Below, check out some of my favorite card game DIYs. All the projects are made from eco-friendly and/or upcycled materials, and all the attached tutorials and templates are free, as well. Whether you want to invent a card game from scratch or redesign one to suit your current fancy, I think you’ll find something here to inspire you.
Cereal Box Matching Game
Or macaroni and cheese box, or Girl Scout cookie box, or Goldfish cracker box… essentially, whatever types of cardboard food packaging that you’ve got in enough variety will work for this project! If the backsides of the cardboard is different shades, cover it with patterned scrapbook paper so all the pieces look identical until you turn them over. For younger kids, make the game very simple by choosing two of the exact same image. For older kids, up the challenge level accordingly.
Adventure BINGO
Okay, this one isn’t exactly a game that you play with cards, but you do carry the BINGO card around, so I think it counts! BINGO is SUCH a fun game to collaborate on with a group, especially on the first day of a trip. Put a bunch of challenges, activities, sites, happenstances, etc., on slips of paper, then take turns drawing them and placing them on your BINGO board. If you can get five in a row during your trip, then you win much acclaim and admiration!
Felt and Fabric Scrap Memory
Who says that card games have to be made of paper? This memory game is super fun made with felt and fabric scraps. Different fabric prints make the game pretty and interesting, and good luck trying to throw the cards in your opponent’s face and stomp off in a fury when they’re this light and soft, lol!
DIY Path Tile Maze
This combination of card game and board game can be played anywhere there’s a space to lay out the pieces. I like making up the rules on the spot every time, but younger kids also love using the tiles for free play.
Compound Sentences Against Humanity
Retheming a favorite game is so fun! This quick and easy project uses the basic Cards Against Humanity formula to create a new game that builds sophisticated grammar skills and encourages creative writing. It’s perfect for middle elementary grades and up.
Cards Against Mythology
Need more proof that you can make anything into a Cards Against Humanity game? Here you go! If you print and cut them carefully, you can add your DIY cards right into your standard Cards Against Humanity deck to make the game even more personalized and fun.
Playing Card Puzzles
Add an extra element of challenge to a traditional card game, or give a younger person something quiet to occupy them while the rest of your play your own game. This is a great way to upcycle a partial pack of playing cards.
Popsicle Sticks
Who says that your card game needs to be played on paper? This card game is made from wood-burned popsicle sticks. To add color, you can also stain them with watercolors.
Printable Custom Playing Cards
Need a cheezy gift for a grandma in your life? Playing cards with the grandkids on them feels like the exact level of cornball that any grandma would love! This site lets you import photos to print the cards, but if you’ve got the graphic design skills, you could do a lot more with the project. And if you’re a papercrafter, you could do the whole thing by hand!
Scratch-off Lottery Cards
There are so many games that you could play with these DIY scratch-off lottery cards, from scavenger hunts to truth or dare challenges. It would be fun to add these as another element to a DIY board game, as well. P.S. Do you have a favorite card game that you made by hand? Tell us about it in the Comments!
