Every tabletop player ends up with a box full of extra cards and stray bits that feel too nice to toss. Instead of letting them gather dust, you can turn those leftovers into something special: durable, one-of-a-kind tokens that look great on the table. This simple craft is part organization, part upcycling, and all about giving your favorite games a personal touch.
Up-cycling is useful for many reasons. You can reuse old supplies and clear out some clutter, or heighten your gaming experience with fancier more durable tokens. This environmentally friendly crafting project is simple to accomplish and produces a high end token to enjoy for years.
Materials
- Old Magic the Gathering cards – any gaming cards will work
- 1” epoxy resin dome stickers – 1″ Epoxy Resin Dome Stickers
- 1” round wood coins – 1″ round wood circle coins
- Wood glue – Gorilla Wood Glue
- 1” hole punch (optional) – 1″ Hole Punch
Instructions
- Choose your token images.
- We used bulk common/uncommons Magic cards for this project
- Duplicate cards can also be picked up cheaply from local gaming shops.
- The numbers will vary depending upon availability.
- You can also print out images. We wanted to give unused cards new life.
- Place the epoxy resin domes over the desired pic area you want to use for your tokens.
- Steps 2 and 3 can be swapped depending on your ability to cut circles. Or if you have a 1″ hole puncher.
- I placed the epoxy resin domes over the dragon heads.And cut around the domes.
- You can stop here, these tokens are already more sturdy than most game tokens. But, that’s not nearly as much fun or impressive. Let’s take that extra step.
- Next, using wood glue, glue the back of the token to a 1” wood coin.
- I used Elmer’s school glue initially – wood glue gives a better hold to the coins and it water resistant.
- Take your tokens to your next game and show off your work! Enjoy!
Bonus options
You can also upgrade existing game tokens with this method.
Peel and stick them to the front and back if they’re double sided.
This gives you a fancier version of your existing games, and more longevity with your tokens.
That’s it! Your old cards now have a new life as polished, durable tokens. Each one carries a little memory of the games that came before it. Keep experimenting with designs, or use the same process to upgrade components from other games. Sometimes the best part of gaming is what happens between sessions—when you’re building something with your own hands.
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