Trick-or-Star Wars Treat: Make The Last Jedi's BB-9E and More Kids' Halloween Costumes

• 24”-30” round beach ball or balloon (the size will vary according to the height of your child)
• Styrofoam dome
• Black spray paint
• Black acrylic paint
• Newspapers & glue
• Craft foam (gray and black)
• Craft felt (black, gray, red, light blue)
• Silver marker
• Newspapers
• Toothpicks
• Elastic
• Ribbon

BB-9E Head Instructions:

Step 1: Cut off the top portion of the half foam ball to make a flat surface instead of a rounded one.

Step 2: Cover the entire foam piece with felt. Create detail on BB-9E’s dome with craft felt and attach using hot glue.

Step 3: Make a headband by measuring and then cutting a piece of elastic long enough to fit around your child’s head. This strap can go around the back of your child’s head or under your child’s chin. Use hot glue to attach the elastic to both the left and right side of the bottom of BB-9E’s dome.

Step 4: To make the antennae, cut 2 toothpicks in half. Paint them white using craft paint and let them dry. Stick three of the toothpicks into BB-9E’s head, leaving one slightly taller than the other two.

BB-9E Body Instructions:

Step 1: Tear the newspaper into long strips, approximately 1-inch wide. You’ll need enough strips to make 3-4 layers on the beach ball.

Step 2: For the paper mache paste, mix 2 parts white glue and one part water in a mixing bowl. Blend mixture with a spoon or mixing stick until it’s a smooth consistency.

Step 3: Dip a newspaper strip into the mixture and remove any excess mixture by sliding your fingers from the top to the bottom of the strip.

Step 4: Place the strip onto the inflated beach ball. Smooth out any bumps or creases with your fingers or a paintbrush. Repeat this step until the entire beach ball is covered with a layer of strips. For the second layer, place the strips horizontally and for the third layer, place the strips vertically. Alternating the direction of the strips will make the paper mache structure sturdier.

Step 5: Let the piece dry for 24 hours. Once dry, deflate and remove the balloon or beach ball.

Step 6: Cut holes on the top and bottom of the ball droid. For the top, measure the width around your child’s chest and cut a hole slighter larger than that measurement. For the bottom, the hole should be wide enough so your child has enough leg room to walk.

Step 7: Spray paint the ball droid black. Allow to dry. Create BB-9E’s details using the gray and black craft foam. Use a ruler and a silver marker to draw the lines in the tool-bay disks. Attach the pieces onto the body using hot glue.

Step 8: For the straps, have your child wear the costume and then measure and cut the appropriate strap length. Attach the ribbon straps to the inside of the costume with hot glue or staples.

Step 9: Pair the BB-9E costume with a black shirt and black pants or tights.

Now your adorable droid is ready to serve the First Order.

Lando Calrissian (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back)

If your child is looking for a Star Wars character that is cool, daring, and a little mischievous, Lando Calrissian is the man. This costume is based on the iconic ensemble that Lando wore in The Empire Strikes Back. With just a little bit of sewing, your charming kid will look like they truly belong among the clouds!

What You'll Need:

• Blue fabric for cape (cotton-poly blend)
• Gold brocade fabric
• White or blue button down shirt
• Dark blue or black slacks
• Dark ink blue or black pleather fabric
• Navy or black fabric paint
• Velcro
• Fake mustache

Lando Shirt Instructions:

Step 1: Lando’s shirt in The Empire Strikes Back has a banded collar. Banded collar shirts can be hard to come by so instead, I found a kid’s white dress shirt and hand-stitched down the corners of the collar. To get the right shade of blue, I dyed the shirt with blue fabric dye. I used navy fabric paint to paint the collar and plackets of the shirt.

Note: In the film, Lando’s cape, pants, belt, and all of the trim on the shirt are a very dark shade of blue. If your child already has black slacks, coordinate the rest of the outfit (trim, collar, belt) accordingly. The color difference is so subtle and it’s always easier to use what you have on hand!

Lando Cape Instructions:

Step 1: Measure your child from their shoulder to the back of their knee. This will determine the length of your fabric. Fold your fabric in half and cut the length of the fabric according to that measurement.

Step 2: Use tailor’s chalk to make an arc at the bottom corner (on the fold) and a larger arc from the bottom to the top of the fabric. (See picture.) Cut out both arcs. Repeat this step with your gold fabric lining. Pin the lining to the cape and trim the bottom of the gold fabric making it a few inches shorter than the blue fabric. Hem the bottoms of the lining and cape, if you’d like.

Step 3: Sew the gold lining to the blue fabric at the top and sides of the cape. Leave the bottom of the cape and lining open.

Step 4: For the collar, draw a partial rainbow shape and cut it out to use as your pattern. Pin the shape onto the pleather fabric and then cut out the collar. Cut 2 pieces and then sew the right sides together. Sew all around the outside of the collars and leave a small opening. Turn collar right-side out and then hand-stitch the opening closed. Find the middle of the collar and pin it to the middle of the cape. Pin it all the way around the collar and then sew it to the cape.

Lando Belt Instructions:

Step 1: Measure your child’s waist and add a couple extra inches for seam allowance. Draw a cummerbund shape onto a piece of paper. Use it as your pattern to cut out the cummerbund from the pleather fabric. You can create the center rectangular detail with just a piece of pleather itself or by covering a piece of craft foam with the pleather fabric (which will make it sturdier). Add details with acrylic paint or fabric maker. Hot glue the rectangular detail onto the belt. Then hand-sew or hot glue velcro to the ends of the belt.

You're done! And your not-so-old smoothie is ready to trick-or-treat.

Leia on Endor (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Forces of Destiny)

Brave. Fearless. Friend of the Ewoks. In Return of the Jedi and the Forces of Destiny animated series, Princess Leia Organa is a leader who isn’t afraid to jump into action. Her Endor commando gear is a classic costume that can be made on the cheap in one day. You’ll be able to whip up this costume faster than an Ewok on a speeder bike!

What You'll Need:

• Light-blue leggings
• White cotton twill fabric (for poncho)
• Spray paints (brown and a variety of greens)
• Gold yellow ribbon
• Iron-on fabric adhesive
• Olive green or black belt

Leia Pants Instructions:

Step 1: Press the leggings so the sides are nice and crisp. Apply the iron-on fabric adhesive according to the directions in the center of both sides of the pants. Then place the ribbon right side up on top of the iron-on fabric adhesive and iron for 4-6 seconds.

Leia Poncho Instructions:

Step 1: Fold over the cotton twill fabric leaving the front shorter than the back. Keep in mind, the front of the poncho should come to the upper-thigh, the back of the poncho should hit the back of the knees, and the sleeves of the cape should come to the elbows.

Step 2: For the neck opening, cut a semi-circle at the top center of the folded fabric.

Step 3: Cut 2 slits at the waist on the front of the poncho.

Step 4: For the collar, cut out 2 donut shapes. (I used a child’s circle skirt pattern as my guide.) This will give you 2 layers to the collar -- an upper and lower layer. Sew the two layers together at the outside of the circles.

Step 5: For the hood, I found a free pattern online and cut out the fabric accordingly.

Step 6: Pin the hood to the back of the neck opening on the poncho. Then pin and sew the lower layer of the collar to the poncho neck opening and sew over the hood. Hem the top layer of the collar and the edges of the hood and poncho, if you’d like.

Step 6: Spray paint the poncho in a camouflage pattern. I used the brightest green to cover the majority of the poncho with accents of brown and other greens. Let the poncho dry for at least 24 hours.

Step 7: When wearing the costume, have the belt go around your child’s back and through the front 2 slits of the poncho. The back of the poncho should be left loose and unbelted.

Your little Leia is ready to meet some Ewoks and battle the Empire.

So this Halloween, keep it classy with a cape, rebel with a poncho, or roll up to the party wearing the First Order’s finest. Because when you’re dressed up as your favorite Star Wars character, your Halloween is sure to be magical!

Jennifer Landa is an actress, host, and crafter. Follow her on Twitter @JenniferLanda and for more Star Wars DIYs, visit her YouTube channel.