DIY Tic-Tac-Toe Game Board

Learn how to make a simple wooden DIY Tic-Tac-Toe game using scrap wood. It makes a great DIY gift idea!

Directions

STEP 1: MAKE THE CUTS

• Cut the 1x10 board to make a square board.
• Cut up the 1x2 boards to make the sides
• Cut up the square dowels to make the pieces for the inside grid. Be sure to use a stop block to safely make these cuts as the pieces are really tiny.

Tip - If you don't have a 1x10 board, you can also use smaller width boards and glue them up to make a larger board. The key is to make a square board.

Once all the cuts are made, be sure to dry fit and make sure everything works!

STEP 2: CUT THE X’S AND O’S

• Print out the template for the X's or O's. I have this included in the plans or you can make your own too.
• Glue these onto a scrap wood board using spray adhesive.
• Cut out the shapes. A scroll saw for this would be perfect but I only had a jigsaw so I used that.
• Use sandpaper to remove the paper from the pieces. Also, use a rotary tool to get into the corners and sand them smooth.

STEP 3: TORCH THE BOARD

• Lay the wood pieces on a concrete surface outdoors
• Using the Bernzomatic BZ4500HS Heat Shrink Torch and the Bernzomatic propane tank, torch each piece of wood.

Tip – Keep the Torch moving slowly across the surface for a uniform look. The number of passes will determine how dark the char on the wood gets.

• Sand each piece in between passes to get a smooth surface.
• Turn pieces over between passes to make sure you get an even char on all sides.

STEP 4: TORCH THE X’S AND O’S

• Lay out the X's and O's on a scrap piece of wood to char them .
• Make sure to turn them over to get an even char.

STEP 5 : ASSEMBLE

Assembling the board is really easy using wood glue and brad nails.

• Attach all the sides using wood glue and brad nails.
• The grid is attached with wood glue.

You can add brad nails if you like but I simply placed a heavyweight on it (a gallon of paint) and let it dry to avoid nail holes being visible on the top. Alternatively, you can transfer the grid to the back and add nails from the back too. But the wood glue is strong enough to hold everything together.

STEP 6: SEAL EVERYTHING

• Once all the pieces and board are ready, wipe them down as thoroughly as possible and add a few coats of clear sealer to protect the charred wood and rubbing off on hands or items.