Make Your Own Ball and Cup Game

Old Fashioned games and toys never go out of style. The best toys are those that can stand the test of time and these ball and cup games are one of our favorites. Pre-made wood pieces from the craft store make them fast and easy to make by the handful. These are a wonderful holiday gift!

Materials:

Pre-made wood cups (I used mini flower pots)

Wooden dowel rods

Wooden Ball Knobs that will fit inside the cups

Soft Polyester cord or string

Paint and spray sealer

Side cutters or hand saw

Paint brushes

Pencil sharpener

Wood glue

Staple gun

NOTE: When shopping for your wood pieces, look for cups with a hole in the bottom. If you can't find them, you will have to drill your own holes in the bottom. In either case, your dowel rod will need to fit tightly inside of the hole. Check your drill bit sizes or the cup's hole size to determine the size of dowel rod you will need.

Step 1: Cut the dowel rod to the desired size with side cutters or a small hand saw. Coat one end of the dowel rod with wood glue and insert it into the hole in the bottom of the cup. Let dry. Shape the other end of the dowel with a pencil sharpener. Do not sharpen to a point.

Step 2: Paint the ball knob and let dry. I usually go with 2 coats of paint. A great way to let it dry is to stick a toothpick into layers of a foam (break a foam plate in 3 pieces and layer them), then place the ball knob on top of the toothpick.

Step 3: Paint the cup/handle and let dry. Spray cup/handle and ball knob with sealer and let dry 24 hours.

Step 4: Cut a 8-12 inch long piece of cord. Push one end of the cord into the hole of the ball knob with a toothpick and fill the hole with wood glue. Let dry.

Step 5: Fold over about 1/2 inch of the loose end of the cord and using a staple gun, staple the folded end of the cord to the bottom of the cup. Folding the cord will give it more stability. You can also glue this end down after stapling.