"Anything you can do, I can do better..." We all know how the song goes. My boyfriend and I like to play beer pong, and I wanted a cuter way to keep score than just a post-it. This is an easy-to-do, lazy afternoon project for those of you with a bit of a competitive streak.
This is easily customizable for whatever you want to keep score of, be it football games, family game night, or even chores! I used old beer bottle tops as my tally marks, but there are endless ways to tally the score.
Supplies Needed:
-Cork Board
-Spray Paint
-Craft Paint
-Paint Brush
-Letters/Phrases (I used my cricut machine)
*You can also buy sticky letters from your craft supply store, print them out, or cut them out yourself
-Scissors
-Mod Podge (gloss or flat, it doesn't really matter)
-Tacks
-Hot glue gun
-Something for your tally marks (bottle caps, buttons, cardboard circles, etc...)
Step 1
Spray paint cork board. It doesn't matter if you get it on the borders; you will be painting over those later. Be sure to get the creases along the borders.
Step 2
Once the spray paint dries, use craft paint to paint the wooden borders of the cork board. Multiple coats always make the finished job look better. Don't skip on seemingly minute first steps because you're in a hurry to finish. You'll be happier with the finished product if you take your time from beginning to end.
*Be sure to paint all visible edges around the top, bottom, and sides. It will look sloppy if you don't.
Step 3
While your paint is drying, get your letters ready to spell out your phrase. My letters were cut using the Cricut machine, but there are many other ways to get clean looking letters. For example, you can buy letters with sticky backs at a craft store or simply print and cut out letters.
Step 4
Arrange your letters, and glue them to a solid background to make them pop. I use the Martha Stewart ballpoint tip glue pen for these small lines. This saves me from having visible glue residue and also from the dreaded sticky hands that inevitably results from glue sticks.
Step 5
Using a paint brush, mod podge your phrase. This will give your words a solid, sturdy look without the shiny glare that results from laminating. You'll want to cover the entire surface evenly, because it can slightly change the color of your paper. Don't be freaked out when it looks like you put too much on. As long as there aren't large gobs of glue, it will all dry clear.
Step 6
Now it's time to attach the phrases. First, play around with how you would like the words to be positioned. Then, paint the borders of the cork board with mod podge, set the words in place and press firmly. Make sure you line the entire border of the board so it has the same finish all the way around. After that, go over the words once more with the mod podge to ensure the edges of the paper don't pop up.
Step 7
Now let's put the names of the opposing people (or teams) on the board. Mine is divided into two sections, but you can do as many as you want. You also don't have to personalize it...your board can simply be "home" vs. "visitor." Use a ruler to divide the board accordingly. A sharpie run along the ruler two or three times will work just fine for the divider (don't mess with anything more complicated than that).
(The letters I used are from hobby lobby, you can write your names however you want.)
Step 8
Last, but not least, the tally marks. Since mine is a beer pong score board, I used beer bottle tops. This part is really easy. Just hot glue thumb tacks to the back of the bottle tops, wait for them to dry, then add to the board as you dominate your opponent!
The score is tied! For now...
