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How to Make a Coin Maze

Throughout history, mazes have been part of culture and entertainment. The oldest known mazes date back to the Mayans and ancient Greeks. Coin mazes, with the maze encased in a wooden box with a plexiglass front, are made for coins to be dropped into. The design of the maze inside the box is left to the imagination of the creator. The maze consists of walls that are glued to the interior bottom of the box. Coins are moved through the maze by tilting the box.

Things You'll Need

6-inch-by 6-inch-by-1 1/2-inch wooden craft box (no lid)
Wood stain
Staining brush
Pen
Ruler
1-inch wide wooden slats
Craft saw
Super glue
6-inch-by 6-inch piece of Plexiglass
Quarter

Instructions

- 1
  Stain the craft box inside and out. Allow the wood to dry. Apply a second coat of stain, if desired, and allow it to dry.
- 2
  Decide on the maze pattern you want to build within the box. With the pen and ruler, mark the pattern's vertical and horizontal lines on the interior of the bottom of the box. This will show you how many slat pieces will be required and what lengths each piece should be.
- 3
  Measure the slats and mark where they need to be cut. Saw them to those lengths. Stain the slats and let them dry. Apply a second coat of stain if desired.
- 4
  Saw a coin slot, large enough to accept a quarter easily, in one side of the box.
- 5
  Glue each slat into its designated place in the box bottom. Allow the glue to dry. Make sure that all the pieces are secure.
- 6
  Place the Plexiglass in the box so it rests on the upper edges of the slats. Apply super glue around the edges of the Plexiglass where they meet the sides of the box. Let the glue dry. Apply two to three more coats of super glue to the edges to ensure security.

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