Make tic-tac-toe with plastic caps
Make a reusable tic tac toe game using cardboard and colorful plastic bottle caps, design the grid, decorate pieces, and play strategic rounds.
Step-by-step guide to make a reusable tic-tac-toe game with plastic caps
Step 1
Gather all your materials and bring them to a clear flat workspace.
Step 2
Use the ruler and pencil to draw a square about 20 cm across and divide it into a 3 by 3 grid with equal squares.
Step 3
Cut out the square board carefully along the pencil line with scissors.
Step 4
Decorate the board with colouring materials and stickers to make it bright and fun.
Step 5
Choose 10 plastic caps and split them into two sets of five for the two players.
Step 6
Decorate one set of caps with X marks and the other set with O marks using markers or stickers.
Step 7
Put a small piece of double-sided tape or a tiny dab of glue under each cap so they stay in place during play.
Step 8
Place the board on a flat surface and have each player pick one set of decorated caps.
Step 9
Take turns placing one cap per turn on the grid trying to get three in a row horizontally vertically or diagonally.
Step 10
Play several rounds switching who goes first and try different strategies to win more games.
Step 11
Share your finished reusable tic-tac-toe game on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use instead of double-sided tape or plastic caps if they're hard to find?
If you don't have double-sided tape use reusable sticky putty or small pieces of poster putty under each cap (step 6), and if you can't get plastic bottle caps use coins, pom-poms, or cut cardboard circles for the 10 game pieces.
My grid lines aren't even or the board is floppy — how can I fix that?
Use a ruler or the edge of a book as a straightedge when drawing the 20 cm square and 3×3 divisions (step 2), and glue the paper onto a piece of cardboard before cutting (step 3) to create a sturdier, flat board.
How can I adapt this activity for different ages?
For younger children make larger squares and use pre-decorated stickers for X and O to avoid fine motor steps (steps 2–6), while older kids can precisely measure the 20 cm square, cut the board from thin wood, or run a mini tournament to practice strategy (steps 2, 3, 9).
How can we personalize or improve the reusable tic-tac-toe game?
Decorate and protect the board with waterproof paint or laminate after step 4, swap the tape for small round Velcro dots under each cap for stronger hold (step 6), and post your finished set on DIY.org (step 10) to show your design.
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Facts about recycled crafts for kids
♟️ A simple winning tip: controlling the center square gives you the best chance to win, so grab it when you can!
♻️ Bottle caps are often made from polypropylene (PP), different from many bottles, so repurposing caps is a smart upcycling move.
📦 Cardboard is lightweight, easy to cut and decorate, and one of the most craft-friendly recycled materials.
🎯 With perfect play, tic-tac-toe always ends in a draw — try creative rules to make it trickier!
🎨 You can personalize caps with stickers, paint, or permanent markers to make each game piece unique and colorful.
How do I make a reusable tic-tac-toe game with cardboard and plastic bottle caps?
What materials do I need to make a reusable tic-tac-toe game using plastic caps?
What ages is this cardboard and bottle cap tic-tac-toe suitable for?
What are the benefits of making a tic-tac-toe game with recycled bottle caps?
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