Today I finished a little project I’ve had in the queue for months.  I’ve been wanting to make a DIY tic tac toe board for our basement coffee table for a long time, and it should have been fast and easy, but it took forever!!  It all started when I saw this cute tic tac toe board in the Ballard Designs catalog.

So fun!  I wanted one for our coffee table, but wasn’t about to shell out $79 for one.  Yes, that’s right, $79. Yikes!!!  I knew I could make something similar for much less.  So, I took a trip to Michael’s, and found an unfinished divided tray that was just perfect for Tic Tac Toe. I also found some chunky X and O wood letters that fit in the squares.  So, what’s the problem, you ask?

Well, there were only a couple of O’s and just one X available that day.  I bought them and checked at another Michael’s later that week…nothing.  I looked online.  They had the letters online, but the X’s and O’s were all sold out.  My local stores never got any X’s or O’s back in stock.  Michael’s online finally got some O’s in stock two months ago, and then just last week the X’s came back in stock.  Someone out there must be buying up all these letters!  So, if you’d like to make a similar board, I will tell you that you might have to wait very patiently for the letters, or find another alternative.

Now that you’ve heard my wood letter sob story, let’s move on to showing off the finished product that took so long to complete! OK, let me clarify…the waiting took months, but the creating and finishing only took about two hours. And the best part?  It was under $30 to make!!!!  Here is my rustic DIY tic tac toe board:

diy wooden tic tac toe board

rustic wooden tic tac toe board                         rustic wood tic tac toe

And, here is a tutorial for how to make the tic tac toe board…assuming you can find the letters, of course :-).

Supplies:

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliates links, which means that if you click on the links and buy the products, I will receive a small commission on the sale (at no cost to you).  Please know I would never recommend a product that I don’t use myself.  Happy crafting!

  • Divided wood tray w/ 9 squares (I bought mine from Michael’s, but I don’t see an online link, so check in stores)
  • ArtMinds 3″ Chunky Wood Letters (5 X’s and 4 O’s, or you can have more O’s if you like.)
  • Spray Paint
  • Wood Stain
  • Polyurethane (satin finish)
  • TIP: Use Michael’s coupons, or wait for a sale to help bring the cost down!

Instructions:

  1. Spray paint your divided playing board in whatever color you choose.  I used Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint, Oil Rubbed Bronze Metallic, but you could use any color for a fun change. Spray paint color options are practically unlimited these days.
  2. Stain your letters. I used Minwax Wood Stain in Weathered Oak so that I could get a nice weathered, rustic look. You can use two different colors of stain for the X’s and O’s, if you want.
  3. Put 1-2 coats of polyurethane finish on each letter. I used Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane Satin, 1/2 pint
  4. Let dry, and play some tic tac toe!!!

Super easy to make, and so much fun for the family! This DIY tic tac toe board would make a really fun gift, too.  Glad I finally finished this little project, but seriously, who is buying up all of the X’s and O’s at Michael’s?????

See this and other fabulous projects at the following link parties:

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