Fall Checkers

CUTE AS DECOR, FUN AS A GAME

KILEY CRUSE, THE WORLD-HERALD

KILEY CRUSE

World-Herald Sta Writer

When hosting a gathering this fall — whether it’s a Halloween party, football watch party or just hanging around the repit — an oversized checkers game can help entertain young and old alike.

For a fun fall spin, we replaced the checkers with mini pumpkins on our fall-colored board.

Don’t have tools to cut a piece of wood? Area hardware stores sell precut 24-inch square pieces of wood in different thicknesses.

OVERSIZED CHECKERS

• Square piece of wood • Pencil • Ruler • Paint, in two colors • Paintbrush • Sandpaper

1. Sand any rough edges on the board. 2. You’ll need to decide if you want a border around the edge of the board or if you just want the 64 squares. 3. If adding a border, use the ruler to lightly mark all the way around the board. 4. Measure space inside the border (or full width of the board) and divide by 8. This will be how large your individual squares are. For example, a 24-inch board with a 1-inch border leaves 22 inches inside the border. Divide 22 by 8 and you get 2.75. Using your ruler, make marks every 2.75 inches inside your border. Use the ruler to connect the marks and draw lines to make 64 small squares. 5. Paint every other square one color. Allow it to dry. Paint the remaining squares the second color. Allow it to dry. Then paint the border. 6. Add checkers or whatever fun item you want to use in place of checkers.

kiley.cruse@owh.com; 402-444-1375