DIY Tic Tac Toe Board
Looking for an easy and inexpensive homemade gift for this holiday season? I came across the wonderful idea of a tic tac toe board from a Lowe’s Creative Ideas magazine a few years back. It fit the bill perfectly for what I was looking for so I decided to make a few to gift to those that can be difficult to buy for… come on now, you know you have some of those in your life, too! I have to smile when I visit my aunts’ house or my in-laws and see their board displayed beautifully on a table just waiting to be played with. This year I have decided to gift these to my son’s two wonderful preschool teachers. But shhhhh, don’t tell them!
To get started, get out your pen and paper and let’s get that shopping list ready. You will need the following:
• a slate tile, which I found on clearance at my local Lowe’s for $1.38
• 1 inch felt pads (don’t go under a ¾ inch pad) that were $2.98 for a pack of 16 at Lowe’s
• superglue or another strong adhesive
• clear coat spray which runs around $5-$7
• black and white polished stones, these can be found in the garden center at Lowe’s, Michael’s or even online at Amazon. You will need 5 of each for one project so if you are only planning on making one, look for a mixed bag. The single bags are around $6 each color at Lowe’s. You can pick up smaller 2 lb bags at Michael’s
• Black and silver sharpies (or use white paint)
• A container to hold the pieces (I used mason jars but you could definitely upcycle a glass container)
I know it sounds like a ton of supplies, but the assembly is really quite quick and painless. And the end result is so worth it! I always put cardboard down so that I don’t accidentally mess up my table.
1. Turn your piece of slate over and use your adhesive to attach a felt pad to each of the four corners.
2. Using your ruler and chalk, draw a grid on your tile. If you are using a wooden ruler, use the wood side so that your chalk doesn’t get shredded. My son had fun helping to get rid of the excess chalk dust!
3. To make the 10 game pieces, draw O’s on the black rocks with a silver sharpie/paint, and draw X’s on the white rocks with a black sharpie.
4. Take your board and pieces outside or to a well-ventilated area for this step. Again, make sure you get rid of all excess dust before using your clear coat spray to spray the top of your game board and the top of the rocks.This helps to eliminate the rubbing off of the chalk, x’s, and o’s. The clear coat really brings out the colors in your slate, too! Your board and pieceswill dry in 10 minutes or less.
5. Place the game pieces in your container of choice. Feel free to dress up the lid of your container with paint, ribbon, raffia, etc.
Painless and pretty, right?! I hope you love your tic tac toe board and are happy to have crossed one, or FIVE, gifts off your list. Make sure you don’t put your leftover supplies away just yet. I have a few other homemade gifts coming up that will use some of those same items.
Stevie is Momma to almost 5 year old Cooper and 2 1/2 year old Finley, a cat, Sammy, and pug, Napoleon. She is married to her wonderful husband Dan. She enjoys all things domestic (even cleaning if she is in a “mood”), but especially crafting and decorating. She creates everything from DIY gifts to practical life solutions!
Carolyn says
Great idea! Love it!!
Tina says
Love this! Great idea.
Louise says
Check out Dollar Tree for the playing pieces (only $1!)