Making your own lightsabers may sound like a highly involved project that takes years of study under a wizened master, and exotic tools and materials -- but it doesn't have to be difficult at all!

In this guide we'll show you how to make your own interactive no-soldering-required lightsabers using common materials from the hardware or craft store and a few simple techniques.

With the HalloWing, we can use the onboard accelerometer to detect saber swinging and hitting motions, control the NeoPixel strip for blade animations, and play sounds through the built in amplifier to a small, yet powerful speaker!

Parts

1 x Adafruit HalloWing M0 Express
Skull-shaped ATSAMD21 board w 1.44" 128x128 TFT display
1 x NeoPixel Strip 0.5 Meter
with 3-pin JST connector
1 x Mini Oval Speaker
8 Ohm 1 Watt

Materials & Tools

In addition to the components listed above, you'll also need:

  • Plastic tube, such as a "bulb guard" used to protect fluorescent tubes, available at most hardware stores or online 24" long, ~1" outside diameter
  • Sheet of white corrugated plastic, a.k.a "Coroplast", available at most craft stores, hobby shops, and office supply stores
  • Roll of parchement paper or wax paper
  • Hobby knife
  • Hot glue and hot melt glue gun

This guide was first published on Aug 31, 2018. It was last updated on Mar 18, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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