DIY Giant Wall Tic Tac Toe Tutorial
A few weeks back I started on a project in my basement to add some fun to an otherwise blank wall: a DIY giant wall tic tac toe game!
This summer I made it my mission to turn my basement into a fun, but stylish zone that the kids and their friends could play in year round. That included a DIY Wooden Mini Basketball Hoop project and this DIY giant wall tic tac toe game.
This is the perfect game for siblings and friends of all ages – just be sure to have a step stool nearby so they can reach. It’ll keep them entertained for hours and it’ll be perfect for when the cold winter months set in and no one wants to play outside. Let’s get into the tutorial!
Supplies:
White oak boards
Washers – Hardware Store
Magnets
Pottery Barn leather placemats
Black paint – Hardware Store
DIY Giant Wall Tic Tac Toe Tutorial
Step 1
I started by cutting down all of my x pieces. They are 1×1 oak pieces measuring 15 inches long.
Step 2
I always say you learn by doing, so for this project I learned how to use my depth gauge on my saw! I set it so the blade would automatically stop at a certain depth in my wood. Once all of the single pieces were cut, I set the depth gauge on my saw to ¾” and sliced out a 1½” section in the middle of each piece. I made a bunch of little cuts in a row to eventually clear out the section of wood I marked out. Then I sanded the inside down so it was smooth. This is to be able to fit the pieces together to make them x’s.
If you wanted them to fit flush together, you’d notch out of each one. But I wanted mine to have dimension so only doing one worked for me!
Step 3
Assemble your x’s! I used wood glue and giant bolts to finish off my x’s and to add a decorative element. I love how it turned out! Originally I was going to stain half of my x to give them a two tone effect, but I tested it and didn’t like the way it turned out. If you want to stain yours, I would do it before assembling them.
Step 4
Paint your lines! I shared to Instagram that I was painting black lines on my freshly installed, freshly painted brick and people started freaking out. But it’s just paint! I knew I could paint over it any time. So I used my laser level to project straight lines onto my new brick wall and free handed the lines with black paint. I wanted them to have a drawn on look.
This is a DIY giant wall tic tac toe, so keep in mind it can be as big as you want it to be!
Step 5
Add your adhesive of choice to your x’s and o’s. For my o’s I used leather placemats because I didn’t want to build them. I love the different colors and textures it adds to the design.
In the Instagram reel I made, you’ll see that I originally used industrial velcro to get the x’s and o’x to stick to the wall. And that worked for a little bit, but unfortunately the velcro didn’t hold the x’s up for very long, so I need a new solution.
I tried magnetic paint, but that wasn’t strong enough either. So then I decided to drill into the masonry and attach washers to the wall. I applied magnets on the back of the x’s and o’s so they’d stick to the washers, and it worked!
Watch me in action in this Instagram Reel!
The best part of this project for me was coming down stairs the next day and seeing the kids playing this giant DIY giant wall tic tac toe. I love that they’re enjoying it and using it already and I can’t wait to see how much fun they have with it in the winter.
Stay tuned for next week where I share my full basement update reveal!
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