Throw a Star Wars party

Unleash your inner Jedi and plan a party that (let’s face it) many of the parents will want to stick around for. Set up a photo booth and invite your guests to dress up as their favourite characters and re-enact some of their most-loved scenes. As guests arrive, quiz the young Padawans on Star Wars trivia and challenge them to talk like Yoda. (Be able to stop, once you start, you will not.) And make sure to serve these yummy Yoda Pops. 

You’ll need white and blue card stock, pencil, mug, scissors, glue.

1. Trace a semicircle onto white card stock using the mug. Draw the rest of the R2D2’s body and cut out.

2. Cut rectangle out of white card stock and glue top edge to body. Glue on strips and squares of blue card stock.

3. Write details under flap. 

Balloon lightsabers add to the fun. Have kids decorate toilet-paper rolls with markers and duct tape. Blow up long, skinny balloons (you can do this ahead of time). Slide them onto the rolls (they should be snug). Stand back and let the duels begin.

To make an X-wing starfighter for your photo booth, you’ll need cardboard, X-acto knife, glue gun, 3 toilet-paper rolls, 2 stir sticks and silver spray paint.

1. Cut cardboard into 4 rectangles and 1 long triangle. Glue 2 rectangles to base of the triangle. Affix other 2 rectangles atop the first 2, angling them up. 

2. Glue 1 roll to the centre of the top wings. Glue remaining rolls to other side. Glue stir sticks to the bottom of the lower wings.

3. Spray-paint and let dry.

The dark side never looked so good with this easy-to-make costume. Cut out squares and rectangles from duct tape, then arrange them on the shirt. Embellish shapes with permanent marker. Finish the look with black pants or skirt, and a Darth Vader mask.

For Princess Leia, you’ll need a white pillowcase, thin and thick silver ribbon, scissors and a glue gun (or fabric glue).

Lay the pillowcase flat and cut a “V” shape from the top down to create a neckline. For the arms, cut slits along the seam on both sides. Glue thin ribbon along the neckline. Tie thick ribbon around the waist like a belt.

For Yoda, gather a beige pillowcase, rope, a long rectangle of brown fabric and scissors.

Lay pillowcase flat and cut a “V” shape from the top down. For the arms, cut slits along the seam on both sides. Cinch waist with a piece of rope and loosely tie brown fabric around the neck as a cape.

You’ll need brown stiffened felt; scissors; yarn, braided; glue gun, brown headband.

1. Cut two circles out of felt. For each, glue one end of yarn in centre of circle. Gluing as you go, wrap yarn in spiral. Trim remaining yarn

2. Using hot glue, attach circles to sides of headband and reinforce with a strip of stiffened felt underneath.

You’ll need green felt, scissors, glue gun and green headband.

1. Cut felt into 2 triangles.

2. Fold in two corners of the triangles, one at a time, and glue them down.

3. Fold bottom of the ears around the head band, and attach using hot glue.

To recreate Han Solo’s sojourn in carbonite, place Lego minifigures in an ice-cube tray, add water and freeze. At the party, play a game to see which child can melt and release their figure first.

 Grab a Mason jar, remove inner lid and trace on black card stock. Cut out, adding a coin-size slit. Spray-paint jar and outer ring white. Once dry, draw face using paint pens. Fill your Stormtrooper bank with candy and affix lid.