Roll -Up Travel Backgammon Game

I am a lover of all games.  It isn’t very often that if asked to play a game I will say no. I remember learning how to play Backgammon (the Acey Deucey variation) 18 years ago with my soon-to-be mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law at a lake cabin in Michigan.  That weekend was my chance to get to know them and win them over.  At first, my mother-in-law thought I was bossy and talked about myself too much.  It was that weekend at the cabin I think I won her over. Still to this day she will say I am bossy, which is true, but hopefully I don’t talk about myself nearly as much as I did 18 years ago {giggle}

This roll-up backgammon game is perfect to stick in a beach bag and play at the pool, lake, beach or park.  Plus the game is easy enough for kids age 6 and up to play with you.  Or take it on a date night with a picnic blanket and enjoy a little friendly competition.

Supplies:

Drop cloth fabric or canvas

Sewing machine with white thread

Cereal boxes or cardboard to draw a template

Spray paint (I used Krylon Surf, Peekaboo Blue Ivy Leaf, Mambo Pink)

Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape

Ribbon or T-shirt yarn

Seam ripper

Exacto Knife

Disappearing Ink Pen

Rotary Cutter/Mat and Ruler

Cheap Plastic Poker Chips

4 dice

1.  Cut two pieces of drop cloth fabric.  Cut one 18†x 35†(top piece) and the other one 18†x 41†(bottom piece).

2.  Press the short side of the top piece under 1 1/2†(don’t sew)

3.  Press the short side of the bottom piece under 1/2†a sew close to the raw edge.

3.  Then press the bottom edge that you just sewed up 4†(right sides together).

4.  Put right sides of the fabric together matching up the other short edges on the opposite end.  Then overlap the 4†fold of the bottom piece over the top piece. This will allow you to sew pockets for the game pieces.

5.  Sew around the three edges.  Don’t sew the 4†folded edge.

6.  Clip corners and turn right side out.  Press.

7.  With a disappearing ink pen draw a line 1 3/8†from the flap and also down the center to create the pockets.  Sew on those lines.

8.  On the short edge with no pockets use a seam ripper to open up a little of the seam.  Tuck your ribbon or t-shirt yarn in 1/2†.  Then sew around all four edges of your backgammon board to finish it off and to catch the t-shirt yarn closure.

9.  Next download the triangle shape.  Cut out and trace it onto cardboard touching the triangle corners to each other.  Then cut out, with an exacto knife and straight edge, every other triangle.  I did three cut triangles but you could do more than that if you don’t want to move your cardboard as much.

10.  Next using painter’s tape, tape off the long edges of your board.  Line up your template 1/4†in the from the edge and tape in place making sure you cover the entire board so it doesn’t get any overspray on it. Optional: spray template with repositionable adhesive to hold in place.

11.  Spray your first color on.  It helps to spray about 5 light coats a minute apart.  Let it dry for a few minutes and then move your template and spray again.

12.  Once your first color is sprayed and dry, then move onto the second color.  I did one whole side first and then move onto the opposite side.

13.  While you are waiting between coats give 15 poker chips a spray with one color of spray paint (Krylon Mambo Pink) and another 15 chips a coat of another color of spray paint (Ivy Leaf).  Again a few light coats minutes a part is better than one thick coat.  Let dry and flip and spray the other side.

14.  Once your board is dry, draw a line with your disappearing ink in the center of your triangles. Run a tight zig zag stitch with your choice of thread color in the middle of the board.  This helps separate the board and make it easier to count when playing the game.

Tuck the pieces in their pocket along with a pair of dice.

Now roll it up and tie the ribbon or t-shirt yarn and it is ready to take to the beach.

The rules with this game is that the kiddos have to be outside to enjoy it.  A little vitamin D and fresh air is good for them.

We also brought it to the lake to play in the sand.

It was a nice way to unwind after being on the boat all day.

This project was completed in cooperation with Krylon’s Color of the Month.  Each month they feature a different color palette.  This month is the Narrate Palette pictures below) with a focus on the color Peekaboo Blue.  They asked me to create a nautical project using Peekaboo Blue and the backgammon game was what I came up with.