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DIY Board Game Storage Unit

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Kamis, 20 Juni 2013 0 komentar

Some of you know I'm crazy about European board games. It is the one hobby my husband and I have in common, and we just got back from the Origins Game Fair! WAHOO!! And now you know why I have been AWOL the last week and a half, between family visiting (and gaming), and the game fair (and gaming), and gaming...well, it was a great vacation! But now I'm baaaack!
Ok, so I may love a good board game, and I am all about my hubby trading games to build a fantastic collection for our family, but let's face it, I'm still a decor happy woman. That means I don't want to see our game collection piled up on shelves in my living room. There has to be a better more attractive solution, especially now that he has come home from Origins with a dozen new games.

Devising the Ultimate Game Storage System

This game storage system has to accommodate my husbands game storage OCD particulars as well as mine, and boy are we one particular couple!
We started out by storing our games in a drawer, but our collection soon outgrew the drawer, and I was not happy with open book shelf storage. The solution? I built two simple cabinet bases designed to store our board games, and stacked my bookshelves on top! It fulfills both our need for game storage, as well as attention to game preservation details. There are two nearly identical bookcase units, but the bases contain a couple small differences I will show you.

Tour My New Game Storage Unit: I'm eager to show you both units, how well they work, and what organization method I use to sort my games!

Storage Particulars
The great thing about this manner of storing our games is that it is customized to meet all our storage needs and satisfy our varying points of OCD. That means no twitching for either of us! *grin*

Store Games Upright: In our opinion games should never ever be stored on their sides. Game pieces are jostled about when flipped on their side and you open to a chaotic mess. Um, no, not ok.
Avoid Direct Sunlight: Games must be stored out of the sunlight to avoid fading boxes.
Avoid Stacking: When you stack games one atop the other, over time the roof of the box below begins to sag. The only games I stack are lightweight
Line Shelves: Over time boxes tend to "stick" to painted shelves and can risk peeling your game box. Shelf liner works wonders to keep your boxes protected.
Use Flat Pull-Out Shelves: Don't use drawers or pull-out shelves that have any lip to it, it makes it difficult to reach in and grab a game. Straight flat shelves enable you to slide a game out without having to "claw" at it to get a grip. Also be sure that your drawer slides are the correct length to pull shelves out far enough to allow the game behind to be easily lifted without having to move other games out of the way.
Personalize Organization: We opted to organize our games by categories then from top to bottom by frequency of play. Our categories are "Family Games", "Friend Favorites", "Rosenburg Games", and "Everything Else". Whether you go by alphabetical order or categories, customize it to how you and your family thinks. And definitely label!!
Add the Bells & Whistles: Add door pulls to the pull-out shelves if it makes it easier for you to grab...my husband preferred it without, but find ways to customize your storage to be most effective.

Whether you build your own DIY storage unit, or add pull-out shelves to an existing one it is definitely worth the extra effort! I promise to share the building details in the near future. *wink*

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Organizing Ora et Labora

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Jumat, 15 Februari 2013 0 komentar

For those of you who aren't gamers... we interrupt this blog-cast for a test of of the emergency game organization system. This is a test, this is only a test. If this were a real emergency, game pieces would be scattered across the floor. We'll get back to your regularly scheduled blog in a moment.
OR read on and get some ideas on how to organize whatever type of games you and your family enjoy! After all, I'm on a quest to organize every nook and cranny of my house and my life, so why not the fun and games? It can only make it better!

A Gaming Favorite
My husband and I are huge Rosenberg fans! He is the creator of Agricola, the game that took me from an "I hate all games equally" status to being a Eurogame geek. So when we heard he had created Ora et Labora, it was number one on our must have list!
I love this game, and I can't quite put my finger on why. I think I like the feeling of accomplishment it gives me before I realize how badly I've been whupped. The process of collecting resources and using them to build has always been a very satisfying game play component for me. I also like the flexibility it allows me in strategy...if there is only one real way to win a game, I'm doomed, my husband is just too good!
For more information on the Ora et Labora, including a game overview, where to purchase, links, forums and so much more, click here: Board Game Geek.

This is the second game I set out to organize, the first was LeHavre (read about it here). I organized both of these games because of how often we play, and because nothing makes my organized soul twitch more than having to pick through a pile of resource tiles to find what you're looking for! Egh, might as well store as many pieces in a manner that doesn't require you to unpack just to have to put it away at the end of the game. Eurogames take a bit of time for set up anyway, if you can shave lots of time and effort off, why not?

Storage for Ora et Labora

The secret to organizing Ora et Labora is using two 6-section plastic organizers. The organizers are Plano Model #3450, dimensions 8.25" x 4.25 x 1.38". I found mine at Walmart on sale for $4 each in the bead department, the brand is called Creative Options. Or click on my Amazon Store finds for online purchase.
The first organizer houses all 6 starting & basic resource tiles. The second organizer houses 5 (advanced or game variation) resources that tend to come later (grapes/wine, flour/bread, etc.), and one additional section to house your wooden resource representation pieces. The resource tiles fit perfectly in these dividers, the clay/pottery resource requires that a few sit front-to-side rather than all facing forward, but the intent is good storage, not just looking "pretty". Speaking of pretty, the resource tiles won't stay upright and tidy like it is in my photos, they will get messy...we toss resources back into the dividers as we play so no clean-up is required, and it works like a charm!
The dividers stack easily in the box, with plenty of room to house the instruction booklet underneath, and all other pieces to the side. It is always important to find organizers that fit perfectly in the box, having even the slightest rise to the box lid just isn't an option...eh, call it OCD. The cards are kept separated by type in small individual craft bags since they are too small to bother with tuckboxes or other types of card storage.

We like to keep set-ups as painless as possible... nothing is worst than introducing a newbie to a game that takes forever to set up when the explanation of how to play has already produced the blank look of game remorse on their faces. *Chuckle* We joke that people avoid coming to our house because they'll be forced into play-labor. I often woosh a pretend whip over my friends heads and cry "slaaaave, get back to playing slaaaave!"...no, no I don't do that, I just think it with great glee.

Here is an overhead view a game set up for two players:

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Organizing LeHavre

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Kamis, 18 Oktober 2012 0 komentar

LeHavre was the very first Eurogame I set out to organize.
I am usually satisfied with placing pieces in mini craft bags, but setting up this particular game takes as long as the game itself! Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but those of you who play LeHavre know exactly what I'm talking about. I have been on the search for the perfect plastics to contain the pieces. Here is what I've come up with...
I love these clear stack-able bead containers! You simply unscrew and place the containers directly on the game board, they fit in the spaces nicely, and hold the resources perfectly. The only rub is the containers fit better in the box in stacks of two's as opposed to laying on it's side in one large stack, so you will have to purchase extra covers. I purchased my containers at Walmart for $3 per 4 stack, but I know the Container Store also carries them online.

Creating Custom Tuck boxes:
I was like a kid in a candy store when the same friend who introduced us to Eurogames told us how to create custom tuck boxes for our games. He recommended this free tuck box generator to us. You provide the dimensions, and it provides the template. You can upload scans or pictures and design your boxes as you please. I opted to scan the back of one of the cards and add the desired text. I wanted my boxes to be a bit more sturdy than simply printing the template onto thin card stock, so I printed it onto an 8 1/2 x 11 full size shipping label, then adhered that to card stock too thick to go through my printer. A little superglue goes a long way to assemble sturdy card boxes. I suggest doing a practice version first to get the hang it and ensure you got your dimensions correct. The hubby organized and stored the cards by number of players, and a box for special buildings. It makes it significantly easier to set up since the cards are already divided, plus it no longer scares new players just watching the setup process!

Never Played LeHavre?
It would be considered a "heavier" Eurogame if you are used to playing gateway games such as the more popular "Settlers of Catan". The basic idea of the game is to "purchase" cards (buildings) that equal points at the end of the game and provide necessary resource functions throughout the game, the fun of the game is the process of collecting resources that allow you to make those purchases (not easy), and the challenge of having to feed increasing each round. I personally enjoy LeHavre's dynamics, I love worker placement, and I like that there are so many strategic directions one can go. I find that the game play satisfies me, even if I do not win. If you are a fan of other Rosenberg games, this one is right up there with his best!

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