glue to adhere the vertical block in place and let dry.

Step 2: Paint the wood block with the black acrylic paint on all sides and edges. Let dry.

Step 3: Use the white acrylic paint and a small paint brush or dotting tool to paint stars on all sides and edges. Let dry and set aside for now.

Step 4: Hot glue one bottle cap to the inside (concave) side of the large bottle drink lid, top side up. This is the top side of the station.

Step 5: Hot glue the other bottle cap to the outside (convex) side of the large lid, top side up. This is the bottom side of Starlight Beacon.

Step 6: Next, snap or cut 3 toothpicks in half.

Step 7: Cut six 1-inch squares from the white printer paper. Wrap the paper square around the non-pointy end of a toothpick half and hot glue it in place. Repeat for all toothpick halves.

Step 8: Place a little hot glue on the bottom of each toothpick. Hot glue all 6 in a circle around the small bottle lid on the top of the station, evenly spaced.

Step 9: Use clippers or a wire cutter to cut a piece 2.5 inches long from the top of the chopstick.

Step 10: Cut another piece about 1 inch from the bottom of the chopstick.

Step 11: Hot glue both the pointed chopstick piece and the bottom chopstick piece, larger side up, to the center of the station’s top side.

Step 12: Cut a piece of the large plastic straw 1.5 inches in length. Hot glue it to the center of the station’s bottom side.

Note: If the temperature of the hot glue is too high, the straw will melt!

Step 13: Break two toothpicks and glue the four pieces around the straw, pointed side up. (You can add as many as you’d like for more details.)

Step 14: Cut a small, thin strip of craft foam and glue it around the straw.

Step 15: Cut small rectangles of craft foam no larger than 0.5 inches in length. Glue them around the edge of the large bottle lid.

Step 16: Find small plastic pieces like food packaging, clothing tags, twist ties, and spare LEGO pieces. Hot glue these pieces to the both top and bottom of the station as greeblies to add more details.

Step 17: Cut another small strip of craft foam and hot glue it around the chopstick, near the top.

Step 18: Cut two small rectangles from the craft foam, one about 0.5 inches in length and the other 0.25 inches in length. Hot glue them on the strip of craft foam on the chopstick, on opposite sides.

Step 19: It’s time to paint! In a well-ventilated area, paint the bottom half of Starlight Beacon with the black spray paint.

Step 20: Paint the top half of the station with the silver spray paint. Let all paint dry.

Note: Any overspray of the silver is okay as long as the bottom side remains darker than the top.

Step 21: Use the black and silver acrylic paint for any touch-ups as needed. Let dry.

Step 22: Use the dotting tool or paint brush and the orange acrylic paint to add “lights” around the bottom straw piece. Let dry.

Step 23: Break another toothpick in half. Hot glue it to the center of the bottom edge of the painted bookend, pointed side up at a 60-degree angle.

Step 24: Paint the toothpick and any visible hot glue with black acrylic paint.

Step 25: Slide Starlight Beacon onto the toothpick through the straw.

Your bookend is complete! May your symbol of the High Republic shine bright for light and life.

Visit Lucasfilm’s official hub for all things Star Wars: The High Republic at StarWars.com/TheHighRepublic.

Kelly Knox writes features and DIYs for StarWars.com. Her book Be More Obi-Wan says “hello there” in July 2022. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

Site tags: #StarWarsBlog, #TheHighRepublic