Bringing a board game on a trip used to mean cramming the original box into a suitcase and hoping the pieces survived the journey. Half the time, you would arrive to find tokens mixed together, cards bent out of shape, and a pile of baggies that had torn open somewhere over the Atlantic. I have been there more times than I can count.
That frustration is exactly why I started building my own travel inserts. A good DIY board game travel insert does more than keep components sorted. It keeps the game actually playable on the go, whether you are at a hotel desk, a campsite picnic table, or your friend’s kitchen counter.
In this guide, I will walk you through exactly how to make a travel insert from scratch, using affordable materials you can pick up at any craft or dollar store. I will cover the full build process, share the design tricks that make a game playable during travel, and address the protection and waterproofing steps most tutorials skip entirely.
Table of Contents
What Is a Travel Insert and Why It Matters for Playability?
A travel insert is a custom organizer built from foam board, cardboard, or plastic dividers that holds game components securely in place during transport. Unlike a simple storage solution, a well-designed travel insert keeps each component accessible enough that you can set up and play the game directly from the insert without unpacking everything.
That distinction matters. Most DIY game insert tutorials focus on home storage, where the goal is keeping shelves tidy. Travel inserts solve a different problem: they let you open a bag, pull out a tray, and start playing within minutes of arriving at your destination.
The difference comes down to compartment design. A storage insert just separates pieces. A travel insert separates pieces AND makes them reachable, visible, and secure enough that a bumpy car ride or a jostled backpack will not scramble everything back together.
I learned this the hard way on a road trip with Wingspan. My first foam core insert was perfectly organized at home, but after four hours of driving, every token had jumped its divider wall. The redesign focused on deeper walls, tighter component fit, and a lid that clamped down on top. That is the level of thinking this guide will help you achieve.
Materials You Need to Make a Travel Insert
Building a travel insert does not require expensive supplies. Most materials cost under $5 each and can be found at dollar stores, craft shops, or big-box retailers. Here is what I recommend stocking up on before you start.
Foam board (also called foam core) is the backbone material for most DIY inserts. It is lightweight, cuts cleanly, and provides enough rigidity to hold components in place. A standard 20-by-30-inch sheet runs about $3 to $5 and is enough for most single-game projects.
Bristol board is a thinner, denser cardboard that works well for inner dividers and shallow trays. It is cheaper than foam board, usually under $2 per sheet, and ideal for separating cards or small tokens where thick walls would eat up too much space.
Hot glue is the fastest and most forgiving adhesive for insert building. A standard hot glue gun with a bag of glue sticks costs under $10 and will last through multiple projects. Hot glue bonds foam board instantly, which lets you hold pieces in position while the joint sets.
Self-adhesive magnetic strips are an optional upgrade that makes a huge difference for travel inserts. Small magnets can hold a lid shut, keep metal components in place, or secure a playing board flat against the box lid. A roll of adhesive magnetic strip costs about $6.
Velcro dots are another affordable addition, usually $4 for a pack. They let you attach and remove trays from a base layer, which is useful if you want modular compartments that pull out individually during play.
Clear contact paper or packing tape provides a cheap waterproofing layer. I will cover this more in the protection section, but having it on hand during the build saves you a second trip to the store.
Tools Required for the Build
The right tools make the difference between a clean, professional insert and one that looks like it was hacked together with safety scissors. None of these are expensive, but each one serves a specific purpose.
A self-healing cutting mat protects your work surface and keeps your blade sharp longer. A medium-size mat, around 12 by 18 inches, costs $10 to $15 and is the single most important investment for insert building.
A sharp utility knife with breakaway blades is your primary cutting tool. Breakaway blades let you snap off a dull section and keep working. Replace blades often, because a dull knife tears foam board instead of cutting it cleanly.
A metal ruler or carpenter square ensures straight, accurate cuts. Never use a plastic ruler with a utility knife, because the blade will shave into the edge and ruin both the ruler and your measurement.
A pencil and eraser for marking cut lines before committing to the blade. Mechanical pencils work best because they produce thin, precise marks that are easy to erase from foam board.
A hot glue gun with spare glue sticks. Keep a bowl of cold water nearby, because dipping your fingers in cold water before pressing foam pieces together prevents burns and speeds up assembly.
How to Make a Travel Insert That Keeps a Game Playable on the Go?
This is the core process I use for every travel insert I build. I have refined these steps over dozens of projects, and they work for games ranging from lightweight card games to component-heavy strategy games.
Step 1: Measure every component separately. Before cutting anything, lay out all the game pieces and measure them. Count the number of cards, tokens, dice, miniatures, and boards. Record the height of card stacks, the diameter of round tokens, and the footprint of each player tray. Write everything down, because accurate measurements are what separate a snug, travel-safe insert from a loose, rattling one.
Step 2: Measure the inside of your container. Whether you are using the original game box, a plastic tackle box, or a custom travel case, measure the interior dimensions carefully. Measure depth, width, and length, and subtract about 2 millimeters from each measurement to account for the thickness of the foam board walls.
Step 3: Sketch your layout on paper. Draw a top-down view of the container interior and block out compartments for each component group. Place frequently used items, like score pads or dice, near the edge where they are easy to grab mid-game. Put rarely used components, like reference cards or expansion tiles, in the center or bottom layers.
Step 4: Cut the base layer first. The base is the floor of your insert. Cut it to the interior dimensions of your container, test-fit it, and trim until it drops in cleanly. This base anchors everything else, so getting it right is critical.
Step 5: Cut the outer walls. Cut four wall strips that match the height you need. For travel inserts, I recommend walls that are at least 75 percent as tall as the tallest component they surround. This prevents pieces from hopping over the wall during transport.
Step 6: Glue walls to the base. Run a thin bead of hot glue along the bottom edge of each wall and press it into position on the base. Hold each piece for about 10 seconds while the glue sets. Work one wall at a time so you can adjust positioning before the glue hardens.
Step 7: Add inner dividers. Cut shorter dividers to separate compartments within each section. Glue these in place the same way, pressing firmly and wiping away any excess glue that squeezes out before it dries.
Step 8: Create a lid or cover layer. This is the step most DIY tutorials skip, and it is the single most important feature for a travel insert. Cut a second foam board sheet that sits on top of your compartments, resting on the upper edges of the walls. Add felt pads or foam strips to the underside of the lid so it presses gently against the components, holding them in place without crushing them.
Step 9: Secure the lid for travel. Attach self-adhesive Velcro dots to the corners of the lid and the box rim, or use magnetic strips along the edges. The lid should stay firmly shut when the box is upside down or shaken.
Step 10: Test under real conditions. Pack the insert into your travel bag, drive around the block or shake the box vigorously for 30 seconds, then open it and inspect. If any pieces moved, deepen the walls or tighten the compartment fit. Repeat until everything stays put.
Designing for Playability: Keeping the Game Functional During Travel
A travel insert is only useful if it lets you actually play the game once you arrive. I have seen gorgeous inserts that require ten minutes of unpacking before the first turn, which defeats the entire purpose. Here are the design principles I follow to keep games functional on the go.
Use lift-out trays for player components. Instead of burying player pieces at the bottom of the insert, build small individual trays that each player can lift out and place in front of them. This eliminates passing the box around the table and speeds up setup dramatically.
Design open-top compartments for shared resources. The central supply of tokens, coins, or cubes should sit in wide, shallow compartments with no lid directly above them. Players need to reach in and grab pieces during the game, so keep these areas accessible from the top at all times.
Turn the box lid into a playing surface. If your game uses a small board or scoring track, attach it to the inside of the container lid using double-sided tape or magnetic strips. When you open the box, the lid becomes a ready-to-use board with no separate setup required.
Keep card decks in angled slots. Cards stored flat are hard to pick up during play. Cut card compartments at a slight angle, or build a small ramp from scrap foam board, so cards lean backward and are easy to thumb through and draw from without removing the deck.
Color-code compartments with markers or tape. A few dots of colored marker or small strips of washi tape on the rim of each compartment help players identify where pieces belong during cleanup. This is especially helpful if multiple players are packing up at the end of a session.
Protecting Your Components: Waterproofing and Damage Prevention
Travel exposes games to hazards your shelf never will. Spilled drinks in a car, sudden rain during a camping trip, condensation in a backpack on a hot day, and rough handling by airport baggage systems all threaten your components. A few extra steps during the build add meaningful protection.
Line the base with clear contact paper. Apply a sheet of self-adhesive clear contact paper to the bottom of your insert before gluing down any walls. This creates a waterproof barrier that prevents spills from soaking into the foam board and reaching the components below.
Seal foam board edges with packing tape. The exposed foam edges of cut foam board absorb moisture quickly. Wrap a thin strip of packing tape along every cut edge to seal the foam and prevent it from wicking up liquids.
Use card sleeves for any card-heavy game. Sleeves are the cheapest insurance you can buy for a travel insert project. Standard card sleeves cost about $3 per pack and protect against bent corners, spills, and the wear that repeated handling during travel causes.
Add foam padding to the lid interior. Cut a sheet of thin craft foam or felt and glue it to the underside of your lid. This soft pad presses gently against miniatures and tokens, preventing them from rattling or scratching against a hard surface during transport.
Store the insert inside a waterproof bag. Even a well-sealed insert benefits from a second layer of protection. A large zip-top bag or dry sack around the entire box adds insurance against rain, spills, and humidity for under $5.
Adapting Inserts for Different Game Types
Not every game needs the same insert design. The type of components a game uses determines how you should structure your compartments, walls, and lid. Here is how I adapt my approach for the most common categories.
Card-heavy games like Arkham Horror or Terraforming Mars need tall, narrow card slots that keep decks stacked vertically. Build dividers that are at least three-quarters the height of the sleeved deck, and add a foam ramp at the bottom so cards lean backward for easy drawing.
Token-heavy eurogames like Wingspan or Everdell need many small, shallow compartments. Use Bristol board dividers instead of thick foam board to maximize usable space, and group similar tokens together so players can find what they need at a glance.
Miniature-heavy games like Marvel Zombies or Frosthaven need deep, custom-fit pockets for each figure. Press a miniature gently into a block of foam board to create an imprint, then cut around the outline with a utility knife. Wrap each pocket with felt to prevent paint rub.
Dice and small-component games benefit from lidded compartments. Use small plastic containers from bead storage kits or fishing tackle boxes as modular inserts inside your foam board frame. These keep tiny pieces contained even if the box is turned completely upside down.
DIY vs Purchased Inserts: Which Makes Sense for You
Commercial inserts from companies like Broken Token, e-Raptor, and Folded Space are excellent products, and they save you the time of building your own. But they are designed primarily for home storage, not travel. A flat-pack wooden organizer from a commercial brand rarely includes a travel lid or the tight component fit needed for transport.
A DIY foam core insert costs roughly $10 to $15 in materials and takes about 2 to 4 hours to build, depending on complexity. A purchased insert typically runs $30 to $60 plus shipping. If your priority is saving money and getting a travel-specific design, DIY wins easily.
If you value precision and do not want to measure and cut by hand, a commercial insert paired with a custom foam lid is a strong hybrid approach. Buy the insert for the interior organization, then build a simple foam board lid with magnetic closures to make the whole setup travel-ready.
For 3D printing enthusiasts, custom-printed inserts offer the best of both worlds. You get precision-fit compartments and can design latching lids and interlocking trays that snap together. The tradeoff is design time and printer access, but free designs for popular games are widely available on sites like Thingiverse and Printables.
FAQs
How to make a game for travelling?
Start with a compact container like an Altoids tin or small plastic box. Add mini components, a folded paper board, and magnetic pieces that stay put during movement. The key is choosing a container small enough to fit in a pocket or bag while keeping every piece secured inside.
How to store playing cards for travel?
Sleeve your cards first to protect edges and corners, then store them in a vertical slot within your travel insert. The compartment walls should be at least three-quarters the height of the deck, with a foam ramp at the bottom so cards lean backward and are easy to draw during play.
What is the best way to game on the go?
Build a custom travel insert that keeps components secured and playable directly from the container. Choose compact games with fewer pieces, download digital rulebooks to save space, and design lift-out trays so each player can grab their components without unpacking the whole box.
How to keep board game pieces from moving during travel?
Build compartment walls at least 75 percent as tall as the components inside them, add a foam-lined lid that presses down gently on the pieces, and secure the lid with Velcro dots or magnetic strips. Test the insert by shaking the box for 30 seconds before relying on it for a real trip.
Conclusion
Building a travel insert that keeps a game playable on the go is one of the most rewarding projects a board gamer can take on. It solves the real problems of pieces shifting, baggies tearing, and long setup times that make travel gaming frustrating.
The process comes down to accurate measurements, a thoughtful compartment layout, and the two features most tutorials overlook: a secure lid that clamps components in place, and a design that lets you play directly from the insert without unpacking. Add waterproofing steps like contact paper lining and sealed foam edges, and your games will survive anything a trip can throw at them.
Start with a simple game you know well, work through the ten steps above, and test the result under real travel conditions. Once you build your first insert, you will never go back to baggies and prayer.