Do you like Star Wars? Do you like crafting? Worry not, your pleas sent via a hologram message in a droid have been answered. The Star Wars Craft Book is here. Bonnie Burton, lifetime crafter and Senior Editor at StarWars.com, has documented nearly 50 fun projects for both Padawans and adults.
The craft instructions are split into five sections. The book will teach you how to make items such as dolls, a Jabba the Hutt body pillow, an AT-AT herb garden, and a crocheted R2-D2 beanie. Plenty of pictures are included for each craft, and each project is broken down into easy-to-digest steps. Before you dive into the projects, the introduction points out that no Force-sensitive skills are required. Burton reminds everyone that crafts are meant to be fun. Though there are some labor intensive projects in the book that take a day or longer, most of them can be completed in an afternoon. For the most part, you don’t have to go out and get crazy items to start crafting either. If you have any kind craft supplies stash (felt, hot glue, googly eyes), you’ll find that you have what it takes to make a few projects without running errands. Burton covers the necessities in the beginning of the book.
Burton says that the book has been years in the making. “I started a craft section on StarWars.com (where I work full-time as a Senior Editor for Lucasfilm) and it became hugely popular, especially with kids and parents. I would be asked at conventions and via email if I ever had plans on publishing the crafts in a book. Four years later, I finally got asked by Random House to do the book with even more new crafts for fans of all skill levels. I think people will have a lot of fun exploring their creative side with the book. There really are crafts in the book for everyone.”
I’ve flipped through a few times and even started a Tooka doll (from The Clone Wars episode “Innocents of Ryloth”), and there are crafts for all skills and ages. My favorite thing about The Star Wars Craft Book is that even though the directions are thorough, there’s plenty of room to make alterations or add your own twist. If you want to make a bag puppet but Admiral Ackbar isn’t your number one choice, use the instructions and adapt them to make a Yoda bag puppet. At WonderCon, I made a Kit Fisto bag puppet at Burton’s Star Wars Craft panel. I’m not ashamed to admit that most of the kids’ creations looked better than mine.
If you buy the book and make a craft, be sure to go to Twitter andtweet a picture of the finished craft to @bonniegrrl! May the craft be with you, always.
Amy is a fan of most things sci-fi and fantasy. When she’s not writing, she’s either dressing up as Han Solo, reading comics, playing D&D, or attending conventions. It usually happens in that order. Visit her blog Geek with Curves or check out her Twitter feed for rambling on all those topics.
