I thought it would be fun to make coasters with the Tumbling Tower blocks from Dollar Tree. Coasters are a staple in most homes and also make great gifts. However, what started out as coasters quickly morphed into something much larger. Because I was using the two-toned tower blocks, it didn’t take me long to wonder if I couldn’t make something larger. I ended up making 16 coasters using the tumbling tower blocks, which I then assembled into a checkerboard.
Although this project is easy, it is time-consuming. Make a DIY checkerboard, complete with wood slice checkers, using Tumbling Tower blocks, wood glue and acrylic paint.
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Make a DIY Checkerboard Using Tumbling Tower Blocks

Supplies used:
- red and black acrylic craft paint
- 24 wood slices the approximate size of checkers
- 2-tone tumbling tower blocks (enough to make 16 coasters)
- wood glue
- Minwax Polycrylic
- foam board or plywood (optional)
The Dollar Tree in my area didn’t stock the larger packages of Tumbling Tower Blocks at the time. If you can pick up a few packages of those, this project will cost less.
It takes 12 blocks to make one coaster. I was able to average 3 coasters from a box of 36 Tumbling Tower blocks.
Step 1: Glue 4 Sets of 3 Blocks Each

I started in the usual way by using wood glue to put together four sets of three blocks and glueing them together to make one coaster. I chose to position the brown blocks horizontally and the plain ones vertically.
After you’ve done that a couple of times, you’ll begin to see the pattern. By making sure that the coasters were placed so that the light and dark squares alternated, a checkerboard pattern starts to take shape.

These aren’t glued together, but I wanted to show how you could also make a wood trivet with these blocks by gluing four coasters together and coating them with a protective finish.
I carried on making 16 coasters, as a checkerboard has 64 squares.
Step 2: Assemble the Checkerboard

After the glue had dried on each coaster, I started to assemble my game board by making four lengthwise rows of four coasters, glued as shown.
When the wood glue on the four rows were sufficiently dry, I attached all of the rows together to form a complete checkerboard.
Step 3: Seal Checkerboard with Polycrylic

After sanding down the checkerboard to remove any excess glue, etc., I sealed the top and sides with polycrylic.
Step 4: Make a Base for the Checkerboard
When I moved house three years ago, the checkerboard fell apart and I had to glue it back together. That’s when I realized that a base would have made it sturdier.
I cut a piece of foam board to size to cover the back of the checkerboard. If you have a piece of plywood you can cut to fit, that would be even better.
Step 5: Sand and Paint Checkers

To make the actual checker pieces, I used 24 wood slices. You could probably go to a toy store and buy checker pieces separately but I painted 24 wood slices instead. Don’t do like I did and wait until you’ve started painting to realize you should sand down the wood slices! The birch pieces I was using are especially prone to flaking.
In order to get enough “checkers” that were roughly the right size, I had to buy five extra bags of wood slices to add to the bag I already had on hand. It might be cheaper just to buy checkers. However, I wanted the entire piece to look like it belonged in a cabin in the woods.


Find standard checkers on Amazon
Finished Checkerboard

And here’s the finished checkerboard! It’s not perfect, but that just adds to its charm. It’s a good sturdy game board that will stand the test of time and bring a hint of whimsy to your home or cottage.
And, who knows, you may be able to lure the kids away from the computer once in a while!
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