Family Scrabble Picture

I really like crafting.  Did you know that?  I mean, I really like crafting.

But unfortunately, I didn't do many handmade gifts this Christmas.  Maybe next year (or this year?), but November and December were just way too busy to try and get much done in the crafting department.

I did get one handmade gift in.  I loved doing this!  It turned out just like I had hoped, and I think the recipients liked it, too.

I was able to get 12 grandkids' names and a few extra words fit.  Limited places if there are any more kids born.  {Keep that in mind Melissa.}

The project took two games to complete because of the letters needed.  The frame is a simple shadow box purchased from Joann's Fabrics and Crafts.  Letters are hot glued onto the board and then the board is hot glued onto the back ground of the frame.  Very simple construction.

TIP 1:  When purchasing a second set of letters or a whole game, make sure the tiles are the same.  Mixing tiles from an older game and newer game will be glaringly evident.  Not a pretty finished product.

TIP 2:  When using hot glue, place the glue no the back of the letter tiles and not on the board.  This will help eliminate the strings of glue on your finished project.  You could also use wood glue, rubber cement, or something similar.

TIP 3:  Shop around for games and tiles.  I found my second game at a local thrift store.  If you prefer, extra tiles by themselves can be purchased through Amazon.com.  (See Tip 1 when making purchase.)

TIP 4:  Be prepared to play around a little with the word placement when doing this project.  It helps to get all your words planned, make sure you have enough tiles for all the words you want, and then start placing them on the board.

TIP 5- Walk away.  Seriously.  There are going to be times when it gets really frustrating.  You will have several words or just that ONE LAST WORD that won't fit anywhere.  This is the perfect time to take a 10 minute break.  It's amazing what new ideas will come about after a coffee or snack break.

The projects using this game fascinate me for some reason.  I have several projects pinned with the Scrabble game theme just waiting for me to find the time to do them.  One day.....

Scrabble Remix

I would love to claim this idea as mine, but I can't.  However, they say imitation is the best form of flattery, right?

My sister gave this to my parents this year for Christmas.

It has all 16 grandkids' names on the game play area and the initials of us kids and our spouses on the side.  I absolutely fell in love with it and decided to make one for my own home!

There was quite a bit of trial and error.  I had to order more tiles off Amazon.com to have enough of the letters I needed, too.  Did you know there are only 2 'V's in a game set?  I managed to use 3 on our board.  I also needed more 'L's, 'S's, 'M's and 'K's.  Spreading everything out on a flat surface and playing around with words and configurations really helped.

I didn't have as many names to work with as my sister, but I was able to fill our board pretty well.  Seven names and a few extra words later, I have my very own board completed.

What do ya think?  I'm so pleased with the results!  Of course, while working on this for our family, I had so many ideas about other themes:

Wedding present - marriage, love, commitment, bride, groom, names, God, faith....
Baby boy - name, date, blessing, gift, love, dirt, trucks, snakes, snails, puppy tails...
Baby girl - name, date, blessing, gift, frills, lace, sugar, spice....
Also, sports, cars, just about any interest.  You could even just have a mock game set up for a game room.  So many ways to do this.  With or without a board, too.

I attached all the letter tiles to the board with rubber cement.  Whatever glue you choose, make sure you don't put on too much.  Don't want it squishing out the sides.  The black background in the shadow box  is fabric, so I was able to use velcro to stabilize the board and the tile holders.  Over all the project is quite easy.  The hardest part was figuring out which words to use.


~~Don't forget the February Special from Shaklee!!~~