How to Make a Memory Game Tower

This Memory Game Tower is an easy project, and makes a great gift for youngsters. Mine will be a Christmas gift for my grand daughters.

Supplies and Equipment for the Memory Game Tower

• 1/8" thick piece of birch plywood (or other ¼" wood)
• 1/8" dowel rod
• 2" x 2" x ¼" hard wood
• Images for game tiles
• Mod Podge
• Bead or charm for topper
• Wood glue
• Paste wax
• Proxxon MICRO Band Saw MBS/E
• Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115
• 1/8" brad point twist drill bit
• 9/32" brad point twist drill bit 

Instructions for Making the Memory Game Tower

1. Cut images 1½" x 1½". You will need two of each image. There is no limit to the number of games tiles that you make. I used holidays for the theme for the tower I made—New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, President's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and one pair of tiles for Happy Birthday. I sublimated my images directly onto the wood, but if this method isn't available to you use an alternative method to apply your images on the wood. You could Mod Podge your images onto the wood. You could use a variety of rubber stamps, and stamp the images onto the wood. You could hand draw the images.
   
2. Using the band saw, cut the game tiles into 1½" squares.
   
3. From the 2" x 2" x ¼"piece of wood cut a 1½" square for the base of the tower.
4. Using the bench drill press with a 9/32" bit, drill holes in the corner of each of the game tiles. Use the adjustable parallel fence to ensure that each hole is drilled in the same position.
5. Using the bench drill press with a 1/8" bit, drill a hole in the corner of the base. Use the same adjustable parallel fence settings as used on the games tiles to ensure the hole is drilled in the same position.
6. Smooth any rough edges on the disc sander.
   
7. Polish the base piece with paste wax.
   
8. Glue the dowel into the base piece with wood glue. 
   
9. When the dowel has dried in place, stack the games tiles on the dowel. Select a bead or charm for a topper. Cut any excess dowel away using the band saw. 
10. I selected a miniature snowman ornament for my topper, since this will be a Christmas gift. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the snowman so it could function as a topper. 
    

To play the game, turn all the tiles face down and mix them up. The first player turns over two tiles. If they match, they remove the pair of tiles from the playing area. If they do not match, the tiles are again turned face down in their original position, and play passes to the next player. Play continues until all the tiles have been matched. The winner is the player with the most game tile pairs.

Carole