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How To Create Your Own Board Game
Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS3 with Windows 7.
It's really easy to create your own board game using ScrapSimple Craft Templates: 8.5 x 11 Game Board - Curve. In this tutorial, I will show you how to make a fun Christmas Cookie themed game, perfect for the holidays or for gift giving.
In addition to the ScrapSimple Template, you will also need these additional supplies:
- Printer
- Paper
- Craft knife or scissors
- Glue, double-sided tape, or other adhesive
- Cardboard (if desired)
- Laminate or clear contact paper (if desired)
Begin this project by determining a theme for your game. Be creative! This template fits on 8.5x11 inch paper for the ease of printing at home. Perhaps, you have an old game board that you want to recycle into this new project. Feel free to adjust the size to fit your needs. You may prefer to use existing game pieces in addition to the template. You may want to use the card template and the spinner template or choose only one to allow progress in the game. Customize it to fit your needs. The only limit is your imagination!
Note: Please be sure to make your game age appropriate, and do not make small game parts for children under the age of three, as they could cause a choking hazard.
Open the PSD file "AMC_SSCraft_GameBoard_Curve_Board." Layer papers over each "blocks" layer. Use a clipping mask (Ctrl+G or Ctrl+Alt+G) to trim the paper to the shape of the blocks layer.
Continue to fill the layers with papers or colors. You may need to adjust the scale of the pattern to fit. This example uses papers from the Cookie Swap Collection and the Happy Christmas Collection Biggie. Don't forget to add a fun background!
Next, add objects to some of the block spaces. These will be the spaces that the players will advance or move back to when that particular object card is drawn. In this example, cookie embellishments and jars from the Cookie Swap Collection and candies from the Assemble Your Own: Gingerbread House have been placed on the lighter spaces.
Add any desired text, such as Start, Finish, Go Back, Lose a Turn, Jump Ahead, etc., on the game path blocks. In this example, the placement of the path was adjusted in order to fit the gingerbread house at the end.
The title is created from the Cookie Swap Collection word art and alpha. Add some additional background interest, in this case sprinkles and cookie shapes from Assemble Your Own: Christmas Cookies, Assemble Your Own: Gingerbread Man and the Cookie Swap Collection.
Once you have completed the game board, print the file. Make sure to select "landscape" mode and "borderless" if that is an option with your printer. You might want to also print a background for the reverse side of the board. To create a stiffer game board, adhere it to poster board or other cardboard with glue, tape or adhesive. Laminate the game board if desired.
To create the cards, open the PSD card file and, as with the game board, layer papers over the various blocks by using the clipping mask technique. This example uses papers from the Cookie Swap Collection.
Add any desired text, such as game progress movement (move ahead two spaces or lose a turn, for example.) Be creative with your wording on the cards by giving instructions that relate to your theme. For example, for this Christmas cookie themed game, a fun instruction card might read, "Spilled the Sprinkles! Move Back 2 Spaces" or "Best Cookies Ever! Move ahead 3 Spaces." Make sure to include the registration marks layer if you are going to trim the cards by hand. This example uses the same embellishment images as the game board and Lettering Delights Hoopla Font.
Create a reverse side for the cards using the same technique. You might want to add the game title as well. Personalize it to fit your needs, creating as many sheets of cards as desired.
After you have completed the cards, print the files. One option is to print the cards onto printable business card paper. It is possible to print double-sided, but it can be tricky. Not all printers align the same, so be sure to do a test print. You can also print the cards on heavy cardstock. Trim them along the registration marks. If you did not print double-sided, adhere the reverse side to the cards and trim away any excess.
Next, create the game piece markers by opening the PSD file and layering papers of your choice. These papers are from the Cookie Swap Collection.
Create different images as icons for the player piece markers. These were made from Assemble Your Own: Gingerbread Man. Duplicate and rotate each item 180 degrees and place on the top portion of each corresponding marker. This will create the same image on both sides of the player piece.
Print, score along dotted lines and trim the edges along the solid lines. Make sure to select "landscape" mode. Assemble the player piece markers by folding along the center score line. Create the base of the player piece by overlapping and attaching the bottom folds together (either with glue, double-stick tape or other adhesive.) When complete, it should resemble a triangle with the sides open.
Make sure to create a set of rules to follow. You can keep all of the game components in a zippered pouch or file folder.
Game on! Have fun and enjoy!
Project by Amanda McGee
larger view
Tutorial written by Amanda McGee
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