5 Functional Star Wars Projects That Should Be On Every Fan's "To Make" List
There is something about the galaxy far, far away that speaks to my soul and inspires me to theme my build projects as if they lived in that world.
However, one of the biggest reasons I didn't make Star Wars projects at first was that they seemed to be lacking something. The ideas looked amazing and would make me happy, but they still didn't feel complete. In the Star Wars universe, everything has a purpose, so shouldn't the projects made for it also serve a purpose?
After thinking about functional Star Wars projects for well over a year, let me save you some time and give you my top 5 projects that should be on every fan's "to make" list.
Project 1: Droid Assistant
Droids are one of the best parts of Star Wars and we all want an R2-D2 of our own to help us around home or in the workshop.
To make a functional droid, we need to give it some kind of brain like an Alexa/Siri or AI Assistant. While this could be as simple as dropping an Echo or HomePod in the head, with a little extra work, you can embed your own instance of ChatGPT on an Arduino and fully customize how you interact with your new droid companion.
Project 2: Cargo Hold
Whether on the Millennium Falcon or the Death Star, stuff needs to get stored and organized in a Cargo Hold.
A Cargo Hold is probably the most boring item on the list, but so is mass storage in general. Instead of building generic 2x4 shelves for plastic bins, add some flare by adding angles, cut outs, some alien text, and lighting to make something boring look amazing.
Dream Build 3: Cantina
After a long day, kicking back in your own wretched hive of scum and villainy with your fellow nerds and having a Fuzzy Tauntaun or Jabba Juice would be the best way to relax.
By far the largest project on this list, a custom Cantina would really be a series of small and large projects to keep you occupied for many months (or likely years in my case). This is one of those projects where you can really let your imagination take you wherever you want and give your own spin to the Star Wars universe in your home.
Project 4: Control Panels
Every door, console, and interface across the stars needs a panel with pinstripes, flashing LEDs, buttons, and sockets to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Lights and fans are already controlled with switches in our homes, but they don't have to be boring and can have a Star Wars themed panel around them. To dial it up another level, if you are incorporating smart home functionality, put it all in one place inside a galactic panel to truly take control.
Project 5: Themed Integrated Lighting
Galaxy's Edge is a Master's Class in integrating lighting, making it fun, and loosing the harsh overheads.
It's no secret I hate overhead lighting and what better way to eliminate it from your life than replace it with lighting from Star Wars. So many options exist from wall lights to wall panels to hanging domes that look like they are from a starfighter or podracer.
