As the kids start to think about what they want for Christmas, it is traditionally a time when you have to balance funds available against what the kids want.   In these difficult economic times you may need to persuade your children that they can have more fun by being creative with cardboard boxes rather than purchasing expensive toys.  You can relive your own childhood by introducing the kids to the delights of Star Wars and creating outfits out of cardboard boxes which you may have lying around the house.  This will not only make it easier on your purse, but actually teach your children new skills while spending some quality time with them.  

Darth Vader was the central figure in the TV programme Star Wars and has become the embodiment of evil. Kids have great imaginations and love to learn new things which sound like fun.  You could even watch a couple of films to get them in the mood and  learn about his character.  This may encourage them to construct replicas of Darth Vader’s costumes from custom boxes and, if their friends built replicas of his opponents, they could have intergalactic wars.   The dark side of Darth Vader will appeal to children, and as they become absorbed in the character and Star Wars and want to make their costumes made out of cardboard boxes as close to the real thing as possible.  

You will need one large cardboard box big enough to fit your child in, a small custom box for the head, some black paint, grey or silver paint, scraps of cardboard box, silver coloured material, a hot glue gun, red or blue paper or painted cardboard for the voice box buttons, a craft knife, scissors, paint brush or sponge roller, a ruler and pens.    

Using a ruler and pen, draw an outline of your version of Darth Vader’s cape.  When the front outline has been drawn on the large cardboard box and paint the box black and make your cardboard box Darth Vader costume look more authentic by painting the  inside lining in silver.   Paint the smaller cardboard box black and leave to dry.   The cape can be made using the silver material cut into strips to give an outline then use the hot glue to stick them to the front of the cardboard box.  To make the belt buckle, draw a circle on a piece of custom box and paint black. Once it is  dry, cut an extra piece of silver material and stick it to the middle of the belt buckle.  Making the head and voice box are more challenging, but by searching the internet you can find patterns for both.

Once you have completed your Darth Vader costume made from cardboard boxes you and your children can start to think about the spaceship and other paraphernalia associated with Star Wars, and perhaps spend some more time constructing other fun items out of cardboard boxes while all the time reliving your youth by revisiting the Star Wars programmes.