Classroom Hacks: Making Chess Sets Part One -- the game board

Happy Spring!

I've gotten a good many letters asking how to get inexpensive supplies to make chess sets. Here are some ideas, feel free to add in your own!

Chess is an ancient game, you can read more about it here.

This is the first in a three part series about Chess. Today you'll read about many ways to create the game board. Next up, the game pieces, and last some great ways to teach the whole class how to play. This is a skill they will keep all their lives and can be worked into almost every state's Mathematics standards. Learning to win and lose well are life lessons that go beyond Math Standards and your classroom.

Board Options.

Look around you. You'll be surprised how simple or how fancy you can make chess boards and pieces. I'll give you some ideas as a jumping off point, I'm sure you'll come up with a lot on your own!

Chipboard. I was able to get 25 of these 'boards' for the students. They were .53 each and with a class of 20, that was perfect! Paper Accents Chipboard 12x12 Extra Heavy Chip

Students can silkscreen, or simply paint, decoupage, or draw and color in the squares. I like to use one inch squares. You can see examples of boards here and here and here. Here is one way to draw a chess board if ou are familiar with Corel Draw.

Pizza Boxes-- ask a local pizza parlor to donate as many boxes as you need. Paint, glue or decoupage the board on top. This is nice because you can keep the pieces inside along with any guides you create for the students.

Canvas-- purchase "Duck Canvas" at a local fabric store, and cut into 12.5X2.5 squares for the students. Again they can paint, silkscreen, draw the board.

Fabric - I found some great woven fabric just perfect for this craft. Look in your local fabric shop, this is some black and white check I found. Do NOT get gingham, it has three colors. You can cut this to the correct size, then use decoupage medium on the chipboard or cardboard.

Nutmeg's Chess Board I used a combination of canvas and two fabrics to create these soft fabric boards. I used the canvas as interfacing to give it more weight.

You might be able to find "black and white racing checks" oilcloth. That would be thicker and more friendly to this project for those not wanting to sew a class set of boards.

Cardboard - ask for donations of large cardboard boxes or old cereal boxes. This is a great way to emphasize recycling.

Tag or board. If you can get large tag board, you might be able to make copies or take to a copy center

Manila folders Copy a board template, then have the students glue to the inside of a file folder. Then can fold the board when not in use. If you can laminate the board that might be good so long as the pieces have something on them, or weight so they don't slide around.

For further inspiration before the next installment, check out Make: