While we were in Austin a few weeks ago we had a fun evening out with some of the folks from BonLook. At this rooftop bar, they had a giant Jenga set. Whoa! Apparently this is a thing. But this was my first experience with a giant Jenga. It was a blast!
Trey and I immediately decided we needed to create our own set for fun backyard times at our house. You could probably guess how to make it :), but here’s how we made ours:
First, you need to buy enough 2×4 boards to cut into forty-eight 10 1/2 inch pieces. You can cut the boards yourself or have them cut at your local lumber yard. Try to avoid wood that has large knots or holes in it. Next, sand all the edges so everything is smooth and can slide easily across each other.
Last, I painted the ends in five different colors: Grassy Meadow, Field Poppy, Safe Harbor, Panama Rose and Crumb Cookie. I went back and forth on whether to seal the wood. In the end I decided not to, because I was concerned that the surface might become less… slidable.
If you do decide to seal, also keep in mind that some sealers (like polyurethane) can change your paint colors (like tinting your whites more yellow). Although I do plan to keep my Jenga set outside plenty, I will probably store them in the garage during the seasons with a lot of moisture to keep them from warping.
This project is pretty inexpensive (especially if you substitute the wall paint for craft paints) and could make a really cute gift to a family or friend who loves outdoor games. It might not be gift season just yet… but it’s never too soon to start planning. 🙂
After making this set we took it to Hope’s birthday party, and it was a hit. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go dominate at some giant Jenga! xo. Emma
113 Comments
I get scared with the regular sized jenga when it falls over, I would be a ball of mess playing this one!! 🙂
Cathy
Turquoise Flamingo
http://www.turquoiseflamingo.com/
Oh how fun!!!
This would be a great gift for someone who throws many outdoor parties. Inexpensive and easy to make – perfect combo!
yes, enjoy!
Whao! I saw this on the big bang theory too! How fun!
http://www.tinacious.me/
Oh my gosh, this looks like so much fun! I think the large size would make it even more nerve-wracking, which is great!
-Becca
http://ladyfaceblog.blogspot.com
I’ve played giant jenga tons of times, but for some reason it’s never even appeared to me to make my own. Love this!
http://www.flat3-6.blogspot.com
Cool project, if it is that much fun for adults I can only imagine how kids would react to a giant jenga.
terrific idea! does it get too tall though?
I love jenga and me and my friends are really addicted to it! Thanks for this awesome idea!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fregObNcHC8
This is my favorite thing ever. Giant Jenga?!?!?! Awesome.
Oh my goodness! That is gorgeus! Shame I was never good at jenga…
From,
Alannah
Neonandfeathers.blogspot.com
This is INTENSE! It would make such a fun summer game though
Rose
Blonde in this City
I LOVE this!! It’s fantastic. This weekend I’m off to the shops to make a set for me, and a set as a gift for my bro- he’d love it. Thanks for the awesome idea guys 🙂
This is really awesome! 🙂
I LOVE IT! I’m absoLUtely going to be making one of these! I know this is going to sound pretty college of me, but this would make a pretty fun drinking game too, haha!
http://cuddlyasacactus.wordpress.com/
oh my gosh, this is so cool! I’ve never heard of it before, but I’m definitely thinking it’s something I have to make now 🙂
♥Brooke
http://youreinbrookelynn.blogspot.com/
So so fun! I’ll bet this would be fun for a kids party {although…I’d probably use foam instead!}, but how cool! Great idea! 🙂
http://sometimesgracefully.com
I’d not heard of this either – so fun, though! Thanks for the idea! Love the colors you picked!!
So cool, but surprised you’d not heard of it before! We have giant chess and Connect 4 and all sorts going on in the UK 🙂
Rosie x | Every Word Handwritten
Oh my goodness this is SO fun! I’d never heard of it either. I love it!
xo, Juliette Laura
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/InfiniteStyleShop
ah, i now see what that post was about on Treys instagram! <3
i love this.
-les
Hahah so cute play !
Ideal for sunday afternoons…
You are lucky to have a beautiful closed family !
Xxxx
http://alicebradshow.blogspot.fr/
i am doing this!!! what a great idea those jenga pieces always get lost when our jenga hits the floor. this is such a creative and fool proof way to play!
This is awesome!!! And so easy!! This is a definite must have!! Maybe even for my outdoor wedding, even though it’s in 6 days. It’s so easy to make I think it could be done!!!
Thanks!!
Heather
southernnorth.com
what a playful and wonderful idea!
xx
I love this! What a great gift idea!
Cathy
http://www.whiskshooksandbooks.blogspot.com
This is so awesome !! I love the colours you used 😀
xoxo
If you don’t mind, would you please share how much you spent making this & roughly how much time it took? I’d be interested in doing this for my brother as a Christmas present but we’re saving for a house & I have a 5 month old, so I’m sure what kind of projects I can take on right now. Thank you.
this is so fun!!
xxoo,
nikki
http://www.dreaminneon.blogspot.com
LOVE the idea of giving the gift of giant jenga! Not sure how I would get it to fit inside a Christmas stocking though…
Karley with a ‘K’
http://karleykiker.blogspot.com
Love this idea, surprised you’ve never heard of giant jenga it is so fun I may just get my normal jenga set out and paint it some funky colours :p xx Emmi
http://emmihearts.blogspot.co.uk/
This is such an awesome DIY! Looks like you had so much fun too! xxx
holljc.blogspot.co.uk
love it! nice diy!
xoxo
Grietje
http://www.secondagenda.be
You guys are soo cute, you look like little kids having fun on a summer day. Love! <3
Visit my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrownofCreationShop
This looks like so much fun!
I love playing giant Jenga! The only thing is that it is a pain to put together again! 🙂
http://liveitinerantly.com
My dad made a giant Jenga set for my wedding reception (outdoor tea party with lawn games). Everyone loved it!
Julie | alonewithmytea.blogspot.com
Okay this is totally awesome!!! I love it.
Carlee
http://thelittlesloth.blogspot.com/
What a great idea, thanks! I really want to make my own set. How do the players know or decide which color to pick? Did you make a color dice? My Jenga has a small dice, so I´m wondering 🙂
Ok, this looks like too much fun! So easy too. Def doing this in my new place!
It seems like such a cool project and a great way to get people together at parties! I’ll definitely try this out sometime. Thanks for the idea!
– Juliana
I love this. I am very competitive when it comes to Jenga. I need this in my life
oh my gosh, this looks SO fun!
Oh my goodness I love this!
http://hollybumblebeee.blogspot.co.uk/
Outdoor colored stain on the entire jenga brick works well since the finish soaks into the wood – bricks are still good at sliding! Don’t use anything that would add more to the brick or get sticky if it got hot like latex or polyurathane – it just doesn’t work…
I did this with a club at the high school I work at as a fundraiser – worked really well and was a lot of fun!
The stained sets were done in college colors and then we also have a laser engraver so we personalized bricks with that. Even did one for a wedding.
LOVE this idea!
Particularly since I just recently saw this episode of The Big Bang Theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_aod9zjLXk
I love this! Such a fun idea!
Gypsy Plunder Vintage (15% Off Sale)
I love the colors on the ends. What a great outdoor game! Thank you for sharing!
xx
youngmildandfree.wordpress.com
I saw this on skunkboy’s IG and thought it was awesome. How fun, especially for a birthday party!!
The colors you used are great!
This looks super fun! Great idea! I also love the giant chess board sets. It makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland. 🙂
http://annescribblesanddoodles.blogspot.com/
Gonna wear some steel-toed boots…just in case.
This is easy and fun to do. Thanks for sharing.
What an awesome idea! This would be so fun for a bbq and games night!
http://www.fullbellywornsoles.com
This is so cool!
Carina xx
http://www.carstina.com/
One of my favorite bars here in Cincinnati has life size Jenga. You have to get there pretty early to call a game. So fun you made your own set!
We play giant jenga too! It’s a blast!
I’ve heard and seen pictures for giant jenga (actually even bigger than this one) but yay I love knowing that it works! I was always skeptical thinking it would be too heavy.
I love this!!! I def need to keep this idea for a party! If my birthday wasn’t in October, I would be throwing a party and having this as the main event. Haha!
x Sara from tinysugarbee.blogspot.com
Hah! What a fun game for the grown ups 🙂
xox
Bailey
http://akabailey.blogspot.com
BEST idea ever!!
http://secretsofahappygirl.blogspot.co.uk/
LOVE this idea!!! Definitely making it soon before the warm weather goes away.
xoxo
Taylor
http://www.welcomehometaylor.com
Ha! This is awesome. Looks like FUN.
That’s so much fun! I know if I went to someone’s house and they had giant Jenga outside I would definitely have to play!
I love Jenga. I definitely have to do this.
Giant jenga is awesome! Love the bright colours
Lauren
livinginaboxx
We had a giant jenga set at our wedding and it was such a hit! Ours is about 4 feet tall and you’ll often find my husband and I on a nice evening playing it in the backyard 🙂
how awesome.
this must happen.
like a childhood dream!
– Janine
http://theeoptimist.blogspot.com
How cool 🙂
How fun! And the colours are awesome too! 🙂
Oh snap! I gave my 7 year old nephew Jenga for his birthday yesterday. I’d forgotten how much of an addictively fun game it is.
Lana xx
pineappledazzle.bpogspot.com
great yard game for cookouts I’m making one of these!!!!
Woah! I love it! I want one like this at home. I think I have some 1×3 boards lefts from our house construction, maybe I’ll try (read«my boyfriend will try» !!!) to make our own jenga!!! Thank you for sharing this great idea.
Funny enough I hadn’t heard of this before today, and then I saw it on two blogs. I like the colors you used! Cute.
Oh that is such a cool idea!!
Giveaway on the blog today!
xo Lisa
Making Life’s Lemons
Seriously girls, this just plain rocks! Can I come over and play!?
That is one hell of jenga..i screw up even the small ones, this one could make me go nuts..but is indeed a fun for outdoor hangouts.
Hahaha looks like you had so much ffun with giant jenga.!! Perfect Idea!
This is awesome and a fun way to brighten up a game!
Lulu xx
https://www.luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com
such an amazing idea! I work with kids and Uno Stacko is always a winner with them. This game is one of the best ideas ever! xo
Your Daily Break
So cute, for the size of my flat I have a weirdly large kitchen that has been looking bare and empty forever! Thinking a stack of these in the corner painted to match the decor would look wicked (and eat into some unused space).
Thanks for the post guys 🙂
http://threadsandstitches.wordpress.com/
Oh Wow! This is such a great idea, especially for parties:)
So cool idea :))
http://www.sztukastudiowania.pl/
This would be so much fun to take to a backyard barbecue as a gift!
Been seeing these around lately, how fun – careful when it falls! Haha – I saw one at a Renaissance fair when I was in High school in like…. 98? Very cool (and easy!) project! Pinned it 😀
I think I just found a gift for my Dad! It will be perfect at camp!
looks like a blast! I am a new reader and can’t wait to give this a try!!!!
My husband made one of these a few years ago. He made it a lot bigger and I dare say pretty dangerous for any small dogs who were hanging around nearby. A table top version looks more sensible and I love the colors.
Christine
http://pinwheelsandstories.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ8m0XESUlE
Giant jenga is big in Austin! I love the addition of color. Very pretty. I think it would be fun to have one in the backyard, but I have to say, I love looking forward to going out and playing at a bar.
That’s awesome! And would make a great inexpensive gift! Especially to give to the host of a party you were going to…perfect!
http://www.TheCraftyEngineerx.etsy.com
This is such a great idea! My kids would adore having one of these!
OMG this is awesome! Now I want one of those for my backyard.
this looks so fun but i’d be so scared to knock it over lol
This looks like so much fun! There is a giant jenga set at this fun bicycle bar I go to, but I never thought to make my own set 🙂
Amia
http://www.teapotsandbelles.blogspot.com
This is such a great idea!
xoox,
Laura
http://lauraisthriftingthroughlife.blogspot.com/
Isn’t it just the best? We made giant jenga a few years back – our jenga blocks are probably twice as big as the ones you have made.. so you can imagine the apprehension when it’s about to crumble! I love it how you have coloured the ends!!!!
You are my inspiration.
this is cool! i love giant jenga! i go to trivia at a bar on wednesdays and they have giant jenga, it’s so much fun! theirs is not as cute as yours though, the color makes it a million times more awesome!!!
–Leeds
at this volume
My awesome dad made me a Giant Jenga set for my birthday, although he and my mom opted to go the drinking game route and wrote rules and such on each block. Think a cross between Jenga and Sociables! It’s pretty fantastic 😀
We called ours ‘Deck Jenga’ using the leftover spindle pieces from building our deck, hence the name, lol. Either way same idea, but on a recycling side.
This is actually AWESOME! I want some fun garden games for my new apartment with big garden! Thanks!
I volunteered at a booth for an arts festival and we had community jenga where people wrote notes on each of the blocks they pulled out. Yours is much prettier though 🙂
http://www.carowhack.com
We have a set and have played it at outdoor parties. Neat because kids and adults enjoy it equally and can play together. We make a platform with cinder blocks and a board. It does get high, so we keep a step stool nearby.
That’s a really neat & simple idea. The colors at a great zing.
☯ Carmen
I want to make this…shouldn’t the pieces be 12inches, not 10.5?
Great idea !! we just ordered ours from http://www.TumblingTowers.com Looking forward to the best party ever!!! great blog and thanks for the idea 🙂
I spent a whole day playing Jenga at that rooftop bar in Austin. Good times!
Can you tell me what brand paint you used on this set? I love the color combo.
A delightful idea for any party with friends!.. And I adore rest on fresh air… but with such a game it will be unforgettable 🙂 And a great idea for a gift 😉 Thank you!!
I know this post is old…but to keep untreated wood waterproofed…look up “Internal Wood Stabilizer.” We’re using it on our chicken coop and it’s great for stuff like this. you can’t stain the wood once it has IWS on it (it won’t hold the stain) BUT you can paint it. Will keep your wood from warping, rotting, etc.for decades to come!
I love the colors on the ends. What a great outdoor game!
Thank you!
Fantastic! Although it is better to buy the original so that all the pieces are perfectly cut and with identical size to play better.