Make a DIY Checkerboard Using Tumbling Tower Blocks

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.

I am an Amazon Associate. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I will make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

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. 

 

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.

I painted 12 wood slices red and 12 black to make the game pieces. The red pieces took two coats of acrylic paint, while the black ones were covered in just one coat of paint.

                Find standard checkers on Amazon

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!

***

If you enjoyed this post, sign up for the Dollar Store Style newsletter. Each month you’ll get a new article, my pick for a Find of the Week, a Quick Tip for decorating, a Product Review and much more.