As Star Wars fans know, there’s nothing as iconic as a lightsaber. Recent episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi lean into using the red or blue glow to highlight drama and action. Now everyone can bring that powerful glow into their homes by making your own glowing lightsabers for 1:12 scale models. Yes, that means DIY tiny lightsabers! No rare kyber crystal needed.
YouTube channel Boylei Hobby Time brings kits and dioramas to life using little more than a cocktail straw and button battery. And shows how to do it step by step. It’s not hard either. An LED filament held up by copper wire and covered with red cellophane is enough to make this Darth Vader figure even more menacing.
The how-to video above also includes building a glowing platform for the model to sit on top of. Using a picture frame, LED tape, and a few other bits and pieces, the Darth Vader model gets even more ambience and mood lighting. Nano-LEDs added to the chest plate connect to the same battery, hidden from view behind the figure’s cape.
Other dioramas on Boylei Hobby Time’s YouTube channel include dozens from Star Wars. From the battle on Hoth to Jabba’s palace, some are made from scratch while others include models and kits. There’s also creatures from The Mandalorian like ice spiders and the Krayt dragon.
While the channel walks you through each step of the process, you’ll need decent skills and supplies to make any of the builds for yourself. Thankfully, the maker provides a list of materials and equipment with each video. For those not as crafty, there’s always LEGO Star Wars dioramas.
While there’s still plenty we don’t know about lightsabers, now we at least know how to make tiny versions of them for ourselves.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.
