How to Make Useful Household Items from Old and Used Board Games

Shawn Davison
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read

Don’t throw out your old and worn out board games. Instead, use these simple DIY ideas to turn them into useful household items like a purse, picture frame and clock.

Don’t know what to do with your old and used board games? What should you do with those board games with missing pieces? Throwing them out with other home waste is an obvious idea. No matter how sentimentally you are attached to your board games, you might find it practical to not keep them in your home anymore.

Have you ever thought of turning them into beautiful craft pieces?

You can repurpose them into cool crafts that will not only look unique, but also come in handy. You can make purses of them or beautiful shelves. So don’t throw them out just yet. Instead, use your creativity to repurpose them so that the game can be used in a new way.

We have rounded up some cool ways to get the maximum use out of your old and worn out board games.

Game Board Purses:

Making a purse out of your old and used board games is very easy and it will look unique and add to your style. At least, it can be used to store stationery, sewing needles, buttons or other household item. All you need to do is bend the board in half and then add the sides and handles.

To make it more durable you can cover it with a plastic cling.

Board Game Shelves:

It will take only few minutes to turn a worn out board game into decorative shelves. You generally just have to attach L brackets to the back of the board and then put it up on the wall. These cool board game shelves can be used to hold photos or decorative pieces. We think it is an amazing idea for your child’s room.

Signs:

Scrabble

Don’t throw out your old scrabble tiles. Instead, use them to make the signs or messages. They can be used on mantels during the Holidays or throughout the year. Whether you make a cool label or want to explore your creativity, Scrabble tiles is an affordable and great DIY idea.

Chess Piece for Wine Stoppers:

Chess Piece

Looking for stoppers for your wine? Why not use your “king” and “horse” for that? We are talking about the peices of your chess board. They are not only functional to close your bottles, but look amazing. Just attach a cork with some strong glue.

Scrabble Board Picture Frames:

You already know how to repurpose the tiles but next try to repurpose the board. What about turning them into a cool picture frame? Just cut out the spots and glue your photos to them. You can use scrabble tile to name the moment.

It is really a simple DIY project and can be an awesome gift for birthdays and holidays.

Chinese Checkers Clock:

You can make a lovely wall clock out of your worn out Chinese checkers set. Cut the board into round shape or square shape. Add a dial from back and secure it with a duct tape. The hands of the clock should be in the front. You can decorate it with sequins or attach something unique to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Make sure not to go overboard with the decorations, let the uniqueness of the game board shine through. Also, make sure you are able to distinguish the hands from the background.

Bottom Line:

You can bring your board games to new life again. There are many more ideas to re-purpose your board games. Check out YouTube or explore Pinterest for more inspiration.

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Shawn Davison is co-owner of Level One Game Shop . Level One is a small game store devoted to board, tabletop, and card games located in Kansas City.

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