These days, merchandise is made out of everything possible. The more popular the movie or book, the weirder the merch that seems to come out. The ultimate proof lies in the amazing mountains of merchandise produced for Star Wars. There’s even enough of these themed goodies to deck out your whole kitchen in Star Wars cooking toys, here are 12 of the most awe-inspiring Star Wars kitchen gadgets around.

Darth Vader Toaster

While this toaster looks admittedly awesome and pretty high-quality, it’s obviously the imprint of Darth’s mask that most fans are after. Of course, the problem is that your toast will be incredibly inconsistent in texture and taste. The edges are browned, Darth is a little burned and the rest is practically raw. If they just added a sound track so it would play the Imperial March as it heated though, I think I could quickly forget those other problems .

Darth Vader Stein

If you start off your morning with a nice slice of Vader toast, why not finish up the evening with a nice frothy brew from your hefty Darth Vader stein? Just be sure you don’t drink enough that you end up getting seduced into joining the dark side.

R2D2 Cookie Jar

I love merchandise that isn’t actually intended for use. Take this piece for example, what’s the point of making a R2D2 cookie jar if you can’t even put cookies inside of it? Sure it looks cool, but so would a statue. Really though if you really want this thing, don’t let the fact that it probably contains lead and will poison your cookies stop you from buying it. Instead, just fill it with store-bought, individually-wrapped cookies. Image via Technabob

R2D2 Peppermill

This R2D2 peppermill is mighty cute and highly useful, but doesn’t it seem like a peppermill based on a droid should be an electric grinder? Even so, this manually-operated droid will still help spice up your seasonings cabinet.

R2D2 Soy Sauce Dispenser

R2’s simple shape has made him a favorite for kitchen accessories, which makes it no wonder that he also works as an ideal soy sauce dispenser. Serve up your sushi with this cute soy sauce holder and some awesome lightsaber chopsticks and your guests will be sure to understand that they’re in for a dinner that’s out of this world…perhaps even from a galaxy far, far away.

X Wing Barbeque Weenie Roaster

Roastmyweenie.com made these awesome, unauthorized grill accessories back in 2008, but any mention of them seems to be stripped from the website, which means they probably got in trouble for copyright infringement.

Nevertheless, there’s something delightfully fun about a weenie roaster that looks like it’s about to fly into the death star for an epic battle scene. And how wonderfully intimidating are those hot dog missiles?

Prototype for a Death Star Barbecue

I have never been so bummed that a piece of merchandise wasn’t actually made until I saw this barbecue. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own this? These days, this thing would be even more awesome because you could not only use it to grill up some grub, you could also buy a spare and fill it with lighter fluid and other flammables and then shoot it so it would explode. Then you could put the video on YouTube for instant internet celebrity status as a real-life Luke Skywalker…then again, maybe it’s thinking like this that led them to can the idea.

Hans Solo In Carbonite Mini Fridge

This is another rejected piece of merchandise that is simply too good to have not made it to the market. The only way this could be better would be if it were a regular fridge so Hans could be closer to life size. Can you imagine a cooler refrigerator for a bachelor pad? I sure can’t.

Hans Solo Guacamole Bowl

While you may not be able to actually own your own Hans Solo mini fridge, you could always try asking artist Robert Saccenti to make you a recreation of his artistic rendition of Hans Solo frozen in guacamole, titled, “He’s No Guac To Me Dead.”

While the thing used over 50 avocados worth of guacamole, you probably would want to skip actually eating it, considering Hans has silver paint and starch all over his body. Surprisingly, this guy only won second place for his presentation in the 2009 Guac Bowl. I call foul!

Space slug oven mitt

In space, giant slugs can be seriously bad news as they try to swallow your ship whole, but when you’re in the kitchen, space slugs can be quite “handy.”  Now you can finally use an oven mitt without feeling like your grandma. Now that you have all your space accessories, you’d better grab a Star Wars cookbook and get down with your wookie cookie-making self.

While I've always been content with the way my 360 and my Wii look, I could certainly see the appeal of having a totally decked out case to accentuate my home decor. For those of you who are looking for new ideas to redecorate your games, or for those of you who just appreciate the art, be sure to check out these 40 awesome case mods on WebUrbanist.

Link

If you are a total Katamari fan, like myself, then you're certain to appreciate this beautiful statue that would make an enviable prize for a Katamari tournament. It was made by Flickr user Everfalling for an Academy of Art class.

Link via BoingBoing

Goody Goody Tutus is an Etsy store that specializes in adorable geeky tutus. If your little one has always wanted to be a ballerina and a superhero or a Disney princess, then one of these cute little outfits might just fulfill all of her dreams at once.

Link Via The Mary Sue

Photographer Jason Lee is just like any other proud papa -he wants to capture his girl's childhood in photos. Unlike most dads though, he's not just content with a few snapshots (although his site has plenty of those too). Instead, Lee manipulates photos of his daughters into amazing geek scenes that any teen girl would be proud to show her boyfriends.

While I love the photos he took of his girls, I can't help but wish he offered his services to everyone, because who wouldn't want family photos this cool?

Link Via io9

From Star Trek to food dispensing to easy-to-use designs, these spoons are some of the coolest and most creative on the market. If you've got a babe at home, one of these would be a great choice, although I think our Airplane -On the Go Snacker is also a good way to go.

Link

The Karpiuks' wanted to make their nine month-old little baby his very own Millennium Falcon and dressed up his pup companion to play the role of Chewbacca. They have photos of the full process over on their Flickr page so you can follow the process yourself.

Link Via Geeks Are Sexy

Or, of course, you could only show them the original trilogy until they're mature enough to hate the prequels like everyone else.

Link Via Geeks Are Sexy

We tend to think of newborns as being helpless and needy, unable to survive on their own for a day, let alone a few days. But they are surprisingly resilient and you’d be surprised what some babes can make it through. Here are 8 stories of amazing things babies have actually managed to survive through, in most of the cases, completely unscathed.

Be warned: While the following stories are miraculous stories of survival, many of the tales are also quite depressing, particularly those not involving natural disasters. If you are at all sensitive to violence against children, do not continue reading.

Illustrative image via j2dread [Flickr]

A Bullet in the Chest

When one couple in Argentina decided the world was going to end due to global warming, they decided the best thing they could do to protect their children from such a terrible fate was to end their lives. To that point, Francisco Lotero and Miriam Coletti shot their two-year old in the back, their seven-month old in the chest and themselves in the head. Three days later, police showed up after a neighbor let them know about the terrible odor emitting from their apartment.

While the toddler and his parents were definitely deceased, the infant had not only survived a shot to the chest, but also going without food or water for three days. Amazingly, once it was taken to the hospital and treated, its condition started to improve almost immediately and he ended up being completely fine.

Source

A Seven-Story Fall

When an 18-month old fell from a seventh-story window, it almost certainly wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for a number of fortunate circumstances that left him safe and secure in the end. First, an off-duty doctor just happened to be across the street from the building where it occurred and happened to notice the child playing near an open window. Because he was able to see what was about to happen, he was able to run across the street and position himself in the perfect place to catch the flying babe.

The second lucky coincidence was that the awning of the café below the boy’s window just happened to break the day before, so it was still open, even though the café was close that day. Thanks to the awning, the baby was given a movie-esque landing, bouncing off the awning, right into the doctor’s arms. The doc checked him out and noticed he was totally fine despite still falling six stories before crashing onto an awning. As an extra precaution, the baby was taken to a hospital, but the doctor’s initial assessment was correct, the little tike was totally fine in spite of his ordeal.

Source

A Ten-Story Fall

Sure you don't need a Daddle to ride your daddy, but you don't technically need at saddle to ride a horse either, but it certainly helps. Besides, it's never to early to teach the importance of using proper equipment for their chosen athletic pursuits.

http://www.cashelcompany.com/SearchDetails.aspx?C=9&SC=63&ProductID=10287 Via Geekosystem

Glasses somehow manage to make people look instantly smarter, even why they're innocent, but ignorant, babies. For proof, just check out this great post with 45 adorable pictures of babies in glasses, including the one above by Flickr user bemillbc.

Link

It's important to educate your little ones about weapons seen in fantasy and sci fi works, but since you don't actually want them swinging swords and nun chucks at each other, these pillow versions might just be the best option.

Link Via The Mary Sue

I know we focus a lot more on babies, but for those of you with slightly older geeks-in-training, let me suggest the Dark Horse Hell Boy camp for your child's summer activities. Your youngsters can enjoy:

• martial arts and self-defense specific to praeternatural entities


• hand to hand weaponry (foam swords, bows and more)


• investigation and forensics


• folklore & mythology


• potion and charms 101


• telepathy training


• gadgets of the occult: EMF detectors, polarized lenses and other paranormal investigative gear

The week-long experience will cost you $292 for kids 9-10 and $398 for those 11-17.

Link  Via The Mary Sue

It's rare for someone to become more helpless as they get older, but for Princesses Peach and Zelda, that's exactly what happened. While they might not be great role models as they age, their younger versions, are certainly adorable and now your little one can cosplay as the lovely Princess Zelda thanks to Etsy seller LeenGreenBean's lovely crocheted costume.

Link Via Kotaku

(Video Link)

Sometimes they just need a little inspiration am I right? If only they were all so easy to teach.

Via I Has A Hot Dog