Chances are, if you have a boy in the family, you will eventually be planning a Star Wars party.  And, if you’re like most parents, you’ll want to keep that party on a budget, meaning you may be hunting for some DIY Star Wars party ideas.

You’ll also want a fun Star Wars cake.  Right?  

Whether you’re planning a birthday party or a celebration for May the Fourth Be with You, you’ll find the best Darth Vader cake ideas below.

When it comes to the original trilogy, Darth Vader is one of the most popular characters.  He’s mysterious, powerful, and the perfect bit of scary for kids.

Vader is the perfect character to base your cake on.    

There’s no need to run to a professional baker.  These creative ideas will leave you with a Star Wars cake you can be proud of.

If you have a child that enjoys the Star Wars movies, you may also want to try making your own pool noodle lightsabers.  They make acting out your favorite scenes fun, and they are safer than those plastic ones you find at the store.  

How to Make a Darth Vader Cake

Feeling creative?   

Pick one of the DIY Star Wars cake ideas below and create an awesome Darth Vader themed cake that will wow the guests.  

• Skip buying a special pan, and use the baking pans you already have to make this DIY Darth Vader Cake.
• Use black fondant to create this Star Wars cake with a picture of Darth Vader’s head.
• Have a bell-shaped cookie cutter at home?  Use it to help decorate these Darth Vader cupcakes.
• Make your own edible Darth Vader cupcake toppers with royal icing.
• Star Wars fans will rave over this 3-dimensional cake of Darth Vader.

Simple Darth Vader Cake Ideas

Want something that’s even easier and takes almost no time to do?

These fun ideas will make it super simple to create your very own cake for your Star Wars fan.  (Affiliate links are provided below.  See my full disclosure for more details.)

• Add this Darth Vader to the top of any cake to turn it into a fun Star Wars cake.  Kids will love that his red light saber doubles as a candle.
• Party goers will love this 3-dimensional darth vader cake topper. It even has sound effects!
• Using an edible Star Wars cake topper will make your homemade cake look like it was made by a professional.
• Purchase your own Darth Vader cake pan  and make it super simple to celebrate Star Wars any day of the year.
• Use these fun Star Wars cookie cutters as stencils to decorate your cake.  Simply fill in the centers with sprinkles and remove the cookie cutters to leave the characters behind.

No matter which of these Darth Vader cakes you try,  be sure to create your own mini R2D2 craft.  It makes a cute party decoration and keepsake.

You may also like:

• How to Make a Shark Cake
• How to Make a Dragon Cake
• 3-Dimensional Teapot Cake 

Updated from April 2019.

The post 10 Homemade Darth Vader Cake Ideas first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

What I found was tons of sites suggesting using a special cake pan and pictures of finished cakes with no directions.  I didn’t want to disappoint him, but I also didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on a cake pan I’d only use once.

So I got out the cake pans I had, traced their shapes on paper, cut and pieced them together until I came up with my own Star Wars-inspired DIY Darth Vader Cake.

Affiliate links have been used below.  For my full disclosure policy click here. 

Have your own Star Wars fan at home?

This DIY Star Wars cake is sure to be a big hit at any Star Wars party.  

These Storm Trooper Cupcakes are a fun addition if you’re looking for cupcake ideas, too.

Darth Vader Cake

Materials Needed:

• 9 Inch Square Cake Pan
• 9 Inch Circle Cake Pan
• Serrated Knife  (I used my bread knife.)
• Black Cake Icing (I used 2 packages of this one.)
• White Decorating Icing 
• Your Favorite Cake Mix (1 box)
• Wax Paper (optional)

How to Make a Darth Vader Cake

Bake cake mix as directed, pouring half the batter into your circle cake pan and half into the square cake pan.

Allow cakes to cool completely and remove from cake pans.  

Pop the square cake into the freezer for one hour so it is easier to cut into pieces without crumbling issues.

Once you remove the square cake from the freezer, cut triangles off from opposite corners of the cake.

To make your triangles the same size, simply cut one, flip it over and use it as a guide to cut your second triangle so they are mirror images of each other.  (My triangles were 7 inches at the longest side and close to 5 inches on the side facing out.)

Position these at an angle from the circle cake as shown in the picture below.  

Next, cut another triangle from the bottom of your square cake.  This will form Darth Vader’s chin.

Cut the remaining portion of the square cake in half.  

Use one piece of this to fill in the area above Darth Vader’s chin.

Use the other half to cut pieces to fill in gaps you have left.  (Hint:  If you slide a piece of waxed paper under those spaces you can use a pen to draw the shape onto the wax paper, cut it out and use it as a pattern to cut the cake pieces.)

Use a bit of frosting to hold the pieces of the cake puzzle together.   Then cover in black cake frosting.

I couldn’t find black in the canned frosting I usually buy, so I bought 2 of these decorating icing packs.  You could also use chocolate frosting and add a bit of black food coloring.

Once your cake is covered in black frosting, use white decorating icing to add facial details.

This Darth Vader cake was a huge hit at my son’s 7th birthday, and it is sure to be a hit at your party, too!

You may also like:

• Recycled R2-D2 Inspired Craft
• DIY Lightsabers
• Shark Birthday Cake
• Tractor Cake and Cupcakes

Originally published on May 21, 2016.

The post DIY Darth Vader Star Wars Cake first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

With the new Star Wars movies and cartoons that have come out, Star Wars birthday party ideas have been very popular lately.  Recently we celebrated my son’s birthday with DIY Storm Trooper cupcakes and other budget-friendly ideas.

Kid parties don’t have to be expensive.  If your child is a Star Wars fan, you can have an awesome kids Star Wars party on a budget.

You can also use these simple ideas to celebrate Star Wars Day on May the 4th.

My son has caught the Star Wars fever, and this year we planned a super fun Star Wars party for 10 kids that cost less than $40, using many of these fun and inexpensive party ideas.

Budget-Friendly Star Wars Party Ideas

• Party Cups — Stickers are awesome when it comes to budget-friendly birthday party ideas.   Instead of spending 3-4 dollars for a pack of Star Wars cups, we used stickers to decorate plain black cups we found for a dollar.   We also turned plain plastic bags into Star Wars goody bags with just a few stickers.
• Goody Bags — When it comes to stickers they are great for filling goody bags, too.   Not only can you add stickers to the goody bags, but we bought a pack of 12 mini bubbles from the dollar store and used stickers to make them match the theme of the party.   (Much cheaper than the 40 cents per bubble container we found at the party store.)
• Invitations — I love this printable Star Wars Darth Vader Party Invitation from Hale Grafx
• Decorations — Check the recyclables and make your own R2-D2 for the table.  Toy Star Wars spaceships also make quick and thrifty decorations.

Star Wars Party Games

• Pool Noodle Lightsaber t — I love doing crafts at kids parties.  This one is a guaranteed hit at any Star Wars party.  Plus, the kids can take it home as part of their goody bag.  Win-win.
• Light Saber Training —   Once each child has made their own lightsaber, it’s time for a Star Wars party game:  lightsaber training!  Use a black permanent marker to draw simple storm trooper faces on white balloons.  Challenge the kids to use their lightsabers to keep the balloons in the air.  You can have them each try it with their own balloon or have them work in pairs.  So much fun!
• Obstacle Course — Another fun, and super cheap party game is an obstacle course, reminiscent of Luke Skywalker’s Jedi training with Yoda.  No need for the little green Jedi master to be present.  Check out what you have on hand that can be used.  Use sidewalk chalk to make a hopscotch for the start of the obstacle course.  Have kids jump over boxes, balance on a board, or crawl under a chair.
• Death Star Beanbag Toss — Recycle a large cardboard box into your own Death Star and see who can “blow it up” by getting their beanbag in the hole.  (Check out these directions for making a DIY ball toss.)
• Star Wars Themed Nerf Games from Frugal Fun for Boys

Star Wars Party Treats

• These Lightsaber Pretzels from Two Sisters Crafting inspired one of our favorite party snacks.  We rolled ours in colored sugar before letting them cool so they sparkled.
• Star Wars Party Mix from Lemon Lime Adventures
• Darth Vader Cake —  There’s no need to spend money on a fancy bakery cake.  You can easily make your own Darth Vader cake at home, using cake pans you already have.
• Storm Trooper Cupcakes — Cupcakes make life easier at kid birthday parties, and these Star Wars themed cupcakes are super easy to make!
• Princess Leia Cupcakes from Paintbrushes and Popsicles (Because girls like Star Wars, too!)
• Dagobah Punch — This was so simple and a huge hit with the kids.  Just take 5-6 scoops of rainbow sherbet, cut it up into small pieces and pour your favorite lemon-lime soda pop on top.  (We used 7-Up for ours.)  

With these simple and fun ideas you can throw a Star Wars party on a budget that your child will remember for years to come.  

You may also like these kids’ party ideas:

• DIY Frozen Castle Cake
• DIY Dragon Pinata 
• Shark Party Games
• Games for Kids 
  
  

Originally posted June 2, 2016. 

The post How to Have an Awesome Kids Star Wars Party on a Budget first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Whether you’re planning your own Star Wars party, or you’re just looking for the perfect dessert to have while watching the movies with your kids, these Star Wars Storm Trooper cupcakes are sure to bring smiles.

(Related Post: DIY Darth Vader Cake Idea)

Affiliate links have been used below for your convenience.  See my full disclosure here. 

What I love about these Star Wars cupcakes is that they are so simple to make.  They’d be perfect to send in to school for your child’s birthday.

Materials Needed:

• Your Favorite Cake Mix  (We used this gluten-free one.)
• White Cake Frosting
• White Cupcake Liners
• Marshmallows
• Black Edible Food Marker 

How to Make Storm Trooper Cupcakes

Bake cupcakes as directed on package.  Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them with white icing.

Using your black edible marker, draw simple Storm Trooper faces on your marshmallows.  My kids have only seen the original Star Wars movies so far, so we went with the classic Storm Trooper look:  black band around the top of the head, triangular eyes, upside down curve mouth and a few lines for vents or dots to be bolts at the bottom of the helmet.  For a more modern Storm Trooper look you can connect the black band to the eyes like these cupcakes over at Spaceships and Laser Beams.

Once you have your Storm Trooper marshmallows are finished, simply place one on top of each cupcake.  You will have your own delicious army of Storm Troopers in no time!

These cupcakes were a huge hit at my son’s Star Wars birthday party this year.

Honestly, they are so simple to make, you could easily whip up a few Star Wars Storm Trooper cupcakes for your own Star Wars fan any day of the year.  They’d be perfect for Star Wars Day!

More posts you’ll like:

• DIY Darth Vader Cake
• DIY Pool Noodle Lightsaber
• Recycled R2-D2 Craft
• Tipped Tractor Cupcakes
  
  

The post Storm Trooper Cupcakes — Perfect for Star Wars Party first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.