Making a Game for $5.00 #5: The Finished Product - Shut the Box

This blog series is about my task to find a gift for $5.00. I decided to make the game Shut the Box purchasing what I needed, spending no more than the $5.00 limit, along with using materials I already had. This is the final post in the series.

As mentions in post #4, I had not planned on spraying the tiles with a clear finish. I decided to do this because I was afraid the numbers I had painted on would easily wear off. When I used the spray, I created a problem as it made the tiles just thick enough to hinder them from being flipped up and down easily. So when the player would want to put a tile down, three, four or more would go down with it because they were too tight.

To fix this, I drilled a hole on each side of the outside of the box where the rod was being held. Then, I pushed the rod in through the side so I could take the tiles off. I took the two washers that were on the outside of numbers 1 and 12. I then put the rod back on and used a dowel and glue to fill in the hole I had made. It worked great as the tiles now move freely; and it added a little something to look at on the outside of the box.

After the glue dried, I rounded off the corners of the box and then sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper, making for a pretty smooth playing surface.

Next, I started to put walnut oil on the box. The image below shows part of the box finished, with the other part still oiled free. I think the oil really helped make the wood look great.

I should have put the oil on before I put the tiles back on, as it was tough to get it under and behind the tiles. I used some q-tips to accomplish this, which worked out nicely.

Here is the finished product. I was trying to bring in some contrast by using different types of wood for the box and the tiles. Overall, I am pretty pleased with the results being the first project I made without plans and for the price.

Once I purchased everything I needed, I spent $4.96, just shy of my limit. Here is a breakdown of all the main elements I used.

Wood – Free
Brass Washers – $.96 ($.07 each)
Steel Rod – $1.26
Stencils – $1.43
Paint Pen – Already Owned
Dice – $1.31
Walnut Oil – Already Owned

Thanks for following these posts and I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

Casey