After perusing Pinterest and seeing a few LifeSize Jenga Sets I couldn't help but think this would be the perfect DIY gift for a housewarming party! So, I divulged my plan to my mister and off we were to HomeDepot!
This daunting looking LifeSize Jenga set really isn't difficult to make! I was a bit nervous at first; Pinterest can make things look so easy and then the second you attempt it yourself, you wind up with a mediocre project. Actually, I was relieved of how easy it was to accomplish over the course of a weekend.
+Materials
+Acrylic Paint (I used FolkArt and Apple Barrel from Michaels-the FolkArt cost a little more but it was easier to use and I used less of it)
+Sponge Brushes (one for every color, stain, and polyurethane)
+Sand Paper (220 and 320 grit)
+ Minwax Stain 32oz (I used Golden Pecan from HomeDepot)
+Minwax Polyurethane (Clear Satin from Home Depot)
+(45) 10.5 inch pieces of 2x4 (HomeDepot will cut your 2x4 for free!)
+Instructions
I would suggest picking out your 2x4 first. Don't be afraid to jump into the stacks to pick the perfect pieces (I received so many weird looks as I sat comparing 2x4 on the floor of HomeDepot) but finding straight pieces is important. After you have acquired the perfect (5) 2x4x8ft boards (We have already done the math for you! We made a mistake the first time and didn't account for the width of the blade and ended up being short one whole piece for our jenga set! Oh dear!), cut your 2x4x8 into (45) 10.5 inch pieces or ask one of the friendly HomeDepot staff to cut them for you (That's what we did!).
Once you have acquired all your materials and your pieces of 2x4 are cut, the rest is a breeze...
+Sand all (45) 10.5 inch pieces with the 220 grit for the first sanding (Don't forget to sand the edges)
+Wipe down the pieces with a damp rag to remove excess dust
+Paint first layer of Stain using sponge brush (color of your choosing, we used MinWax Golden Pecan)
+Let dry for 4-6 hours
+Once dry, sand again, but this time with the 320 grit
+Wipe down the pieces with a damp rag to remove excess dust
+Paint second layer of Stain
+Let dry for 4-6 hours
+Once dry, sand again with 320 grit
+Paint the edges using a smaller sponge brush. Once you finish, most likely the ones you started with will be dry so you can go ahead and paint your second coat (This was my favorite part! I think it brought the pieces to life! But if you don't like the color edges, you can skip this part altogether).
+New sponge, paint the first layer of Polyurethane and let dry for 3-4 hours (We didn't polyurethane the colored edges)
+Once dry, sand again with the 320 grit
+Wipe down the pieces with a damp rag to remove excess dust
+Paint the final coat of Polyurethane and let stand for 24 hours
+Last, but not least, a final sanding with the 320 grit and wipe down the excess dust!
+You are a left with a colorful LifeSize Jenga set!
As you can see, it is a bit repetitive but the end result is an awesome gift or personal LifeSize Jenga set!
