Checkmate

Oversized garden games are popular with children and adults alike - why not make your own summer games table?

Here we've taken an old square picnic table that's seen better days and transformed it with a checker-board design that's ideal for chess and draughts.

Follow our easy step-by-step guide to create something similar for your back garden or patio

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  Step 1

  Treat the middle strips of the table to a coat of Cuprinol Garden Shades Pale Jasmine and frame with a border of Silver Birch. Leave to dry and then use a tape measure and soft-leaded pencil to measure out 64 squares - thats eight squares wide by eight squares deep.

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  Step 2

  Using low-tack masking tape, conceal alternative white squares. Once complete, use a 1" brush to carefully coat the remaining squares in Black Ash. Two coats may be required - for best results, allow the first to dry thoroughly before applying the second.

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  Step 3

  Once the table top is completely dry slowly peel off the masking tape to reveal a beautiful black and white board that's the perfect setting for a relaxing game of chess or draughts.

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  Cuprinol Garden Shades now have an extensive colour palette of 23 different shades to choose from, and because Garden Shades transforms both bare and weathered wood in just a couple of hours your garden transformation is only a day away!