project: tic tac toe

Earth Day is coming up next week, and I received a challenge of sorts from someone representing Tic Tac® mints to come up with a fun way to reuse or upcycle a Tic Tac® container. Now, I want to pause for a few quick notes.

1. In all honesty, Earth Day isn't a big deal to me. I'm more about the Creator than the creation, so rather than celebrate the earth, I'd rather treat it with respect all the time as a way of honoring the Creator. (After all, I do believe it was Made with Love.)

2. I love these mints, but it has been a while since I had one. The packaging is different from the last time I had them (which might tell you how long it has been), but the mints have the same appeal they always did: My grandma (who is no longer with us) always carried them, and they bring back good memories.

Anyway, back to this challenge. I had no idea what I would come up with, but the fine folks at Tic Tac® offered an incentive: free Tic Tacs (12 packs!) for one lucky reader! So, I took them up on their offer. At the end of this post you'll find giveaway information, but first...here's how to make your own Tic Tac® Toe game (see what I did there?)!!!



This mini travel game of Tic Tac® Toe is perfect to keep in your bag when you're on the go. Yes, I realize you could just draw it out on some scratch paper, but where's the fun in that? And this is so easy, you could make a bunch so that every little person you know has their own.



Here's what you need:
Empty Tic Tac® container with the label removed
Washi tape (I got mine at Target in the stationery section)
Felt scraps in two colors
Scissors



Cut a piece of washi tape that is about as wide as the Tic Tac® container, then cut that into 4 thin strips.



Place the pieces of tape onto the container in a tic tac toe pattern.

If you don't have colored tape, you could probably use acrylic paint for this, but I'm not sure of the results. Certainly it would be prone to scratches.



Cut small pieces of felt. You'll need 5 pieces of each color, but you could cut extras in case some get lost along the way.



Now you're ready to play!



When you're done, stow all of the pieces inside, and snap the lid closed. The pieces are small enough that you can just shake them right out of the lid when it's time to play!



I only bought the white kind, but another way to do this would be to fill this container with two different flavors/colors, and use the mints as your playing pieces...how about that?!




And I promised you a giveaway. One lucky reader gets a package of 12 packs of Tic Tac® mints! That's a lot of little games! (and bonus: fresh breath!) So...Leave your name and your favorite color/flavor of Tic Tac®, and I'll announce a random winner.

UPDATE: We have a winner! Congratulations to Maureen!