Checkerboards for Shoeboxes

By now, you know that I'm always looking for things for shoeboxes. I had seen several tic-tac-toe boards made out of felt so I decided that I could put a checkerboard on the other side.

Materials needed:
Felt rectangle for each one
Sharpie
Ruler
Scissors

The felt rectangles that I've seen are all 9 x 12". You can also buy felt by the yard but I've not done that. The felt costs 25 cents to 29 cents per piece.
Measure and cut the rectangle to be a 9" square.
Measure 1/2" from each side and use the sharpie and ruler to draw a border all the way around.
Measure across from inside each border at 1" intervals. Draw lines across.

Turn the felt square a quarter turn and mark the 1" intervals going across the other direction to make 1" squares on the felt. You will have 8 squares by 8 squares.

Next, draw diagonal lines with the sharpie in every other square, alternating on each line to make a checkerboard pattern on the complete sheet of felt.

Next, with the sharpie, draw diagonal lines the opposite direction on top of the first lines.

Complete the checkerboard. On the opposite side, draw a simple tic-tac-toe board, 3 squares across.

For the game pieces, cut circles out of the extra felt  that you cut off to make the board square. You need 12 circles or 2 different colors for the checkerboard. You can use the same circles for the tic-tac-toe board. If you are only doing the t-t-t, you need 5 of each color. 

Or you can use small bottle caps or lids for game pieces.

Ok, so here is another inexpensive items to put in your Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes! Start making the now so that you can fill more boxes for more children. National Collection Week is the 3rd week in November, the week before Thanksgiving.