DIY Star Wars Party

All three of my boys are huge Star Wars fans, so it isn't surprising that my oldest son requested a Star Wars theme for his 7th birthday party. Today, I am sharing all the fun DIY details of the super-fun "Jedi Training Academy" I hosted for my son and his little Jedi friends.

Here's what we did....

1)  We set the mood with a fun invitation. {You can get the full tutorial for it here.}

2)  As guests arrived, they colored their own Jedi Academy Security Badge {which I made by scanning a page out of one of their coloring books}.

3)  We played a little "Freeze Dance" to Star Wars music, and then we took a break for dinner, cake and cookies.

4)  After everyone finished eating, it was time for some lightsaber training. The kids balanced balloons on their lightsabers, my husband gave them some "formal" instruction, and they took a final "test" by fighting Darth Vader... who was actually my five year old.  {You can find the tutorial for the pool noodle lightsabers here.}

5)  The final activity was to "Destroy the Death Star" aka break open the pinata.  {You can find the full tutorial for the pinata here.}

Finally, it was time for the new Jedi to:

...receive their Graduation Certificates

...have a quick "photo op"

...and collect their treat bags.

My son loved his party, and all the kids had a great time.  Isn't Star Wars a great theme for a party?  

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more easy and inexpensive DIY party ideas here.

Pool Noodle Lightsabers

For my son's 7th birthday, I made all of the guests {20 of them} lightsabers out of pool noodles.  I have seen a ton of different versions floating around on the web, but today I am sharing my version.

Aren't they so cute?

Here is how I made them:

1)  My husband cut all the pool noodles in half using a utility knife.  Then, I used silver duct tape to create a handle.  I made a "criss cross" on the bottom.  Then, I wrapped four separate pieces around the noodle. 

2)  Then, I made a simple design using black electrical tape {see below}, and I added a little red sticker for a power button.

The pool noodles are great for little ones because they are so soft.

I think these the lightsabers were the highlight of our DIY Star Wars party.  I would highly recommend them for any Star Wars celebration.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Star Wars Pinata

Don't all kids love Pinatas?  What's not to love about something you break open to create a downpour of candy?  So... for my son's 7th birthday I made an easy and inexpensive DIY "Death Star" piñata.

Didn't it turn out great?  It wasn't hard to make, but I will warn you, it is time consuming.

Here's how I did it:

1)  I started with a large balloon.  {I chose a "punching balloon" from the dollar store.}

2)  Then, I created a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 white glue.  I painted it onto strips of newpaper and applied each strip to the balloon.  I covered the balloon in 3 or 4 layers of strips {letting it dry in between layers}.

3)  After the pinata was totally dry, I popped the balloon, cut a round hole, and inserted a wire hanger {which I reinforced with duct tape}.

4)  Next, I filled the pinata with candy, covered the hole with tape, and applied a layer of white paper using the method described above.  {The white paper made painting much easier.}

5)  To finish, I painted the pinata with grey acrylic paint, painted a black circle, and applied black electrical tape around the middle.

I am absolutely thrilled with how it turned out... I might not let the guests destroy it at the party.  lol

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Star Wars Invitation

Last Friday, my son passed out the invitations to his 7th birthday.  I thought they turned out really cute, so I decided to share them with you here.

First, I took a picture of the birthday boy dressed up as a Jedi.  Then, I cut a slit above and below his hand, and I inserted a glow stick with some black tape wrapped around the base. 

The inside of the invitation said:

CALLING ALL PADAWAN!

Cameron is turning seven, and we would like to have you join us for a celebration at the Jedi Training Academy.

Isn't it cute?  My son was sooooo proud handing it out to his friends.  :-)

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.