Carpet ball/ Gutter Ball Plans
- gingerwoodworks
- Apr 6
- 2 min read
As Usual, here is a link to my YouTube Channel with a short video on the final product.
If you've ever been involved with a youth ministry program or camp then odds are youve played Carpet ball / Gutter ball. Its a simple game, using billiards balls, and a 12 foot long table that turns every church kids ministry into competitive chaos.
Last year, our church went through a complete kids ministry overhaul and wanted to add a few items that the kids have experienced at some of the camps we have gone to. So, with the help of a couple Pinterest searches, a quick Google search to find some rules and regulation size info, myself and one of my buddies, Orin who happens to be one half of the Kids ministry leadership got to building.
Here are the Plans that we started off with:
Here is a link to the Carpetball official website as well for proper dimensions if you like to make your own adjustments, like I do:
First things first, I took my buddy Orin on a field trip to Home Depot. I taught him what a hammer was, showed him what a saw looked like and finished the field trip off with a run to the lumber Dept. where we snagged our supples. Disclaimer, only some of that last sentence is accurate.....
We then headed back to the church, where we did our best not to make a mess in the quality shop that our church has ( run by my wife's uncle, so I know he knew where all his tools were before we arrived).
As we spent time building this beast, a few things that are of note:
1.) Build it in place if you can, this things huge and weights a ton.
2.) If you cant, which we could not, build the top, then build the legs, and transport it that way. Attach the legs and top when you arrive at its final destination.
3.) Secure some help, or some industrial Carts with large wheels to move these parts for assemply.
4.) Consider adding some extra lumber to the legs, go big. The tops going to be heavy, but middle schoolers are going to slam it, climb on it, and otherwise attempt to demollish it during every game they play.
A year later, here is one solid pro tip we learned:
Because Middle school kids are going to beat the snot out of the thing, so make sure you carpet the end boards to reduce sound and destruction. ( we did not and it was recently done, to save the adult volunteers from going deaf and to replace the busted end boards)
Now, go find some volunteers, take these plans and start buildiing!
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