DIY Tabletop Foosball Game! - HGTV Handmade
# DIY Cardboard Foosball Game: A Fun and Easy Craft Project
## Introduction
Hello everyone! It’s Karen Kavett from HGTVHandmade. Today, we’re wrapping up my unofficial cardboard week by turning a simple cardboard box into an adorable mini foosball game. Perfect for kids to enjoy all summer long—or even for adults who still love foosball—this project is both fun and easy. Let’s dive into how you can make your own mini foosball game using just a few materials and some creativity!
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## Materials Needed
Before we get started, let’s list out what you’ll need:
- A cardboard box (Karen used one measuring 10¾ inches by 13½ inches by 4¾ inches, but any size will work)
- Scissors or a craft knife
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Dowels (wooden rods)
- Clothespins (10 small ones)
- Contact paper or paint for decoration
- Museum board or sturdy cardboard (optional for the bottom)
- Masking tape
- Super glue
- Ping pong ball (for the soccer ball)
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## Step-by-Step Guide
### 1. Preparing the Cardboard Box
First, you’ll need to start with a clean cardboard box. Karen recommends cutting off all the flaps from the top of the box to create a flat surface for your foosball game.
Once the flaps are removed, measure and draw two lines on the long sides of the box:
- The first line should be 3 inches up from the bottom.
- The second line should be just a quarter inch above that.
Next, mark 2¾ inches from each side of the box to create four marks on each side. Use a craft knife to punch a small plus sign at each mark and then stick a pencil through them to open them up slightly. Trim any extra cardboard around the holes as needed.
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### 2. Adding Dowels
Karen suggests sticking dowels through the holes you just created to ensure they fit nicely and have enough space to move. This step helps you visualize how the rods will sit in the final product.
Once the dowels are in place, it’s time to cut out the goal areas. Karen’s goals measure 5 inches by 2 inches, centered on the box. Use scissors or a craft knife to carefully cut these shapes out of the cardboard.
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### 3. Covering the Box with Contact Paper
To give your foosball game a polished look, Karen covers the entire box in contact paper. Here’s how:
- Cut thin rectangles of contact paper and stick them into each corner first. This ensures that larger pieces will sit straight without gaps.
- If you don’t have contact paper, you can always paint or decorate the box any way you like.
Once the contact paper is applied, use a craft knife to reopen the goal areas. For a neat finish, cut small strips of contact paper and stick them over the edges to make everything look tidy.
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### 4. Cutting Holes for the Dowels
Use your craft knife to carefully cut through the contact paper at each hole. Then, push a pencil through the holes to open them up slightly. Trim any extra material around the holes and use small strips of contact paper to create a star pattern over the openings. This ensures that the dowels can move smoothly when you’re ready to play.
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### 5. Adding the Game Bottom
Karen cut a piece of museum board (or sturdy cardboard) to match the size of her box and painted it green for the game’s bottom. If you don’t have museum board, any flat, sturdy material will work. Simply slide or glue it into place at the bottom of your box.
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### 6. Making the Goals
Next, Karen created small cardboard pieces for the goals, covered them in contact paper, and assembled them using a hot glue gun. This ensures that when someone scores, the ball won’t fly out of the game and scatter everywhere.
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### 7. Creating the Soccer Players
For the players, Karen used ten clothespins, painting them different colors to make it easy to tell which team is which. She decided to paint them because it adds a fun, customizable touch to the game.
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### 8. Assembling the Foosball Game
Now comes the exciting part: assembling everything! Cut four dowels down to about double the width of your box (Karen’s dowels measured 20 inches). For two of the dowels, mark the halfway point and three inches out from either side. For the other two dowels, mark two inches out from either side of the halfway point—these are where your clothespins will go.
Insert the dowels into the box and clip on your painted clothespins at the marked spots. To prevent the dowels from slipping out, wrap their ends with masking tape so they’re larger than the holes you cut. On the other side, add layers of masking tape to create a nice handhold for gripping during play. Karen used two colors of tape—one for each team—to make it extra fun!
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### 9. Final Touches
Once everything is in place, remove the clothespins from the dowels and use superglue to glue them into position. This ensures that the players won’t spin or move around when you’re actually playing the game. Let the glue dry completely before moving on.
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## Putting It All Together
With all the parts assembled, your foosball game is ready to play! Use a ping pong ball as the soccer ball and enjoy hours of fun. This project transforms a simple cardboard box into a tabletop game that’s both functional and stylish—perfect for summer entertaining or family fun.
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## Conclusion
And there you have it—a DIY foosball game made entirely from a cardboard box! It’s hard to believe how easy this was, but the results are absolutely adorable. If you try this project out, let Karen know in the comments below what you’re up to this summer—craft projects, camping, or just hanging out. Don’t forget to like this video and subscribe for more DIY ideas every week!
Until next time, happy crafting!