Difficulty
Beginner
Duration
Under 2 hours
Presented by Cara Newhart of Never Skip Brunch.
Grab a cup of cocoa and pull up a chair. Playing with your new Holiday Toppling Tower will soon be a new holiday tradition. Read on for the steps to make this fun family game just in time for the holidays.
Gather Materials
You will need a 2-inch x 2-inch board, eye screws and pliers. Decorate your Toppling Tower game with jingle bells and paint.
A topple tower game is made of 4 blocks X 4 blocks stacks of wood.
You will be cutting the 2-inch x 2-inch board down to create the topple pieces.
Although it’s called a 2-inch x 2-inch board, it is actually a 1 1/2-inch x 1 1/2-inch board. Use this number to calculate the length of your topple pieces in Step 2.
Measure and Cut
The height of your game depends on how many topple pieces you cut. Each row will consist of 4 pieces. The Topple Tower shown in this guide has 48 pieces. Calculate the length of the blocks using the measurement from Step 1. 1 1/2 inches x 4 inches = 6-inch long game blocks. Each game piece you cut will need to be 6 inches.
You can use a power saw or a miter box and hand saw. The miter box will hold the saw straight and vertical. It also provides a guard to keep little fingers out of the way. For a faster option, use a power miter saw. Clamp a block onto your saw as a guide. It will help you cut exact 6-inch long pieces.
Tip: If your little one is helping cut, place your hand gently on the top of the hand saw. This will keep it in the groove as they saw.
Sand and Paint the Ends
- Lightly sand the ends of each of the topple pieces. Use 100 or 220 grit sandpaper.
- Paint the ends of each piece with red or green acrylic paint. Use just one color per end for a festive look.
- Spray paint six special topple pieces in a gold metallic color.
Tip: Spray paint soaks into the wood. It keeps the surface smooth so it’s easier to pull the piece out.
Make the Jingle Bell Pieces
The six gold painted pieces will have a special jingle bell on each end. You’ll need 12 in all. Here’s how to make each jingle bell:
- Start by opening one of the screw eyes. Using a pair of pliers, grab the curved end without threads. Press it back away from the rest of the hook.
- Slide a jingle bell onto the open hook. Feed it through the top of the bell.
- Close the eye hook by using pliers. Twist the open end back in line with the rest of the hook. Squeeze to tighten if necessary.
Add Jingle Bells to Gold Game Pieces
Attach jingle bells to the ends of the six gold painted game pieces. This will make the game sound extra festive when it topples.
- Screw the threaded end of the eye hook into each end of the gold jingle blocks.
- Center it in the middle and twist till it’s super snug.
Stack the Topple Pieces
- Stack up the games pieces. Stack four game pieces evenly stacked on top of four other game pieces. Alternate the direction of the rows as you go.
- Count out pieces and create patterns with the red and green colored ends.
How to Play Toppling Tower
Once your Toppling Tower is all stacked, take turns trying to take a block out of the tower. A player can pull from anywhere except from the top. The first person to topple the tower loses and has to set up the next game.
This DIY Holiday Toppling Tower game is sure to bring the holiday cheer. You can play with standard topple rules or make up a few of your own. Try multiplayer topple where you count each piece as 2 points. Make the gold jingle blocks 5 points each. When the tower comes crashing down, add up the points to see who wins.
Ready to start the project? The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them.