To make homemade bingo chips, use materials like cardstock (65-110 lb), plastic (1/16-1/4 inch), or wood (1/8-1/2 inch), design, cut into 1-1.5 inch sizes, and customize with paint or print.
Materials for Making Homemade Bingo Chips
Although a seemingly simple board game, bingo can still be extremely enjoyable if made slightly different. In this case, the difference can be achieved by making the bingo chips at home using various materials. The materials chosen for this activity will influence the durability, appearance, and overall feel of the game. The following guide will discuss the adequate materials and the reasons for their choice.
Paper
Choosing a paper is one of the simplest and cheapest options available. It is also the most accessible material. Cardstock will be preferable, as it is much stiffer and more durable than regular paper. However, laminating these chips will make them look more professional, imposing, and shiny. The thickness of the cardstocks ranges from 65 lb to 110 lb. As a rule, the thicker the paper, the longer the chips will be serving you.
Durability: moderate – but greatly increased by lamination
Cost: low
Customization: high – any color or design could be printed
Plastic
Plastic chips are a more expensive solution mostly for their durability and waterresistance. If cutting your own chips, the thick transparent plastic sheets should be chosen, and the cushioners cutter should be used. If buying the chips, you can choose acrylics that are durable, clear, and able to contain bright colors. Thicknesses vary from 1/16 inches to 1/4 inches; they also influence the weight and the feel of the chips.
Durability: high
Cost: medium
Customization: medium – special printing or sticking of the designs is required
Wood
Wood chips will give you that rustic looking and serve as a sounding material for such a traditional game as bingo. Choose a light-weight wood like balsa or basswood, which will b e easy to cut and engrave. You can also paint, stain, or burn the designs right onto it. The thicknesses for chips need to vary from 1/8 inches to 1/2 inches. If the wood is thinner, the cutting will be easier, but it will also break more readily.
Designing Your Bingo Chips
Designing your game pieces can be a fun and creative way to express your imagination and make your bingo game unique. Not only design affects whether your chips will look attractive, but it also heavily influences their usability and practicality. Here discussed are the main parameters of bingo chip design and some ideas to get you started.
Choosing Colors
The color is one of the most important edge aspects that influence whether your chips are going to look good. To make sure your chips look bright and attractive, you can choose bold and contrasting colors. It is also characteristic of beach and Russia-shaped bingo games to make chips blue, yellow, and sandy, or blue, white, and red.
Color contrast: Use color wheel theory to find colors that will complement each other.
Theme matching: Match colors to your game theme.
Patterns
Patterns create a sense of presence on your medium. Some common patterns include stripes and dots, florals, or geometry. Choose a pattern that is attention-seeking but not repelling, as too much used patterns make chips difficult to read from.
Repetition: Use repeated elements to make your chips associated.
The complexity: Choose the complexity of patterns keeping their overall count in mind.
Size
A larger number of bingo chip diameters is either 1 inch or 1 1/2 inch . The smaller size is good to hold multiple chips; the larger side allows more drawings, numbers, and patterns.
Conclusion
Designing your bingo game pieces might be a fun and creative activity. You have to choose bright and contrasting colors, match your pattern of your theme, and choose a proper-size chip. Additionally, here are a few creative ideas you can use:
Personal photos: Make a photo chip for your family bingo games.
Seasons: Use autumn leaves, snowflakes, or other seasonal patterns.
Glow: you can also add some glow in the dark paint to surprise your night-level players.
Homemade bingo chips is quite a doable DIY project that not only saves you money, but also allows you to exercise your creativity. The present guideline aims to describe the process step by step, from the initial materials to final detailed touches, ensuring that you have all the necessary tools and knowledge to produce custom bingo chips.
Materials Preparation
To begin with, decide on the material that you are going to work with: paper, plastic or wood. Each material presupposes a unique set of tools to cut and customize:
Paper: scissors or craft knife and laminator for greater durability .
Plastic: craft knife, scissors for cutting plastic or laser cutter to yield more precise and better-looking shapes.
Wood: saw to cut larger pieces for the shape of the chip, or laser cutter for smaller details of the design.
Chips Design
Choose the design that you are going to imply. It can be one or two colors, certain patterns, or images.
Create a design or download it. You can use Photoshop or a design application, or search it on the internet to find a desired template that is in line with the idea of what you want.
Adjust the size. The best diameter for chips is 1-1.5 inches. Too small sizes make chips hard to use, too big sizes are less convenient to handle and see.
Cut the Chips
Paper:
Print the designs on cardstock at first.
Cut out the chips with the help of scissors or a craft knife.
Plastic:
Mark your design to be sure you do not go off track.
Cut the shapes with a tool that is more suitable to your form, namely craft knife or scissors.
Wood:
Trace the design you have on a sheet of paper to the wood.
Use saw or laser cutter to cut the wood with the shape of chips.
Customizing and Finalizing
Paper: You can laminate the chips if you want them to be usable for a longer period of time. Do not forget to cut after laminating the plastic in the shape of your chip.
Plastic: In case you are working with acrylic, polish the edges of the chip with the help of sanding paper. Afterwards, you can also attach some additional decoration: stickers, or points pictured with different color.
Necessary Tools and Equipment
|
Material |
Main Tools |
Optional Tools |
|---|---|---|
|
Paper |
Scissors, Craft Knife |
Laminator |
|
Plastic |
Craft Knife, Scissors |
Laser Cutter, Sandpaper |
|
Wood |
Saw, Laser Cutter |
Sandpaper, Paintbrush |
Main Supplies for a DIY Bingo Chips
Creating your own bingo chips is a creative and joyful experience. However, before you start designing and decorating, it is essential to know what materials you need and how they affect the final product. The following is a step-by-step guide on the things, tools, and instructions you would need to follow to create your own bingo chips.
Components Preparation
The first step is choosing the right material. Paper, plastic, and wood are the main options, and all of these materials offer different advantages.
-Paper is one of the most accessible and easy-to-use materials. It is the right option for people who want to create bingo chips quickly and cheaply.
-Plastic chips are one of the most durable and water-proof solutions. -Wood provides such advantages as a more classic look and an enhanced feel. At the same time, it is the least affordable material.
During the design phase, focus on creating a draw-droop chip that adheres to the basic visual principles. Create a file or select premade chips to use them as a template. Once you have a design, you can print it or mark it on the sheet depending on the type of material. For example, if the material is paper, it can be easily printed on a printer, while if it is plastic or wood, a pencil or a marker should be used to mark the image.
Cut Out the Chips
Cut out the chips: cut out the chips from the paper sheets using the scissors. If you want the chips to last longer, laminate the paper sheet before cutting it out for the second time. At this point, make a hole if you are planning to make a necklace out of the bingo chips.