A simple but awe-inspiring rod of cosmic energy that you can win over new friends with

Step 1: Gathering Materials

All you'll need to construct is:

cardboard box (preferably a long one)
box cutter or exacto knife
cutting board
ruler
craft glue
masking tape
10' twinkle silver string lights
3 triple A batteries

Step 2: Cutting

Carefully cut off one unperforated section of the cardboard box so that you have a long, unbent rectangular piece of cardboard to work with
Once you have separated the piece you will be using, bring out the cutting board and ruler to score evenly spaced diagonal lines across the board
- As you get towards the end you can leave more space between the scored lines to allow more room for the battery box
(Note on scoring: the idea is to only cut halfway through the cardboard's three layers, leaving the bottom fully intact)

Step 3: Shaping

Once you have fully scored your piece of cardboard, you can start to bend it into a spiral
- (Sometimes you have to go back over certain scores where you might not have cut deep enough)
Test out the overall shape, but do not permenantly fix anything yet

Step 4: Adding the Lights

Using your knife or another pointed object poke sporadic holes into the creases you've made when bending and shaping the cardboard into the lighting bolt
After you've poked your holes, you'll have to push each twinkle light individually into the holes you've made
- Make sure that you start the holes at the narrowly scored end of your cardboard, leaving the wider end for the battery box
(Occasionally, you will need to shape the wiring to make sure the lights hold their position and don't poke out too far or fall back in after you've coiled the cardboard back into the lightning bolt shape again)

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Once you have poked all the lights through the holes, re-coil the cardboard back into your lightning bolt shape
Tape the battery box inside the wide end of the lightning bolt, making sure you are able to locate and press the button to turn on and off the lights
Starting at the narrow end, glue the areas where the cardboard overlaps and hold the pieces together for 20 seconds or so before moving on to the next area
(I recommend taping the battery box area of the lightning stick rather than gluing it, so that you can open and replace the batteries if you plan on getting a good amount of use out of your stick)

Step 6: Now You Have Your Very Own Lightning Stick!

Channel the infinite power of the cosmos, signal friends over at a gathering, use it as a talking stick when sharing stories in a group, or maybe even decoration in an neglected corner of your house

The possibilities are limitless...