DIY Craft for Kids-Travel Game

This is an EASY & FUN UPCYCLED DIY Craft for Kids! An art project that is just perfect for KIDS! It can be used as a grade school/homeschool art project or just as a fun KID’S creation that they get to make and play with after!

Upcycle Art – Using What You Already Have

Today, I will show you how your kids can make this cool, fun Tic Tac Toe game project by upcycling items you may already have on hand.

I am a homeschool Mom, owner of a second-hand kid’s store, and a lover of upcycled art and creative ways to reuse discarded items. Not only is “Upcycled Art” a unit for us each year but it’s a way of life for us here at home.

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I appreciate this kind of project because they allow kids to be creative in their designs & cost nothing to make. Plus KIDS tend to enjoy using something they handmade themselves. So it’s a WIN-WIN all around!

We love to Repurpose, Restore and Upcycle items & always try using what we have on hand first, before buying. Stick around Creative DIY Purpose for more KIDS projects to come (& for Moms, too!) I hope our ideas may even “spark” your own project creations!

MATERIALS for this DIY Craft for Kids

10 bottle caps* (we used clear ones & painted them) you could use 2 different colored caps and just use a sharpie to mark X’s & O’s
Acrylic paint (we mixed half acrylic and half fabric paint for a thicker consistency) This is the paint set that I always try to have on hand because it can be used in a variety of projects
Any solid color piece of clothing or fabric scraps (we used a flawed toddler t-shirt) for the game board bag

TOOLS for this DIY Craft for Kids

Sewing supplies or hot glue to make a game board travel bag (I used a multi-temp glue gun)
String for the game bags drawstring (You may use velcro or just fold over with a clothing pin if you prefer not to have a string for safety)
Permanent marker (Sharpie is the brand we tend to see the best results and quality)
Piece of cardboard or parchment paper to slip inside the bag when painting
Paintbrush
OPTIONAL Mod Podge and low grit sandpaper
Paint adheres better with less chance of chipping off the caps by using low grit sandpaper prior to painting OR apply a thin coat of Mod Podge after the paint dries

How to Assemble the Game Bag

Cut your fabric to the desired size. Turn your fabric inside out (use an iron to fold over and mark your edges to make assembly easier)
Sew or hot glue your fabric on the bottom and both sides, to create a bag
Turn your bag right side out. Fold over the top edges, iron, and pin your drawstring under the fold
Sew or hot glue the top edge over, leaving a gap on the side for your drawstring
Be sure to allow enough space to “cinch” the bag with your drawstring and tie.

Helpful Tip

On the opposite side of the bag sew or glue the drawstring in place so if a child pulls too hard it will still stay in place

Get Creative with this DIY Craft for Kids

Let your child paint the bag in any color or design they choose
We used acrylic paint which did stiffen the soft cotton shirt we used for the fabric. It turned out the perfect texture for a game board!
After the bag has dried overnight you can mark the game board lines with chalk and let your child use fabric paint over them. (or use a permanent marker)

TIME TO CREATE YOUR GAME PIECES

For your game pieces just lightly sand your bottle caps. Apply paint let dry then let them write the Xs & O’s to the caps. Let sit overnight to dry.

You can apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to prevent scratches or paint peeling on your pieces.

PICK UP, STORE & GO!

Game pieces store easily inside the cinched storage bag! Perfect for travel or use as a boredom buster!

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Shop Our Favorite CRAFT & DIY Supplies for KIDS!

Here are our FAVORITE art & craft supplies for KIDS! They have been KID tested & Mom approved! These items will be used in countless craft and DIY projects that we will be sharing with you! I have added the shopping links to the products below so you can have these items on hand as well!

Paint

Tulip Dimensional Fabric Paint (extra bottles of white for the look of icing)
Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint by Plaid (even though it’s very inexpensive we have never had a problem with coverage or paint drying out.
Kassa Watercolor Set – Painting Kit for Kids & Adults – Bundle Includes Water Brush Pen (3 Assorted Sizes), Water Color Paper (30 Sheets) & Watercolor Paint Set (21 Colors) – I can not say enough about the quality of this set – and it is mess-free!

Clay

4. Sculpey Polymer Clay – I could do an entire post just on the different things my kids create each week with this amazing clay!
5. Air Dry Clay by DAS– This is the easiest to work with brand that we have found. Both the kids & I use this brand in a variety of projects.

Markers & Pens

6. Permanent Sharpie Markers – Of course, for younger kids, these need supervision or you may find permanent artwork on places you’d prefer not to. There are some art projects that welcome a non-smearing or fading marker & these fit the bill! 30 colors of Sharpies
7. Chalk Markers by Kassa – The colors are vibrant & go on smooth! We love using these vs regular chalk, less dust & sticks to surfaces better.
8. Arteza Gel Pens (metallic) – Love this brand for all kinds of gel pens! They seem to not “smudge” like other brands. You can buy replacement cartridges so it is less waste & saves money!

Glue & Sealer

9. Mod Podge Water-based Sealer, Glue & Decoupage Finis (gloss version) & (matte version). They have a variety of different kinds of sealers depending on your project needs.
10. Gorilla Dual Temp Glue Gun – Parent supervision for younger kids. We like this brand for a smaller glue gun – this set even comes with the sticks!