If you’re a fan of the classic Scrabble board game, we have just the thing to help you take your outdoor fun to the next level.
Creating your own outdoor version of Scrabble is a great way to get the kids engaged with this age-old favourite. Plus, there’s even some parts of the DIY process they can get involved in!
When it comes to making your very own scrabble tiles and board, you can add some personality to it with paint and the materials you choose.
And the best part? Even if the weather does take a turn, you can bring your game of Scrabble inside and continue the fun.
Let’s get started with what you’ll need…
Materials
- Plywood for DIY scrabble board
- Tiles for scrabble letters (you’ll need enough Mosaic tile sheets for 100 letters)
- Marker pen or letter stickers
- Pencil
- 5 x different paint colours
- Drill bits
- Screws
- Wood for tile holders (2 pieces per holder)
- Sandpaper
Tools
Plan DIY scrabble board
First, using a ruler, sketch your Scrabble board. The traditional board is 15 x 15 squares, so make sure your wooden base board is larger than 15 x 15 of the tiles you plan to use – as you’ll need to have a slight border around it.
Mark out and paint your base board squares
Search online or use your traditional set as a guide, to mark out which squares on your DIY Scrabble board will need to be filled in.
You can use any paint colours you like – just remember that to get the ‘Scrabble-board effect’, you’ll need five different colours of base squares.
Once you’ve marked your squares, start painting. It’s a good idea to paint the same-coloured squares all at once – and then move onto the next colour while you wait for them.
If possible, paint outside or in a well-ventilated space.
Top tip: Instead of using full sized paint cans, sample paint pots will be perfect for this.
Create your DIY scrabble tiles
Now the board is finished, you can start on the actual Scrabble letters.
The easiest way to make Scrabble tiles, is to buy sheets of pre-made square Mosaic tiles and cut them out one by one using scissors. Or, if you are going down the DIY Scrabble tile route, cutting wood pieces is probably best.
You’ll need to mark out the size of your squares on your chosen piece of wood and use an electric saw to cut them out. Then, sand down your squares to ensure they are smooth.
Top tip: If you do opt for the DIY method, wear eye protection and know how to use your saw safely.
Add on your letters
The English edition of Scrabble traditionally has 100 letters.
Depending on the material of your DIY Scrabble tiles – choose a suitable marker pen, black paint or pre-made stickers, to add the relevant letters and numbers onto each tile.
- 2 blank tiles (score 0 points)
- 1 point: E x 12, A x 9, I x 9, O x 8, N x 6, R x 6, T x 6, L x 4, S x 4, U x 4
- 2 points: D x 4, G x 3
- 3 points: B x 2, C x 2, M x 2, P x 2
- 4 points: F x 2, H x 2, V x 2, W x 2, Y x 2
- 5 points: K x 1
- 8 points : J x 1, X x 1
- 10 points : Q x 1, Z x 1
Top tip: You may want a hand doing this, to keep track of how many tiles you’ve created.
Create your tile holders
Finally, set the scene with a tile holder for each of your 4 players.
You’ll need two thin planks of wood for each holder, that are a few centimetres longer than seven of your letter tiles. Remember, each member will always have seven Scrabble tiles to play with and you don’t want them sliding off!
Hold your wood planks into position so one becomes the base, and one becomes the back that the tiles will rest on. Then, use a thin strip of wood glue to hold them in place. Once they’re glued together, use a drill to fully secure the pieces of wood.
Sand down your new DIY Scrabble tile holder and paint it any colour you choose.
Time to play!
And there you have it. Now it’s time to get into the garden and deal out those letter tiles.
That’s your DIY scrabble board complete. Don’t forget to upload a photo of your new board and tiles to social media and tag us @homebase_uk.
