I was recently shopping and found board game books that have a pattern on them! Usually they are a solid color so I was really excited to see these! Unfortunately, they don’t come in the colors I like and are only available in store in a few game varieties. So I figured I’d go thrift shopping to see if I could find everything I needed to create these patterned board game books!

Please note, this is sponsored conversation by the thrift store Deseret Industries. The opinions and text are all mine.

diy patterned board game books

Here’s another look at the patterned board game books that I found. Super cute! But since they’re limited in their colors and game titles, I thought I’d share how to make these yourself! Want to make your own version with me? I’ll have the tutorial below.

Deseret industries

If you’re in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, California, Oregon, or Washington- please do yourself a favor and check out Deseret Industries– they’re my favorite thrift store! You can check if there’s a location near you here.

The reason I love them is the prices are good, the merchandise is organized well, and I’ve found SO many good pieces over the years thrifting there. I love the treasure hunting vibe- I never know what amazing thing I’ll find! It’s so fun to pop in and see!

And honestly there’s even deeper reasons to love them. I am super passionate about being kind to the environment. And buying as much as you can second hand is a great way to do it! They are a green way to shop since they keep possessions in use for as long as possible. I personally always donate to Deseret Industries because they do a great job keeping goods out of the landfill.

Another thing I really like is they provide a service to my local community who might be struggling financially. When I was growing up, we didn’t have much money and so a lot of my clothes came from this thrift store. Now I know that donating there, what I no longer use can be affordably purchased by someone who needs it.

A really cool thing that the Deseret Industries does is they provide on-the-job training to their employees. They specifically hire individuals who are overcoming physical, emotional, and social barriers. I love that my community has a place to help people get back on their feet with a job and training.

Now you know where I thrift and why, let’s continue with the tutorial!

SUPPLIES

Most of my supplies were sourced from the Deseret Industries thrift store!

Fabric- I used second hand linens (a pillowcase and sheet) plus a men’s shirt for the fabric
Book Box- This was found in the craft section. Any book box that fits your board game works great
Board Games- Use what you have at home or go thrifting for a used board game

Supplies I used that I had at home

step 1- book cloth

To begin, we’re going to make the book cloth. This is the patterned fabric that will go on top of the book box.

First, measure the entire outside of your book box from top to bottom and from one edge to the other, including the front cover, spine, and back cover. Then measure how much fabric you’ll need to wrap slightly over the inside edges of each section. Add 1″ to both the height and width for a little extra fabric to work with. I cut mine to 20″ x 12-1/2″.

Next, the fabric needs to be stabilized so when it’s glued onto the book box, the glue doesn’t seep through the fabric.

After your fabric is cut, you’re going to cut a piece of Heat n Bond to the same size as the fabric, so I cut it to 20″ x 12″. The Heat n Bond comes in 12-inch widths so mine was slightly narrower than my fabric. That’s okay- that section will be trimmed or on the inside edge of the book box. Then iron it so the fabric and Heat n Bond are attached.

For the last step for the book cloth, cut a piece of tissue paper to the same 20″ x 12″ size. Remove the paper backing from the Heat n Bond and iron the tissue paper to the back. This’ll give you a three layered cloth- fabric on the top, Heat n Bond in the middle, and tissue paper on the back.

Note, hold your book cloth over your book box at this point. If you’re using fabric with white on it, the colors and/or words on the book box might show through. It did on a few on mine.

So I cut a piece of Heat n Bond and tissue paper to cover the spine and front and back cover of the book box. I ironed the Heat n Bond directly onto the book box and then ironed on the tissue paper to cover the book box.

step 2- glue the book cloth on

Next, it’s time to attach the book cloth to the book box. For that, I put Elmer’s glue into a small container that I use with a foam brush. I like to have a bone folder, scissors, and a water soluble pen handy as well.

Apply Elmer’s glue to the cover and spine with the foam brush and spread it all over those surfaces. Use a generous coat so the fabric adheres well. Once the spine and cover are done, flip the book over and glue the back cover in place.

On the corners, cut a 45 degree angled cut. Don’t cut it too close to the cover!

Once the spine, front, and back cover and in place, open the book box. Fold the book cloth over the front. Then use a seam gauge and mark 1/2″ with a water soluble pen around on the top, bottom, and side.

Use scissors to cut where you marked on the fabric.

Glue the top and bottom of the book cloth on the inside cover into place. Then repeat by putting the side of the book cloth in place.

Cut a piece of cardstock or pre-made book cloth (what I like to use) to fit on the inside cover and glue it in place. This finishes the cover- the easiest part to do!

Repeat the process on the back cover and then on the spine. These are usually smaller sections, so they can be trickier. But it’s still totally doable! Once again, fold over the fabric and use a water soluble pen to mark where the fabric hits the book box “pages.” I like using a water soluble pen because it usually gets wet later from the glue and erases- leaving the fabric clean.

Apply glue to the fabric on the inside edges of the top and bottom of the book box. Begin pushing it into place with the bone folder. It can be tricky to get these parts to stick, so use extra glue if needed or hold the glued pieces in place with clothes pins. Glue down the top and bottom before moving onto the final side of the book box.

step 3- cut the vinyl

And now, cut the vinyl for the cover and the spine. For that, I like to use the Cricut Joy Xtra. For each of the patterned board game books, I went with a different color of iron-on vinyl to coordinate with the color of the patterned fabric on the book box.

I created the pattern for the labels to match my inspiration on graphic design software. I used a rectangle, then added a border, then I added the name of the game with a serif font. If you want to design your own, go for it! Or I have one available as a free download.

To download the free printable, just put your name and email in the form below. You’ll get an email right away with how to download. Plus you’ll be subscribed to my weekly newsletter! If you’re already subscribed, go here to download.

step 4- iron on vinyl

Finally, weed the vinyl by removing the words and border from the vinyl that’s been cut.

Place the label on the book box and tape it in place with heat resistant tape. Without the tape, the labels can move while being ironed on and then they’re crooked and look bad.

To iron on the vinyl label, use the Mini Heat Press. Put it in heat setting 1. I accidentally put the heat up too high and ruined the fabric on one, so make sure the heat setting is correct for the vinyl you’re using. See the settings below-

Low Setting (1 press): 255°F–295°F
Medium Setting (2 presses): 300°F–355°F
High Setting (3 presses): 360°F–400°F

after

In addition to Rummikub, I also make a book box for Yahtzee and Dominoes. I love how the patterns look together!

And they look adorable on their own as well! The floral on the Dominoes game is probably my favorite- that’s from an old sheet I bought thrifting for $1! And on the inside is some Care Bear dominoes I thrifted for $2- they are so cute.

For Yahtzee, I used an old striped sheet. This game fits nicely in a small book box, especially if you use a collapsible cup for throwing the dice.

And inside, the games are stored nicely. So you can just grab them off a shelf and play them. When they’re on the shelf they look beautiful!

price breakdown

For this project I spent $2 on the fabric, $2 on the book box, and $2 on the game. So each patterned board game book cost $6 to make. When buying new cost $29.99 each! That is such a huge savings!

I absolutely love how these turned out! They look like pretty little vintage books on my shelf, but they still hold a game that we can actually pull out and play. And because I made them from thrifted materials, I was able to create them in the colors and patterns I actually love.

If you see one of these patterned board game books in a store and love the idea but not the colors, I hope this gives you the confidence to make your own! Go thrifting, find some pretty fabric and an old game, and make a board game book that feels like it belongs in your home.