I applied two coats of the darker stain to the taped off sections.

(Be sure to score the edge of the tape that will be receiving the stain to avoid bleeding.) I decided that I wanted to divide the sections by using two tones of stain, so I taped off every other section.

I taped off the sections in preparation for staining.

I then sanded off the pencil lines, leaving only a few guide marks for taping.

(The pots I bought had a small lip on the top edge, so the circles had to be large enough to fit the base of the pot, but small enough for the lip to sit on the edge of the wood.) I then sanded the edges of the circles to create a smooth finish.

Tim used an attachment on his drill to cut the holes for me.

With Tim’s help, we carefully divided the circle into 8 sections and then traced out where the circles would be cut for the “pots” to drop down into the board.

The first thing I did was sand the table top and edges. This kept it at a nice height and stable during the transformation process.

I decided to leave the table assembled until the very end.

Here is a shot of the table I purchased for the project. The small circle on the top had a recessed circle in the middle and some small circles around the outer edge. It was basically three circular pieces of wood (of varying sizes) that were sandwiched together with the appropriate hardware to make it spin. Just realized I never took a before shot of the lazy-susan. I picked-up a “lazy-susan” from the thrift store for a couple of bucks and then found this table on Kijiji for $15. I wouldn’t do this for just any game, but figured that it’s such a classic that it may with stand the test of time and be used for generations to come and would therefore be worth the effort. I looked into buying a “nicer” version of the game for Christmas, but couldn’t find what I was looking for. The game is one of those classics that I played as a kid. The kids really enjoyed playing, but we were taping the edges down so that the plastic mat would lie flat while we played. I recently bought a cheap Rummoli game from the Thrift Store, complete with a bag of pennies (so I actually made money on the purchase). I’m pretty sure I learned my math facts playing crib with my dad! I can’t say that Rummoli involves much strategy or mathematical skill, but it is fun and one of the few games my kids really enjoy. Games not only provide an awesome time to connect with family and friends, but can also develop both social and academic skills (depending on the nature of the game). I grew up playing lots of card and board games and it breaks my heart that my kids don’t share the same love of games.

Rummoli board template