Wednesday, July 16, 2008

How to Make a Mini Pool Table

How to Make a Mini Pool TableWhen I helped my boys make this little game last week one of the first things Spencer said was, "Mom, isn't pool a betting game?"

It kind of made me chuckle. Apparently I'm introducing my boys to a life of uninhibited gambling with a crime spree not far behind and they're nervous. I wonder where he figured that out? But at any rate I assured him that no, I wasn't trying to get him to sell his soul to the pool hall but to just make something that might be kind of fun some afternoon. No betting necessary.

So with that reassurance we made this little table top pool table and had a fine little game of mini pool. Here's what you'll need for your own set:
  • 3 pieces of green 12-inch by 9-inch felt
  • 2 straws
  • 11 marbles
  • 2 unsharpened pencils
  • Tacky glue
To make it up:

1. Take two of the pieces of green felt and cut each into thirds so that you have six pieces of 4-inch by 9-inch felt. The third piece will be the playing surface.

2. Stack the strips on top of each other and glue them all together so you have this large stack of felt measuring 4-inches by 9-inches.

3. Cut the stack into four long 1-inch by 9-inch strips for your table bumpers. Two of the strips you should then cut in half down to 1-inch by 4.5-inches, round the edges and glue in place as your four bumpers on the long edges of the remaining piece of felt. Then use the two remaining strips and cut each down to make a bumper for the short ends of the playing surface. Glue all bumpers in place

4. Take two straws (snip off the flexible ends if they have them) and insert the ends into each other to make a triangular rack for the ten marbles.

That's all there is to it, the pencils are your cue sticks and you're ready to play some pool. No betting allowed.

***

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21 comments:

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

Oh, well now how cute is that??

Steph

Maddy said...

Dinky indeed.
Cheers

Jolanthe said...

Perhaps they've seen Music Man recently? Doesn't it have a a song in it about the dangers of pool? I think the song is called "Trouble" - and that starts with T which rhymes with P and that starts pool. :)

Cute idea!
Jolanthe

The Source said...

No that's something even I can make! We will have to try that this afternoon.

Christie O. said...

ok now this is awesome! This is me bookmarking!

Stacy said...

This is a really neat idea. My kids would love it. I'm definitely going to have to make this one.

Beck said...

Oh my gosh - after a weekend with their great-grandmother last summer, my kids now talk darkly of the evils of gambling, too! SO funny.

Dorothy Massey said...

This mini pool table is great. I might try to make it with my son during the summer.Dorothy Massey www.kidsbooksuk.blogspot.com

Blessed said...

I really like this idea! Thanks!

Unknown said...

That is GENIUS. I wonder how long that would entertain my boys? :)

Anonymous said...

That is so adorable! It's too bad my little girl is still too little to appreciate it.

Damselfly said...

So cute and fun! Would have never thought of this.

Eternal Sunshine said...

Did they see Drake & Josh on Nickelodeon yesterday? I was home with the kids, and I caught glimpses of an episode where the skinny one figures out that the not skinny-one is good at pool, and tricks him into hustling people...

Sorry, I don't know which is Drake and which is Josh...

AlaneM said...

That is just the cutest thing. I'm going to save this one for when the kids are older.

daysease said...

Love this one, too. and posted it on my blog... :-) love stuff like this, and it has given me an idea for all the jumbo marbles my mom gave my boys... :-) have a great day.

Anonymous said...

How creative is that?!?!

I have saved the email I got for this (since I'm subscribed to the feed)...I will have to buy the stuff and make this for my kids and I to play. That is just too neat and looks so very fun!!!!

Daisy said...

A betting game? I never bet on pool. Maybe I didn't wager because I was such a poor player. I could manage one or two really great shots per game, but that was never enough to win.

Mad Scientist Society said...

This is totally cute. My son has taken an interest in the game ever since granddaddy let him take a shot in a "real" billiards game on his table. He watched granddad and dad play a game and finds it very interesting

Anonymous said...

Oh I love this. I will link to it on my Fun Activities for Kids blog. How creative!!

Pool Tables said...

Oh how fun!! I couldn't tell it was mini for a minute- until I realized that the cues were pencils. Darling! I'm going to have to try this out with my boys! They'll love it for sure.

Monique said...

Fantastic idea to make at my summer camp! Thanks a bunch!

Monique
Natureways Summer Day Camp
natureways.ca