The Hothidays are here which means it’s time to deck the halls with all things Star Wars! For this year’s festivities, I was inspired by The Force Awakens newest droid, BB-8. Whenever I see that little ball whizzing across the screen, it always brings a smile to my face. BB-8 kind of looks like Frosty the Snowman, which makes him the perfect decoration for this holiday season. To make your own BB-8 wreath, here’s everything you’ll need!
MATERIALS:
- Styrofoam spheres (small and medium sizes)
- Acrylic paint (orange, silver, white, black)
- Black marker (fine point)
- Styrofoam glue
- Paintbrushes
- Knife
- Scissors
- Rhinestones
- Pipe cleaners
- Small screws
- Wreath
The idea for this wreath came to me when I saw a pretty white wreath at the craft store. As I stood there trying to figure out how to decorate it, I noticed some small styrofoam spheres in two different sizes. “I’LL MAKE A BB-8 WREATH!” I exclaimed. The woman standing next to me gave me a puzzled look as I dashed to the register with my supplies in hand.
The spheres I chose are a small and medium size. For reference, the larger sphere is about the size of a tennis ball. To create BB-8’s head and body, I cut the spheres in half using a serrated knife. For my wreath, I ended up using 8 cut spheres (4 small, 4 medium).
Even though the spheres were already white, I painted them with white acrylic paint. It gave them an interesting texture but truth be told, it’s not a necessary step. (Don’t worry if the back of your dome is jagged, like mine below. This side will be facing the wreath and not shown in your finished creation!)
Next, I made the pattern on BB-8’s dome by tracing different sized measuring spoons on the top.
I used an image of BB-8 as my guide while drawing the stencils with a fine point marker. I then filled in the areas with orange and silver acrylic paints.
For the panels on BB-8’s body, I traced the outer rim of a washi tape to create my circular stencils.
For the pattern inside the panels, I used a craft foam stencil that I made and traced around it. The craft foam I used had an adhesive backing. You might be able to freehand draw it but my drawing skills (or lack thereof) required me to use stencils. I then painted the panel markings orange and silver.
I found these faux pearl stickers and rhinestones that worked perfectly for BB-8’s eye pieces. It’s like they were made for my little styrofoam astromech droid!
Even though the pearls and rhinestones were stickers, I put a drop of Tacky Glue on the backs just to make sure they were extra secure on BB-8’s head.
For the antennas, I used paper clips that I cut in 2 different sizes. Then I painted them with white and black acrylic paint. Once they were dry, I simply stuck them into the styrofoam tops.
Once all the paint and eye pieces were dry, I put a glob of StyroGlue onto BB-8’s head & body and gently pressed them together. I let the pieces dry for about 2 hours. (You could also use a low heat glue gun but keep in mind that high heat will melt the styrofoam.)
Someone’s checking out the competition…
BB-8 has so much detail that you could find yourself spending hours trying to make your pieces look screen accurate. Since I was making 4 of these little guys, I decided to go with a more simplistic approach. I did, however, add lines between the panels and placed silver rhinestones on both sides.
Once your BB-8’s are ready, it’s time to add them to the wreath!
I put a dot of Tacky Glue on the end of a small screw, and then twisted the screw into the back of BB-8’s body.
I wrapped a silver pipe cleaner twice around the base of the screw.
Then I placed BB-8 onto the front of the wreath and wrapped the pipe cleaner around the back of the wreath. I tightly twisted the pipe cleaner until BB-8 was completely secure. I repeated this step with all four BB-8’s.
The BB-8’s looked great on the wreath but I added a polka dot ribbon and small silver ornaments for some extra glitter and bling.
Bleep bloop beep! I think that means, “I love it” in droid. If you make your own BB-8 wreath, tweet me your photos @JenniferLanda. I’d love to see your creations! Happy crafting! 🙂
I love your BB-8 wreath! I didn’t see it till today, but I’ll definitely make one for next year! I’m busy working on a BB-8 running costume for the Star Wars half marathon at Disneyland next month.
I love your BB-8 wreath! I didn’t see it till today, but I’ll definitely make one next Christmas! I’m busy working on a BB-8 running costume for the Star Wars half marathon at Disneyland next month.