Some builds start because you need something. This one started because an elementary school reached out and asked if I could make a game for their carnival. I said yes, built this, and then donated it. And honestly, it might be one of my favorite things I have ever made.
This is a carnival-style bottle flipping game, built from an 18-inch circle of pine that is 1 inch thick. The scoring zones are painted on with concentric rings: 10, 25, and 50 points on the outer rings, and a solid red bullseye in the center worth 100. The words "Bottle Flipping" are painted across the top in that chunky, hand-lettered style that makes it look like it belongs at a real midway.
The Build Process
I started with an 18-inch round pine disc, 1 inch thick. That thickness matters. Too thin and it feels cheap; this one has real weight and presence on a table or the floor.
Before you do anything else, give the disc a light sanding all the way around, including the edges. Wooden circles and discs can come with splintered edges right out of the package, and if this is going to be handled by kids, you want those smoothed out before you even think about paint.
I designed the whole layout in Cricut Design Space, then cut it out in sticker vinyl to use as a painting template. I use sticker vinyl, either temporary or permanent, for one-time templates because it stays put while you are painting. That is the key. A template that shifts on you mid-paint is a template that ruins the whole project.
The Vinyl Template Trick (Do It This Way)
Here is the exact process I use to get clean, crisp edges every time:
First, lay your vinyl down onto the surface. Once it is in place, run a thin line of Mod Podge along all the edges where the vinyl meets the wood. This seals the edge so paint cannot creep underneath. Let it dry completely before you touch paint; it only takes about 5 minutes as long as you kept the layer thin. Too thick and you will be waiting forever and risking a mess.
Now for the painting, and this part matters: do not use a regular paintbrush. Use a dobber or a sponge brush. Before you apply any paint to your project, dab your dobber on a paper towel first to remove the excess. You want a light, controlled application, not a loaded brush. This is what prevents uneven coverage and, more importantly, what keeps paint from seeping under the vinyl edges.
Once the paint is dry, pull up the vinyl and you will have edges that look intentional and sharp. Clean lines, no bleed, no touch-ups needed.
Sealing It
Once everything was painted and dry, I sealed the whole thing with a waterproof sealer. That was a deliberate call. This is a bottle flipping game. Bottles open. Water spills. A school carnival is not a controlled environment, and I wanted this thing to survive the day and then some.
How You Play
Set the board flat on the floor or a low table. Players stand back a few feet and flip a water bottle, trying to land it as close to the center as possible. Where it lands when it stops moving is your score. First to 500 wins, or set your own rules. It is one of those games where the scoring almost does not matter because the attempts are the entertainment.
It works for backyard parties, game nights, school carnivals, birthday parties, and anywhere else you want to hand kids (or adults, honestly) something to compete over.
Why Wood
You could print this on cardboard or vinyl. But a painted wood disc feels like something. It has weight. It sits flat. It does not curl or slide around. And it looks like a real game, not a printable someone grabbed off the internet. That difference matters when you are setting up a booth or a party and you want people to actually want to play.
This is one of those builds that takes a few hours and gets used for years. And in this case, it went to a school full of kids who needed something to do while their parents watched them flip water bottles for 45 minutes on a Friday night. I call that a win.
Until next time,
Red
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