Handmade with Love: 200 Tic-Tac-Toe Sets That Say More Than Just ‘Game On'

Howdy friends,

It’s been a whirlwind of sawdust, laughter, and late nights here in the shop this week—and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just finished sanding and packing up over 200 of our handcrafted wooden tic-tac-toe sets, and let me tell ya, each one is a little slice of Americana, built right here in Kosciusko County with pride, patience, and polish.

When I say “we build toys,” I don’t mean we slap things together and call it a day. Nah. Around here, our wooden toys carry stories. Some of these marble tic toes will have 4-5 different types of wood in them. These beauties are usually made from cherry, walnut, oak or poplar with contrasting tabs. They come with 10 marbles that are inside the game, 5 of each color.

These tic-tac-toe boards? They ain’t just toys. They’re little heirlooms.

From Rough-Cut Pine to Game Night Centerpiece

We start with locally sourced wood—none of that cheap pressboard stuff you get in big box stores. I’m talking about wood that smells like the forest and rings like a tuning fork when you tap it.

Each board is cut, shaped, routed, and finished by hand, piece by piece. No overseas factories. It’s me, my wife working in our home based shop. There's many steps to this little game and the CNC drills the holes for the marbles to set in. And this week, boy was it big.

Over 200 sets, each one smooth to the touch and polished with a food-safe finish so it’s safe for little ones’ hands.

Built for Grandkids and Grown-Ups Alike

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Tic-tac-toe? That old game? Yup. But hear me out: these are more than just toys to kill time on a rainy day. These games are good brainstorming for the young and older alike and easy for packing to tuck away when you go to the mountains for a get away.

An Indiana Promise

We don’t just make these for a paycheck. These toys are our way of sharing a little piece of who we are.

So when you buy from us—whether it’s a tic-tac-toe board, a wooden toy rifle, a stick horse or a crate with your grandkid’s name on it—you’re buying something that was loved into life. Not just made.

We don’t mass produce. We don’t cut corners. We’re not chasing trends. We’re holding on to values.

Real Talk About Quality

Let me just say it straight: we’re proud that we’re not made in China. Nothing wrong with global goods, but if you’ve ever picked up a cheap plastic toy from a dollar store and compared it to one of our handmade pieces, you’ll see what I mean. The smooth finish. The solid feel. The weight of real wood. It matters.

We’ve had customers tell us that our toys outlast their kids’ attention spans, and even the kids themselves—passed down to the next grandbaby in the family. And to us? That’s success.

Why Wooden Games Still Matter

In today’s world of flashing screens and noisy plastic, wooden toys are a return to simpler joys. A game of tic-tac-toe played across a wooden board means:

• No batteries.

• No loud sounds.

• No screen time.

• Just real human interaction.

That’s why we keep making them. That’s why we spent the whole week assembling, sanding, and boxing up 200+ sets to ship out across the USA. Because somewhere out there, a kid’s about to win their first game against Grandma. Or a dad’s about to teach his kid strategy. Or a teacher’s setting up a calm corner in her classroom.

And we get to be a little part of that moment.

The Final Finish

Every tic-tac-toe set we send off is polished with beeswax and mineral oil—nothing fake. Just good old-fashioned finishing methods that have been around longer than most stores.

We carefully package them up and they're usually shipped the day the order was received or the next day.

This order of 200 is going out to another store, yes, we do sell retail online or at our home based store location but we also sell wholesale within the USA.

Wrapping It Up

So, what’s next after 200 tic-tac-toes?

Well, we’ve got a stack of wooden geese waddling out the door soon. Then it’s back to crates, rubber band rifles, pushrollers, and maybe even a few more tic-tac-toes once folks realize how fun they are.

If you’re looking for wooden toys made in the USA—with love, not just labor—you’re in the right place. We’re just a small family trying to keep the old ways alive, one toy at a time.

Thanks for reading, and if you want to see what we’re up to this week, come visit our Facebook page or message us directly. We’d be proud to make something just for you.

With sawdust in our hair and warmth in our hearts,– The Family at My Unique Wooden Toys