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Easy Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game

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You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy playing a game with this easy wooden tic tac toe game. Once you start playing a few rounds, you will absolutely feel like a kid no matter what your age! Tic tac toe is a classic game that never gets old, and you can play anywhere you go. 

We recently bought a shed that is separate from our home. Because we spend a lot of time there and have friends and family stop by, we knew we wanted some games to play. Our kids have been going crazy for this DIY Tic Tac Toe carnival game since we built it!

Looking for more DIY Ideas? Check out these fun projects:

Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game - Completed Game

 

When we decided to make this DIY Tic Tac Toe game, we knew we wanted something different than the typical X’s & O’s. My husband actually came up with the idea of using bugs and flowers. Spring is right around the corner, and it was a terrific idea. Let’s just say it was a HUGE HIT with my daughters!

The best part is that you can literally put anything on the squares that you want. A few ideas are:

  • Initials for each of the players.
  • Hearts and arrows for Valentine’s Day.
  • Shamrocks and Rainbows for St. Patrick’s Day.
  • Race cars and Checker Flags for all the racing fans.
  • Puppies and kittens.
  • Clouds and Suns.
  • Emojis

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Shopping List For This DIY Tic Tac Toe Game:

How To Make A Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game:

First, gather all of your materials. As you can see, you need very few materials for this project. 

Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game - Supplies to make game

Next, Cut checkers to 3 1/2” length, so they are square. Sand the edges smooth using 120-180 grit sandpaper. Then you can paint the checkers. We chose not to prime ours before painting, but you certainly can if you wish.

You are ready to begin making the square box. The corners are miter cut. After they are cut, you can glue the edges together, clamp and nail with a brad nailer. If you do not have a brad nailer, you can skip that part and just paste it together. We knew that ours was going to be something that is used a ton, so we wanted it to be extra sturdy.

 

After you assemble and glue the sides together, you are left with this box. 

Wooden Tic Tac Toe - Picture of square base of box

While your glue dries, you can move onto making the floor of the box. Cut the 3/4” board into 6” pieces.

Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game - Wooden box

How To Finish Assembling Your DIY Tic Tac Toe Game

Now you will measure the inside dimensions of your box. It should be approximately 11” square, but you should measure in case your box sides are longer or shorter than mine (measure twice, cut once, remember) A super tight fit is not necessary.

You will fasten your 3/4”x6” boards in the center of your sides to hold up the floor. Make sure you place them to where the checkers will be higher than the box edges for easier play. I used two pieces of the leftover 3/4” board under two sides and then placed five checkers on the work surface. I then laid the box upside down over this. The floor went in next followed by the 3/4”x6” pieces. Simply brad nail the 3/4” boards to the sides.

Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game - Box with floor in place.

As you can see, we used a piece of plywood for the floor that we had laying around. We didn’t specifically buy a piece for this. 

You can turn the box over and attach the floor to the 3/4” boards you just installed. Wood glue and a few brad nails and the box is complete.

Sand the edges smooth using 120-180 grit sandpaper. The box is then ready for paint.

What Do I Do If I Mess Up Decorating Game Pieces?

If you mess up decorating the game pieces, we found the easiest way to remove the chalk marker is by wiping clean with a wet washcloth. Then use a damp Magic Eraser to remove any leftover chalk marker. Then make sure the block is completely dry and then you can write on it again. 

How Do I Know If I Have Sanded The Wood Properly?

You will know if you sanded the wood enough if it is a smooth finish when you run your fingers across it. You don’t want any splinters sticking up. If there are splinters, keep sanding until there are none.

Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game - Finished Game

What To Use This Easy Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game For:

Besides playing tic tac toe at your house there are many things you could use one of these games for. Here are a few ideas:

  • Birthday Parties – Imagine how much fun all of the guests will have if you have a couple of these sitting around. You can customize them to match the theme!
  • Classrooms – This game board would be terrific for classrooms. The kids could play when they have indoor recess or free time. 
  • Community Events – If your community has carnival type games or fall fest, this would be a great game to keep people entertained.
  • Weddings – If you are having an outdoor, rustic wedding this would be wonderful for your guests! 

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Easy Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game

Easy Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game
Active Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours
Difficulty Intermediate

Materials

  • Chalk Paint - We like black, but you can use any color you like.
  • Chalk Markers - We love the look of the bright colors and white.
  • One 2" x 4" - You will use this for the tic tac toe base and the checkers.
  • 3/4' by 36' square piece of wood.
  • 11' piece of plywood.
  • Felt Sticky Pads to protect the table from scratches.

Tools

  • Miter Saw
  • Circular Saw
  • Tape Measurer
  • Speed Square
  • Clamps
  • Brad Nailer (Optional)

Instructions

  1. Cut checkers to 3 1/2” length so they are square (2x4’s aren’t actually 2”x4”) I set the fence on my saw to ensure consistent cuts.
  2. Sand the edges smooth using 120-180 grit sand paper. The checkers are then ready for paint.
  3. The box is a square built with miter cut corners. The inside needs to be approximately 11” to allow easy play.
  4. Once your four sides are cut, you will glue the corners and then clamp or nail it with brad nails while ensuring your corners stay square (a speed square makes this quick and easy)
  5. While your glue dries, you can move onto making the floor of the box. Cut the 3/4” board into 6” pieces.
  6. Next you will measure the inside dimensions of your box. It should be approximately 11” square but you should measure in case your box sides are longer or shorter than mine (measure twice, cut once,remember) A super tight fit is not necessary.
  7. You will fasten your 3/4”x6” boards in the center of your sides to hold up the floor. Make sure you place them to where the checkers will be higher than the box edges for easier play. I used two pieces of the leftover 3/4” board under two sides and then placed five checkers on the work surface. I then laid the box upside down over this. The floor went in next followed by the 3/4”x6” pieces. Simply brad nail the 3/4” boards to the sides.
  8. You can turn the box over and attach the floor to the 3/4” boards you just installed. Wood glue and a few brad nails and the box is complete.
  9. Sand the edges smooth using 120-180 grit sand paper. The box is then ready for paint.
  10. Paint the box and checkers. You can prime the wood before painting if you would like to. It is optional.
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