Men are hard to shop for. If Matt were half as excited about material items as I am, it would be easier. But despite what he says, he requires some thought & creativity to enchant with a gift. I typically go the “experience” route when gifting something to Matt, surprising him with tickets to a game or with a day trip to somewhere fun, but last summer at 8 months pregnant I was hardly willing (or able) to pull such a stunt. So, I got crafty! There are few things Matt enjoys more than a house party with little smokey’s and beer on tap, 90’s music, and yard games. He loves a good game of cornhole and I thought it would be unique to gift him the game to enjoy in his own backyard whenever he pleases! My custom DIY cornhole boards, while not totally from scratch, are the perfect gift for the man who just wants a good time with loved ones for their special day!
Better yet, the cornhole boards have been a gift to our entire family. I wish I could report the number of times we have spent in the backyard tossing the bags over the past year, but it is too high to count. Whether it’s pulling them out back to enjoy a quick game and a beer while dinner cooks in the evening, or dragging them out front to the sidewalk within range of the baby monitor to play a quick game with the neighbors while it’s still light out, Matt has sure put these babies to good use! I honestly thought these would sit in the garage until we hosted a party but am thrilled and surprised to see Matt pull them out multiple times a week! Matt challenges me to keep life fun. He might have had a long day at work, but like a 10 year old boy, he eagerly jumps at the chance to challenge his buddy next door to a quick game while I cook dinner. I smile when I think of the memories and fun afternoons this simple game of cornhole will gift our family. So I guess I was wrong – these custom DIY cornhole boards are really more than material, they are an experience – and those are always the best gifts!
If you’re not sure of the cornhole rules, I’ve included them below! But as far as the boards themselves, keep reading to find the simple step-by-step procedure and bring this experience to the man in your life – and your whole family – this summer!
Custom DIY Cornhole Boards
1. Order the Unfinished Boards. I ordered a set of unfinished wood boards from CornholeBoards.us . You could make them yourself, but at 8 months pregnant I would need Matt to do that so I decided to skip that step! Besides, the finishing was really the fun part! The boards I ordered arrived within the week and were excellent quality! There is currently a spring sale, so if you’re looking to snag these this summer, now is the time!
2. Plan your Design. This was the fun part! I knew I wanted to make the boards “K-State” themed, but I also wanted them to look classy and natural. I decided that my favorite wood stain and a solid white powercat logo would be the perfect design and we both love the way they turned out! I painted our name on the side of the boards for a little extra flair :).
3. Stain your Wood (or paint if you want color). I’ve included a photo of the exact products I used to finish the boards below, but the wood stain (Provincial 211) I used is my absolute favorite and the one I use for all of my home projects! I began with the wood stain (shade pictured below) and used two coats to achieve the color I desired on only the visible portions of the board (I didn’t bother with the underside). Allow a few hours at least to dry (follow directions on the label)!
4. Paint your Design. Before adding the clear sealer, I painted my powercat logo directly onto the stained wood. I used this thick white Glidden paint (found at Home Depot)specifically made for outdoor furniture so that it could take a beating. If you can free hand your design, go for it! I, however, made a stencil and used that as a reference to hand paint. We had a powercat magnet that I cut out and made into a makeshift stencil to accomplish this task, but I would recommend to pick up a stencil maker from a craft store! I would also recommend to avoid spray painting and instead use a foam brush to paint the design by “dabbing”, I learned this the hard way (was able to salvage the spray painted design, but it did not look near as crisp as the other)! As for our name on the edges, I free-handed this with a small paintbrush but you could always use a stencil for this if you’re not comfortable with free-handing it! Again, allow your design to dry completely (probably overnight).
5. Add your Clear Finish! I used Minwax Spar Urethane and it has held up beautifully. You’ll want to make sure that the sealer you use to finish your boards is resistant to outdoor elements such as rain, sun, heat, cold, etc! Also check to make sure that your finish is “non-yellowing” so that the sun doesn’t change it’s color. Another thing to consider is the desired appearance of your boards – shiny or matte. I wanted a semi-gloss finish so that’s what I went with! See the photo of my products used to see the exact finish that has worked wonders for us! The directions will likely tell you to sand the finish between coats (if you do decide to add a second – I didn’t), but I would caution you from sanding. For the bags to slide across the boards the way they should, the wood needs to be relatively smooth! Time will smooth them out regardless, but it definitely helps to skip the sanding step!
6. Allow Time to Dry and Cure. We waited about a week before using them. We probably could have used them sooner but we didn’t have a reason to and knew that when we did they would take a beating! They have held up beautifully and still look as good as new!
7. Play and Enjoy (and store in a dark spot)! We keep ours in the garage when we aren’t using them so that they aren’t continuously exposed to sun and water. The garage also allows easy access to use – which we definitely take appreciate with the frequency that we use them!
I did not take photos while I made the boards because I was not planning to blog about them at the time (kicking myself), but I snapped a few shots of the finished product this past weekend! These photos represent the appearance of the cornhole boards after a year of heavy use (including the neighbor kids crawling on them)! Here they are:
I hope you will consider gifting this wonderful experience to your man and family this summer! They are sure to be a hit among neighbors and friends and will yield happy memories for years to come! And in case you’re not sure how to play cornhole, here are the official cornhole rules can be found here!
If you make some fun custom boards for your family this summer, I would love to see them! Share them on Instagram and tag me (@inspo_messydesk) so I can show off your masterpiece! And if you’re looking for some fun date night ideas to surprise your man with, here is a list of free at-home date ideas that Matt and I love!
Kelsie
