Adventures in Party Planning: Saber-Shaped Stuff

Party Like a Kid's "Jedi Training Academy" party theme has me feeling kinda conflicted about PJ's upcoming eighth b-day shindig. We're both pretty committed to the "art-y party" concept, but, seriously, how cute is this?

Okay, making the robes could be time-consuming (and buying them, quite expensive), but the light sabers are a must-do.  Pool noodles, duct tape, some Sharpie marker details - done.  I won't even bother to include a photo, because if you have ever been on Pinterest, you have seen the awesomeness that is the pool noodle/duct tape light saber by now.  But have you seen the awesomeness that is the ICE POP LIGHT SABER?  Credit the proprietress of the Rips in My Jeans blog for this one:

(By the way, can I tell you how hard it was to type "ICE POP" in lieu of "OTTER POP"?  THEY WILL ALWAYS BE OTTER POPS, PEEPS. At least to me they will.)

Not enough saber-shaped items for you?  Wrap foil around a wine cork (to make the handle), stick a bamboo skewer into that, and go to town skewering stuff - fruit, marshmallows, whatever.

Also love this idea from Natalie Putnam's blog:  menu items displayed on tricked-out cardboard paper towel tubes.  My personal favorite menu selection:  Sandtrooper Sandwiches.

This last item is NOT saber-shaped:

But I do see something cardboard tube-shaped behind the pilot - two such things, actually. Which makes sense, because what you are looking at is AN X-WING FIGHTER MADE OUT OF RECYCLABLES, as featured on Clever Faeries' blog.  I love it, because it is exactly the kind of random thing that I would do have done for my boys.  (Example:  The ginormous cardboard Viking ship that sailed into the midst of Big Kid's sixth birthday party.  With yellow paper plates stapled to the sides to look like portholes.)