Make a Ninja Star
No ninja is truly prepared for action without a few ninja stars packed and ready to go. These valuable tools can be hard to find in stores and might be out of many a novice ninja's budget, but thankfully, there a variety of methods you can use to make your own ninja stars. Here are a few worth looking into.
Steps
Plastic Bottle Cap Ninja Star
- Remove the cap and plastic ring from a plastic bottle. The cap will form the base of your ninja star and the ring that the cap was previously attached to will form the points of the star.
- Choose a plastic bottle with a plastic cap connected to a plastic ring. Sports drink bottles work best because they have the largest openings and, as such, have the largest caps. You could also use water bottles, tea bottles, or pop bottles.
- Twist the cap off as usually, breaking it from the attached plastic ring in the process.
- It may take a little effort to get the plastic ring off since they are not meant to come off easily. Dig your nails beneath one side of the ring and pull upward as far as you can. Switch to the opposite side and do the same. The ring should lift a little higher the second time. Continue wriggling the ring up in this manner until it passes over the threads and off the bottle completely.
- Turn the plastic ring inside-out. Use your fingers to flip the plastic ring so that all of the "spikes" or pointed grips face the outside.
- Push on the inside of the ring on one side using your thumb.
- Once you manage to flip the inside out in one spot, it should be easier to gradually ease the rest of the inside outward.
- Note that the pointed grips may "bite" or pinch into you slightly as you work. Typically speaking, though, the edges are not sharp enough to cause any cuts or wounds.
- Slip the cap into the ring. Wiggle the ring over the outside of the cap until it fits snug around the center of the cap's perimeter.
- Rest the ring on the top of the cap, aligning the opening of the ring with the top of the cap as accurately as possible.
- Use your thumb to push down on one side of the ring until it slips over the edge of the cap.
- Gradually ease your thumb around the perimeter of the ring to slide the rest of it onto the cap.
- Once on, ease the ring to the center of the cap by sliding it down with your thumb and forefinger.
- Readjust the spikes as needed. All the spikes on the ring should stick out.
- Carefully run your thumb along the spikes in the opposite direction of the spikes. Doing so should lift the spikes nearly straight up.
- Note that you may scratch your thumb in the process of doing this.
- Admire your work. Your ninja star is now complete.
- Do not throw this ninja star at animals or people. It is not a particularly dangerous version, but you can still cause damage if you throw this at an animal or human.
Plastic Knife Ninja Star
- Cut the handles off four plastic knives. Use scissors or a sharp utility knife to cut the handle portions off of four plastic picnic-style knives.
- Leave roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the handle attached to the serrated blade portion of the knife. This small section of handle will be used to overlap the blades together later in the process.
- Discard the rest of the handle.
- Tape two knife blades together. Position two of the plastic blades together, allowing them to overlap on the remaining section of handle. Secure them together with clear packing tape.
- Note that the blades should face opposite directions. One blade should face left, while the other should face right.
- Tape the other two blades together. Tape the other two blades together in the same way you taped the first two.
- Overlap the blades at the remaining handle.
- Note that one blade should face left while the other faces right.
- Tape securely using clear packing tape.
- Attach both sets of blades. Place the center of one set over the center of the other set. Tape the sets together using clear packing tape.
- Note that all four blades should appear to travel in the same direction.
- Trim the tips of each blade, if desired. Use sharp scissors or a utility knife to shave off plastic at each tip into a 1 inch (2.5 cm) point.
- This is not essential, but adding a point to each tip will make allow the ninja star to stick into cardboard and foam targets more effectively.
- Check over your finished product. Wiggle the flat side of each blade around with your thumb and forefinger. Add more tape, as needed, to secure each blade and prevent it from moving around.
- This step completes your ninja star.
- Only throw the star at non-living targets like cardboard and foam. Never throw it at people or animals.
Office Supplies Ninja Star
- Place two X-acto blades next to each other. Line up two blades so that the bases are side by side. Note that the sharp edge of the blades should face away from each other.
- The utility blades you use need to be for a "pen" style utility knife.
- Carefully apply double-sided tape. Place a square of double-sided tape over the bases of the two blades to temporarily secure them together.
- In the absence of double-sided tape, you could use a folded piece of single-sided tape, instead. Fold the piece of tape with the non-sticky side facing in until the two ends meet. Overlap enough of the tape so that the sticky side from one end sticks to the non-sticky side of the other, forming a loop.
- Arrange the other two blades on top of the tape. Place the bases of the other two blades on top of the tape. Press lightly to secure in place.
- Note that the sharp sides of the blade should be facing out, and each sharp edge should appear to travel in the same direction.
- These last two blades should be perpendicular to the first two.
- Strengthen the ninja star with more tape. Wrap normal tape around the center of the ninja star to secure the blades in place.
- Avoid letting the tape cover any part of the blades other than the bases.
- Cut a piece of tape three times as long as your star's center. Cut into 1/3 of the length and 1/2 of the width on the top right corner. Repeat the cut on the bottom right corner.
- Place the solid center over the front center of the ninja star. Carefully fold the tape onto the back of the star.
- Repeat with another piece of tape, placing it on the opposite side of the star.
- Use with caution. Since this ninja star is made with actual blades, it can cause severe injuries if thrown at people or animals. Only throw your ninja star at bulletin boards, cardboard targets, foam targets, and other non-living objects.
Additional Ways to Make a Ninja Star
- Fold-an-Origami-Star-(Shuriken). With a specific series of folds, you can turn a square or rectangular sheet of paper into a four-pointed ninja throwing star.
- Make-a-Ninja-Star-from-Square-Paper or Make-a-Ninja-Star-from-Rectangular-Paper. Many of the folds and basic techniques are similar, but there are a few variations.
- For something different, Make-an-Eight-Pointed-Shruiken instead. This origami ninja star can be made with sticky notes.
- Make-a-Ninja-Star-out-of-Paper-Clips. You can unfold two paper clips and tape them together to quickly create a simplified, four-pointed ninja star.
- Make-a-Binder-Ring-Shuriken-(Ninja-Star). If you have a pack of spare binder rings or a three-ring binder that you plan to scrap, save two of the rings and use them to create a metal ninja star.
- Make-a-Ninja-Throwing-Star-out-of-Duct-Tape. Duct tape can be used to create almost anything nowadays, and ninja stars are no exception. Start with a cardboard base and cover the base with metallic duct tape.
- Make-a-Shuriken-With-Tape-and-Nails. Tape four nails together securely in order to form a quick yet durable four-pointed ninja star.
- Make-a-Ninja-Star-out-of-an-Old-CD. Trace the shape onto an old CD and carefully cut it out. Note that these ninja stars are better for decorative use than throwing use.
- Make-a-Ninja-Star-with-a-Tin-Can. Carefully cut the ninja star shape out of the metal lid and file down the edges for an easy yet fairly realistic version.
- Make-and-Throw-a-Metal-Shuriken. For an even more realistic appearance, trace the shape of the ninja star onto a thin piece of sheet metal or steel and cut it out.
- Create-a-Wooden-Shuriken. If working with metal has you feeling unnerved, cut a ninja star out from a piece of wood, instead. Note that the sides of this star will need to be sanded down, as well.
Warnings
- Use responsibly. No matter which version you choose to make, always remember that a ninja star can cause injuries—or worse—if used carelessly around other living creatures. Never throw your ninja star at an animal or another human being.
Things You'll Need
Plastic Bottle Cap Ninja Star
- Plastic bottle cap
- Plastic ring attached to bottle cap
Plastic Knife Ninja Star
- 4 plastic knives
- Scissors or utility knife
- Clear packing tape
Office Supplies Ninja Star
- 4 standard X-acto knife blades
- Double-sided tape
- Normal clear tape
