Quick, Simple, Easy, and Customizable Lightsabers

Ever wanted to fight like a Starwars character, but your budget prevents you from getting a fancy lightsaber? Me too! That's why I looked around my house and thought, I can make one, right? Turns out I can, and now I'm going to teach y'all to do the same!

First, your going to want to gather your supplies:

• A cardboard tube (I used a paper towel tube, but attaching two toilet paper tubes can also work)
• Thin carboard (I used a cereal box)
• Acrylic paint colors of your choice (I used blue, gold, silver, and black)
• Paint brushes
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun (Warning! Hot! Be careful!)

To further customize your lightsaber you can glue other things to it, but that is up to you!

For my saber I wanted to have lots of small designs, so I cut out circles and ovals for buttons, pieces to add flare to the top and bottom of the saber, and cut out strips to later wrap around my saber. I cut these out of my thin cardboard.

Taking the paint colors I had chosen, I first painted my tube a base color of gold. I then went to my same design pieces, and painted those a variety of colors. Make sure to paint both sides of the pieces that will be sticking out from your saber, if you choose to have any.

Using my hot glue gun (Warning! Hot!) I first attached the pieces that would lay flat against my saber. With just a little bending and glue, the thin cardboard lay flat against my saber, while still giving it dimension. I then took my pieces that would stick out, and carefully holding them in place, glued them to the saber.

Congratulations! You have now created a lightsaber. With this weapon in your hands, go out into the world knowing that you have created something awesome without spending an outrageous amount of money! However, there is always more you can do, and if you are looking for more, go to the next step...

If you are looking for a blade to your saber, there is a great and cheap way to do that too! It may not light up, but it is still plenty fun!
Supplies include:

• Tube that you can get from dollar store glow stick package
• Hot glue
• Velcro

With these, you can paint the glow stick tube, and attach velcro to one side, putting the other side inside your lightsaber. The velcro allows you to remove and re-insert your blade. If you are looking for something more permanent though, you can always glue the blade right into the saber.

Don't forget, you can always customize to make your dream saber... or why not a character saber? Shown in the pictures, I have also used this technique to make Ahsoka's sabers, and Darth Maul's saber, along with some other random sabers.

I have now taught you all I know. Go forth padawan...

And may the force be with you!