How to Make a Ouija
Ouija boards have been around for ages as a spooky, sometimes silly, tool that many people believe they can use to communicate with the dead. Whether you're a believer or not, a Ouija board can make for an interesting time spent experimenting with communication with a world beyond our own. If you're interested in dabbling in this mainstream occult classic, get started by making your own Ouija board.
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Things You'll Need
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Scissors
- Cardboard
- Medium paint brush
- Tan acrylic latex paint
- Black acrylic latex paint
- Thin paint brush
- Shellac sealant spray
- Black felt
- Glue
Instructions
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1
Measure and cut a flat cardboard rectangle, about 14 inches by 20 inches.
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2
Paint the board a light tan color or any light color on which black paint will show up easily. Use acrylic paint and allow it to dry completely.
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3
Paint the letters A through Z in two rows with a thin paint brush and black acrylic paint. Go across your board in the center, painting A through M in the top row and N through Z in the bottom row. Make the letters about 1 inch tall and 1 inch wide. Leave enough room above the top row and below the bottom row for additional writing. Space the individual letters about 1/2 inch apart.
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Paint the word YES toward the top left side of your board, in all capitals, and NO toward the top right side, also in all capitals. Make the letters in these words about the same size that you used for the letters A to Z. You can also paint a traditional sun next to the YES and a moon next to the NO, but it isn't necessary.
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Below your rows of letters, in the center of the board, paint the numbers 0 through 9. Again, make them about the same size as your other letters.
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Paint the words GOOD BYE below the numbers in all capital letters, continuing with the uniform size. Allow the paint to dry completely.
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Spray your board with a few coats of shellac sealant to preserve it and make it glossy.
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Cut out a small triangle from another piece of cardboard, with the two sides about 4 inches long and the bottom about 3 inches wide. You can opt to paint this or not, depending on your preference. Spray it with a coat of shellac and let it dry.
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9
Cut out three small dots of black felt and glue each one under a corner of your triangle. This will make your triangle pointer glide more easily across your board.
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Tips & Warnings
To play, have yourself and at least one other person place your hands on the pointer and ask a question. You can start with something like "Is anybody out there?" or whatever you want to know--there are no real rules to starting out.
Stencils may produce a nicer result than hand-painted letters and images.
Make your Ouija out of thin wood for a sturdier board; there may be a slightly greater cost and more effort, but it will last longer and be of a nicer quality.
You can opt to cut a hole in the center of your pointer, to replicate the traditional pointers that could either point to letters or center over them.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit cardboard box image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
