Summer is not over yet! It seems to be a great time of year for parties and gatherings…. and what do all parties need? Party games! Seriously…. So before your next gathering, put together this DIY Edgar Allan Poe Giant Jenga…. and be ready to impress your friends and have some fun with a Gothic spin!
These Giant Jengas are certainly nothing new to the DIY world, but I’m sure many of you darklings out there didn’t think it was quite your style. Nothing that some paint and creativity can’t change!
I decided to go with an Edgar Allan Poe themed Jenga…. a silhouette of Poe himself on one side, and an image of the Raven on a skull and stack of books on the other… If Poe is not your thing, any silhouette image will work.
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Let’s get started! What you’ll need:
- 2 x 4’s
- Chop Saw
- Electric Sander
- Black Paint
- Paint Brush
- Cricut Machine
(I used the original Cricut Explore, but there are new & improved versions out since I purchased mine years ago)
- Cricut Tools
and 12×24 Cutting Mat
- Stencil Film
- Transfer Tape
- Ratchet Tie Down Straps
- Stencil Brushes
- White Paint
- Polycrylic Spray
- Numeric Stamp Set
(optional)
- White Stamp Pad (optional)
(I used the original Cricut Explore, but there are new & improved versions out since I purchased mine years ago)
and 
(optional)
We’ll start with some math. Did you know that 2 x 4’s don’t actually measure 2″ x 4″? It’s an annoying, but important fact in this project. Apparently the boards start out a bit smaller than 2 inches by 4 inches, but after drying and planing, they end up at roughly 1 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The first time I ever built one of these, I did not know that little tidbit and did all of my measurements based on a 2″ x 4″ board. Luckily I only cut 3 blocks, before I realized it didn’t look right, and had to start from scratch.
This is important because it is the difference between a 36″ high game, and a 27″ high game. The game I am showing you today is 27″ high, 10 12/” wide, and is built using 2 x 4’s.
If you are looking to build something bigger, I’ll provide the formula below. But – before you decide to go any grander than 27″, know that 2 x 4’s are the most economical choice when buying lumber. Anything larger is much more expensive and harder to find.
There is one other thing to know before buying your wood. Most wood needs a bit of drying time before you can paint it. Regular, unsealed wood usually dries within a few days, but pressure treated wood takes much longer to dry—either weeks or months, depending on what the wood is treated with. Painting the wood before it’s dry will be a waste of time because the paint will peel away as the moisture pushes up underneath. Take this into consideration, along with how quickly you want to get to work on this project, as well as where you’ll be storing it. For example, if you’re keeping the Jenga outside, you may want pressure treated. If you’re not sure what is right for you, ask an associate at your Lumber or Home Improvement store, and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
OK… so once you’ve picked out your wood, buy enough to make 54 10 1/2″ long pieces…. plus some extra for mistakes… just in case!!
You will need to cut 54 blocks, so it is helpful to have your own saw…. I’m not sure this qualifies for the “free cuts” at the home improvement store!!
As I mentioned before, 2 x 4’s are roughly 3 1/2″ wide. If yours is, measure 10 1/2″ length along the 2 x 4, and make a straight cut. Repeat 53 more times. If yours is slightly more or less than 3 1/2″, put 3 blocks side by side, and measure the total length across the 3 (see the diagram below). This will be the length of your boards… and should be somewhere between 10 1/4 – 10 1/2″.
Once cut, you’ll want to sand the edges of your blocks….. you don’t want your guests getting splinters!
Stack the blocks in rows of 3, running in alternating directions, and you’re now the proud owner of a Giant Jenga…. But wait there’s more!!
Paint each block black. Yeah – sorry… you have to paint 54 blocks. And even better… I highly suggest you paint them by hand… with a brush… a couple of times! It’s painful to have cool stuff! These blocks are going to take a beating …. every time you stack them, and every time they fall. Give them the best shot possible of keeping their color!
Here’s a tip…. if you are not expecting any rain, and the temperature outside is hot…. find an area outside to set up some paper or a painting tarp. Lay out all 50 blocks, and just start working your way thru them. The hot sun will assist in drying the paint pretty quickly, and by the time to get around all 54, it will be time for the next coat, or next side. Don’t try this if you are expecting rain. For one – the blocks will never dry in the humidity. Second – if it rains before your blocks are dry, you can ruin the paint.
Now, let’s switch gears and get your images prepped.
Select the images you want to use for the side of your Jenga. You can add an image to any of the 4 sides of your Jenga tower. I chose a Poe silhouette I found on Google Images, and designed the Raven on the Skull & Stack of Books (which you can find a digital copy of in the Me and Annabel Lee Shop on Etsy). You may notice a slight change in how I colored the image….. after I completed the stenciled image on the tower, I changed my mind about what would look best. Hey – a girl is allowed to change her mind!! But if you would like to purchase the image exactly as I painted it on the Jenga, just message me on Etsy, and I can send that version.
The image should be a silhouette style, meaning it should be made up of single color lines and shapes, no shading. You also want an image with thick line weight. First of all, the Cricut machine has an easier time cutting around larger areas…. but most importantly, you will be stenciling this image onto your game, so you want to be able to see the details.
Once you have your image selected, upload it to Cricut Design Space as a Cut Image, and insert it onto your canvas.
Resize the image according to the length and width of the side wall of the Jenga (roughly 27 x 10 1/2″ if you used 2 x 4’s.
Load the film into your cricut machine
Click Make It to send your image to cut.
The Material Size will automatically adjust to 12 x 24 if your image is more than 12″ long.
Design Space will walk you thru the remaining steps as soon as you click Go.
Separate the cut image from the film. Think carefully about the area of the stencil that will remain black, and the area you will be painting white. Remove the area you’ll be painting white.
You will be using Transfer Tape to adhere the stencil to the Jenga. There are easy to follow instructions that come with the transfer tape for attaching the film to it.
Before you apply the stencil to your Jenga, you’ll need to give yourself the best possible working surface. This means two things…. one, it is easier to apply a stencil this big to a painted surface if the surface is facing up. Two, all of the boards need to be completely flush on the side you’re working on.
Start by laying out something safe to work on…. plastic, cardboard, whatever you feel comfortable with or have available.
Place the Ratchet Straps on your working surface side by side, about 6-8″ apart.
Begin building your Jenga tower laying on it’s side, along the ratchet straps (you will be using the straps to hold the tower together, so leave length on either end to connect)
Once the tower is built, connect and begin to tighten the straps, allowing a bit of give.
You will be painting on one of the side panels. (don’t worry, we’ll be flipping it over so it’s facing up in a minute)
Now, unless you are a complete wizard at cutting and sanding, my guess is that not every block on every side of your tower is completely flush. Luckily, we’re only painting one side at a time. So, choose one side, and push and pull all of the blocks until the face of that side is as flat as possible.
Once you’re happy with it, tighten the ratchet. Tight. Really tight. If done correctly, those blocks won’t move a bit when you roll the tower over.
Roll the tower over, so your painting surface is facing up, and get to work quickly… The longer the ratchet straps are on the tower, the more likely the blocks will stick together and ruin the paint. It is unavoidable, but the fewer the better.
Apply the stencil to the tower using the transfer tape.
Use the Burnishing tool to ensure the stencil is secured to the boards, and remove the transfer tape. If you created a stencil that is as long and detailed as mine, you will want an extra hand to hold the film down, as you pull away the transfer tape, otherwise, you can end up with a tangled mess. The unevenness of the blocks makes it difficult for the stencil to easily adhere without some coercion.
Use your finger to rub the stencil onto the boards. You want to make sure it is firmly stuck, so no paint can seep under.
Once the stencil is applied, use the stencil brush to paint the boards white around the stencil. Do this in a blotting motion, not a brushing motion to avoid paint getting under the stencil.
Allow to dry, and carefully remove the stencil.
For each side you plan to stencil, roll the tower onto it’s side, loosen the straps slightly, push and pull the blocks to create a flat surface, tighten the straps, roll over so the surface is facing up, and proceed with the stenciling.
Once you have finished stenciling, and your paint is dry, stand your tower upright, and remove the straps.
There is a decent chance that you’re tower will still be stuck together if your straps were tight enough for too long. Let it breathe for a bit, and if you are not able to pull the blocks apart, you may need to resort to a gentle tap from a rubber mallet.
There will be some damaged black paint. Just review your blocks once they are all apart, and touch up the paint as needed.
Now, some of you may be wondering how on earth you’ll ever get the tower built back up with the image displaying correctly on both sides. I happen to live for puzzles, so I’m leaving myself a challenge…. but for those of you that don’t want to think that hard… I have a solution. Use a set of small numeric stamps and white stamp ink, and simply stamp the row number on the top or bottom of each block. You won’t see them while you play, but when it’s time to build the tower, it will be MUCH easier. You’ll need rows 1-18, and three blocks will have each row number.
Lastly, once all of the paint is dry, you need to seal these blocks. As I mentioned before, these blocks will take a beating, and a bit of damage is unavoidable. The least we can do is preserve them for as long as possible. Lay them all out, and spray with the polycrylic. As it dries, repeat on all sides, with at least two coats.
Polycrylic can feel a bit sticky until it is completely dry, so be sure to leave the blocks to dry naturally before stacking them together. You don’t want them to stick together again!
Now, go whip up some dark goodies, invite some friends over, and surprise them with a night of fun and games!
A HUGE thank you to my husband for all of the help with this project…. the sawing, the sanding, the brilliant ratchet idea, and the extra set of hands with that ridiculous stencil!! We felt like a Gothic Magnolia Farms on this one!! Now that’s a show I’d tune into!! 🙂
This is awesome! The Mrs. is crazy about games and loves Jenga, so we may need to make our own 🙂
Me too!! I am a firm believer in Game night!! And this is a great two person project!! It can be long and tedious at times, but so worth it in the end when you pull back that stencil and see the final product!
I just love these designs. These pictures are beautiful and classy. Thank you for sharing DIY and decorating ideas and inspiration.
Of course! and thank you for such a wonderful compliment!!