PILL PUZZLE ORNAMENT: Recycling and Reusing

I had almost forgotten about these fun little games played during my childhood.  One of the hazzards of getting older I suppose. 

When I told my children about this ornament we were going to make, they had no idea what I was talking about.  The age of electronic games and computers. 

So, today I introduced them to Pill Puzzle games with this adorable Christmas ornament made almost entirely with recycled items.

Step 1: SUPPLIES:

SUPPLIES:
    Metal jar lid
    Old Holiday cards or wrapping paper -NOT EMBOSSED
     BB's
     Thick clear plastic - the kind from a take-out container or bakery goods
     Piece of cardboard -  from a cereal box or cracker box
     Leather punch or smaller hole punch
     Hot glue - hot glue gun
     Krylon spray paint
     Krylon primer
     Krylon spray sealer
     tinsel
     glitter
     spray adhesive
     craft wire

Step 2: THE HOOK:

Using the craft wire, make a small loop and add a twist.  Just wrap it around the lid and twist the ends together to secure. 

If your lid has a lip on it, it will stay in place nicely.  If not, add a little glue to hold in place.

Step 3: PAINTING LID:

Give the lid a good spray with Krylon fast-drying primer and then a coat of your selected color.

Don't forget to paint the inside of the lid and the rim.

Step 4: CUT OUT CENTER:

With the spray adhesive, stick to cardboard and the card together.  Just be careful that you don't get the front of the card sticky or the BB's will get stuck in that spot.

To cut the circle, place the lid on the card where you want the design to be.  The rim side should be facing up.  There is a picture of this.  Use a very sharp pencil and trace the edge of the lid as close to the lid as possible and then cut it out.

You should be pretty close to the size you need to fit right in the lid.  It should be snug so there will be no need to secure it with glue or tape.  You don't want bumps or waves in the surface of the game.

Step 5: PUNCHING HOLES & ADDIN BB's:

This part is fun for kids to do.  Just randomly punch holes into the Holiday card, staying away from the edges. 

Seven to nine is a good number.

Step 6: THE COVER:

I have tried a couple different ways to attach the cover and this is the best I found. 

Place the lid upside down on the plastic, with the BB's inside.  Then run a bead of strong craft glue along the edge.  I used the container of BB's to hold it in place and allowed the glue to dry for the required period.

Once the glue has dried, trim the plastic.

Step 7: FINISHING TOUCHES:

The rim and the edge of the clear plastic will look a little messy.  To cover this up, add a little tinsel or some glitter.

If you want to add glitter to the back of the lid or around the edge of the lid, spray with clear Krylon sealer and add glitter.  The sealer with keep it in place and will add a nice twinkle on the tree.

Step 8: MAKE THE GAME CHALLENGING:

There are dimensional products on the market and you can use it to make little half circules or a maze pattern.  It will dry clear but does tend to spread a bit so use it sparingly.