Bet on this craft for simplicity and fun

In this week’s Craft Corner, we’ll tell you how to make personalized dice and a six-sided puzzle using small wooden blocks. We’ll also share instructions for a fun game to play with the dice.

You can purchase small wooden blocks at most craft stores, either by the piece or in packages. We found a package of 15 1-inch blocks for about $3 at Michael’s in Everett.

Be aware up front that the blocks aren’t 100 percent even, so your puzzle will be a little off no matter how hard you try. We mention this for the benefit of the perfectionists among us who go a little mad when things aren’t just right – sometimes you just have to let it go.

To make the puzzle, select nine blocks that fit together as well as possible, along with six pictures that will fit on the square surface formed when the blocks are placed together in three rows of three. In other words, six 3-by-3-inch pictures.

We used some nature and children’s note cards that we’ve had stashed away for a while, but you can also use favorite photos (cut to size), magazine photos or, if you’re artistic and ambitious, you can draw or paint your own designs.

Once your pictures are selected, cut each one into nine 1-by-1-inch pieces, then glue each piece onto a block so that the picture can be reassembled when the blocks are placed together. Do this with each of the six pictures, as you have six sides on each block to cover.

Press the pieces in place firmly and smooth them out well to avoid bumps and bubbles.

Since the picture pieces won’t match up exactly, outline each one with a black marker or black paint. We ended up being a bit heavy-handed on the black outline, so you might want to use a bit more restraint when making your puzzle.

Again, you may have to finesse the blocks and pictures quite a bit to compensate for uneven sides, so be patient and don’t beat yourself up if the finished product is slightly less than perfect.

When the glue and paint or marker lines are dry, cover each block with a layer of decoupage medium to protect the picture.

We know that many kids have electronic games and other state-of-the-art attention keepers to take along on trips these days, but this little puzzle makes a great take-along toy for trips. Pop the pieces in a plastic sandwich bag and you’re good to go.

To make our personalized dice, you’ll need two 1-inch wooden blocks and small rub-ons, little stick-on designs that come on a sheet and are applied by rubbing the wrong side with a flat stick until the design adheres to a chosen surface – in this case, the wooden blocks.

Choose a sheet of designs that will give you two sets of six different designs (we used a sheet of stars and another of bees and ladybugs), then apply the rub-ons to each of the six sides so that the dice are identical.

When the designs are applied, finish with a layer of decoupage medium to seal.

You can paint the wooden blocks before applying the rub-ons if desired, or leave them with the wooden finish.

The Dice Game

One of the high points of the Thanksgiving celebration at the home of our good friends Joe and Carol is the Dice Game.

It’s a rousing finish to the day’s festivities, in which 10 to 15 revelers gather around a large table and roll the dice for presents.

Each person who comes for dinner brings a gag – or serious – gift or two (wrapped) and the presents are placed in the middle of the table.

A timer is set for a predetermined number of minutes (it usually depends on the number of people and presents), and a pair of dice is rolled by each guest at the table, then passed to the next (on the left).

If a player rolls doubles, he or she gets to choose a gift and roll the dice again. Players must unwrap their gifts and display them on the table for all to see. You’ll understand why later.

This continues until all the presents are collected; the time is extended if necessary.

If all of the presents are snagged before the time is up, the real fun begins, because each player who rolls doubles can then steal a gift from someone else, and all-out war can break out as the good stuff gets passed back and forth several times before the final bell tolls.

Contact Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com.

What you’ll need