Build your own full-sized BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Rey, Finn, and Poe were all great, but the real breakout star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was clearly BB-8. He's also the only one you can own a life-sized replica of without disturbing houseguests. Yeah, you could drop $150 on a miniature version of the adorable orb droid, or you could spend about $120 on supplies and make your own rolling robot friend… assuming you have the skillset of a 17-year-old YouTuber.
If you're at all familiar with 17-year-old YouTubers, you know that's actually a pretty high bar. But even if you've never laid hands on a power sander or a soldering iron, you can still appreciate the craft that goes into making this homemade BB-8.
The only thing missing is a little blow torch for giving a thumbs up, but I'm sure you could rig one up with a few extra Arduino servos. Then again, sticking a firestarter inside a great big ball made of wood and papier mache may not be the best idea.
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I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.