|DICASTIO|

How to Paint with a Palette Knife
How to Build a Rocking Chair
How to Play UNO

Posted: 13 Jun 2019 01:00 AM PDT

Palette knives, also known as painting knives, have been favored by some of the greatest artists in history. Whether used with oil paints or acrylics, the blunt blades of these tapered tools can produce a variety of effects. With different angles and pressure levels, you can use a palette knife to build up layers of texture, cover large areas with blocks of color, soften hard edges, and add fine details. Gather some paints, a sturdy canvas, and a paint palette to start experimenting with your palette knife!

EditSteps

EditGathering Supplies

Choose a palette knife or painting knife. Although the two terms are used interchangeably, you'll notice there are slight differences when you go to an art supply store. Painting knives have narrow, tapered blades and a deeper bend at the "neck" which is designed to keep your hands out of the paint. Palette knives typically have flat, wide blades. They're useful for mixing large amounts of paint and scraping off paint palettes. Pick whichever style suits your painting goals.^[1]
- Palette and painting knives come in small, medium, and large sizes, with curved and pointed ends. If you're new to palette knife painting, experiment with a few different sizes and shapes to discover your favorite tool.
- If you're planning to create a painting with fine details, a smaller painting knife would be a good choice. But if you want to create big blocks of color, try a larger knife.
Opt for a knife with a sturdy metal blade and wood handle. With a springy and flexible metal blade, you'll be able to easily manipulate the paint on your canvas. The blade on a painting knife should be dull since you'll be using it to spread, mix, and apply paint. You don't need to look for a sharp blade since it's not meant to be a cutting tool.^[2]
- Plastic palette knives and painting knives are also available. While they might seem like a good choice for a beginner, they are less flexible, less durable, and harder to clean.
- A plastic knife can be purchased for as low as 1 USD while many metal knives cost around 10 USD or less. A versatile metal tool is well worth the investment.^[3]
Use a firm canvas board or stiff surface as the base of the painting. With a painting knife, it's easier to apply paint on a stiff surface. A sturdy surface can also help prevent cracks from developing in thick layers of paint.^[4] Stretched canvases will pose difficulties to inexperienced palette knife painters. Instead, try a gessoed canvas board or a gessoed wood panel.
Select a large canvas or board for your palette knife painting. Try a board that measures at least if you're just starting out. With more space to cover, you'll push yourself to create bolder strokes and more confident marks.^[5]
- Remember that painting knives don't allow as much control as brushes do. Expect lots of happy accidents, and don't be surprised if these result in the most exciting details in your painting!
Use a large rigid plastic or wooden paint palette. Choose a rectangular or ovular palette with a smooth, flat surface. It can have a hole for your thumb to go through, or a lidded storage case, but these aren't necessary features. A palette measuring about long will provide enough space to mix and manipulate your paints.
- Waxed palette paper and loose plastic wrap will shift around with the pressure and movement of your palette knife. Instead of using these materials on their own, try taping a single sheet securely onto a sturdy palette for easier cleanup.
Place blobs of paint around the perimeter of the palette. Squeeze the acrylic or oil paints directly from the tubes onto the palette.^[6] Consider placing similar hues near each other, but keep each color separate. Place the blobs about apart and leave a wide space in the center of the palette to give yourself enough space for picking up and blending the paints.
- Refrain from mixing in a thinning medium or diluting the paints, since knife painting techniques work best with heavy-bodied paints.^[7]
- For even more texture, try mixing a thickening medium into your paint.

EditManipulating the Palette Knife

Grasp the handle of the painting knife sturdily and keep your wrists loose. Think of how an orchestra conductor would hold a baton, or a baker would hold a knife when frosting a cake. Position your hand with your knuckles at the side and underside of the knife. Your thumb will be resting near the top of the knife. The goal is to keep a firm but flexible grip on the knife, letting your wrist do most of the work.^[8]
- Wielding a palette knife can take some practice, and it feels very different from holding a paintbrush or drawing pencil.
Load up the knife with paint from the palette. Whether you want to add paint to the canvas directly or bring colors into the center of the palette to mix them, you'll follow the same technique. Use the flat, straight edge of the knife to scrape up a blob of paint from the perimeter of the palette. Place it down at the desired spot using a wiping motion.^[9]
- It's easiest to load up paint onto the back side of the knife, but you can also scoop it up onto the front side.
Clean paint off of the knife with a cloth or paper towel before changing colors. Use a dry or slightly damp cloth or a paper towel to wipe the wet paint off of the knife. You can pinch the base of the knife between the cloth and drag the cloth outwards to pull off the paint. Or try wiping each side of the knife with the cloth.^[10] Clean off the thin edges as well as the "neck" of the blade which may have collected some paint.
- Keep the knife clean to avoid accidentally transferring colors or unintentionally mixing a murky shade.
Blend paint colors together on the palette using the knife. Load up the knife with a single color and place it onto a clean spot near the center of the palette. Wipe off the knife with a paper towel or rag and then pick up another color. Add the new color to the same spot. Use the bottom or top of the blade to manipulate and combine the paints. Work in circular or seesaw motions to mix the colors, continuously applying downward pressure.^[11]
- Knead the colors together until you reach the right shade.^[12] Feel free to blend the colors completely or keep them partially separate.
Angle the knife on the canvas to create different textures. Use the flat base of the knife to drag color flat across the canvas. Try pushing paint at a 45-degree angle for more texture. Flick the knife upwards at the end of the gesture to create a 3-dimensional peak. Or you can twist the knife in an undulating wave gesture to create irregular textures.^[13]
Point the knife in different directions to create visual movement. The most comfortable position may be holding the knife at a 45-degree angle in relation to your body. But try holding it perpendicular to your body to create vertical lines. Rotate your wrist as you apply paint to the canvas to create swirls. Try layering a series of shorter strokes on different angles to add dimension to your painting.^[14]
- Use a variety of directions, angles, and gestures if you're interested in creating an organic, dynamic painting.
- Or, repeat the same motions if you want the final result to be uniform.^[15]

EditCreating Different Paint Effects

Use the back of the blade to add smooth fields of color. A larger palette knife or painting knife will provide the most coverage, but this technique can be done using small and medium knives as well. Load up the back of the knife with paint and smooth it across the canvas. Hold the knife parallel to the canvas and touch the back of the knife to the canvas for a thinner layer of paint. Hold it slightly away from the canvas to spread on a thicker layer.
- This technique often results in hazy, patchy edges where you can see through to the layer of paint below.
- Try this anywhere you want blocks of color without much 3-dimensional texture. In a landscape painting, it might be useful for filling in the sky, for instance.^[16]
Add thin lines using the narrow edge of the blade. Mix your desired color and then wipe off the knife. Turn the knife on its side and dip the thin edge of the blade into the paint. Holding the knife perpendicular the canvas and touch the edge down to create skinny lines. You can drag the knife across the canvas for a longer line or dab the edge of the knife multiple times to create a dashed line effect. For an irregular line, twitch the knife from side to side as you draw it across the canvas.^[17]
- This effect can be useful for painting water ripples and reflections, grasses, and trees.
Apply small dots of paint using the tip and corners of the knife. After mixing your colors, wipe the knife clean and then scoop up a small amount of paint with just the tip, or one of the sharper corners. Dot or drag the paint onto the canvas, using a variety of angles and gestures to create fine details and pops of color.^[18]
Scrape some paint away using the sgraffito technique. Hold the knife above the canvas at a 45-degree angle. Depending on the direction you want to move the paint, pull or push the side of the knife over the canvas to scrape away the uppermost layer of color and reveal the underlayer. Try this on wet or partially-dry paint to blend hard edges into softer atmospheric edges.^[19]
Drag blotches of wet paint to dry areas using the scumbling technique. This is similar to the sgraffito technique, but instead of removing paint you'll be adding it. Keep the knife at a 45-degree angle and push wet paint onto an area of dry paint. You can use the long side of the blade to move more paint, or just the tip to create finer details.^[20]
Pick up multiple colors at a time to create partially-blended strokes. Instead of completely mixing 2 or more shades together on the palette, load up the knife with a few colors and put them down onto the canvas. Use a variety of gestures and angles to spread these colors out and swirl them together.^[21]
- You can keep the colors mostly separate, or soften the edges with feathery strokes and gestures.

EditTips

Try creating an underpainting with a brush before starting your knife painting. Determine your painting's composition and block in areas of color. With some techniques the underlayer will be revealed, so this prevents white patches of canvas from showing through.^[22]
Let the paint dry completely before disturbing it. Acrylic paint may dry in a matter of hours or days, but thick oil paintings need to dry for upwards of 6 months. Even if peaks of paint are stiff to the touch, they are probably soft beneath the surface.^[23]
Palette and painting knives are useful for painting outdoors since they require minimal cleaning.^[24]

EditThings You'll Need

Palette or painting knife
Acrylic paints or oil paints
Paint palette
Gessoed canvas board or wood panel
Cloth or paper towel

EditReferences

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How to Build a Rocking Chair

Posted: 12 Jun 2019 05:00 PM PDT

A rocking chair can be one of the most challenging pieces to build if you're a woodworker since it requires a lot of tools and pieces, but you can still make a unique chair on your own. Rocking chairs need to have the right balance and weight when you make them or else they can tip over while you use them. With the right tools and determination, you'll have a chair that you'll be able to pass down for generations!

EditSteps

EditShaping and Drilling the Seat

Draw the shape of your seat onto a piece of wood. Use a piece of wood that's thick, wide, and long. Use a pencil to draw the shape of the chair's seat directly onto the wood. Make the seat U-shaped where the flat side is the front and the curve is the back. Be sure the chair is perfectly symmetrical or else it won't balance well.^[1]
- You can find templates for chair seats online or you can design your own.
- Make a cutout of your seat on a sheet of paper so you can trace it onto your wood.
- Cherry is a great type of wood to use due to its color and durability.
Cut the shape of the seat out using a band saw or jigsaw. Turn on your saw and guide your piece of wood slowly through the blade. Cut just outside of your pencil lines so you can still sand and shape the sides of your chair. Cut off any pieces of wood that aren't a part of your seat design and throw away the scraps.^[2]
- Wear safety glasses whenever you work with power tools to prevent anything from getting in your eyes.
- You may also use a handsaw if you don't have access to power tools.
Mark 10 points that are apart around the back of the seat. Measure to the left from the center of your chair along the back edge. Put a dot on the point with a pencil to mark where to drill your hole. Make 4 more dots to the left of your first mark each apart from one another. Then go back to the first mark you made and make 5 dots going along the right side of the seat.^[3]
- Don't put a dot directly in the middle of the chair, since a spindle will go there eventually and would make a person sitting down uncomfortable.
Drill holes through each of your marks. Use a drill press to make a wide hole at a 12-degree angle toward the back of your chair. Make sure the hole goes all the way through to the other side of the seat. Continue drilling holes on each of your marks so they're angled toward the back of the seat.^[4]
- If you don't have a drill press, you can clamp your seat on a work surface and use a handheld drill.
Make 4 holes that are in the seat for the legs. Mark the holes for the 2 front legs so they're from the front of the seat and from the center. Make the holes on the back legs from the front and from the center of the seat. Use your drill press with a bit to make your holes. Angle the front legs to the sides and front of the chair by 5 degrees each. Angle the back legs 20 degrees toward the back of the seat and 5 degrees to the side.^[5]
- For example, when you're drilling the left legs, make the hole for the front leg angle to the left side and toward the front of the seat. For the back leg, angle the hole toward the back of the seat and to the left side.
Dig out the recessed area of the seat with a curved draw shave. A curved draw shave is a two-handled blade that's used to carve out large areas of wood. Dig the blade into the top of your seat and pull it toward you at an angle to dig out the shape of the seat. Work from the back of the seat toward the front to curve the area where you'll sit. You can dig up to halfway through the thickness of the wood to shape your seat how you want it.^[6]
- Leave on the left, back, and right sides of the seat flat since that's where you'll be placing the spindles for the back and arms.
- Work slowly while you're using the curved edge shave so the blade doesn't slip when you're pulling it toward you.
Bevel the edges of the seat with a straight edge shave. A straight edge shave is a two-handled tool with a straight blade used for carving wood. Hold both handles of the blade and pull it toward you at an angle into the wood to remove some of the wood. Work around the edge of your seat to make a bevel or curve so the sides of your chair aren't sharp.^[7]
- Be careful while you pull the straight edge shave toward you so the blade doesn't slip.
Sand the seat with 320-grit sandpaper. Once you've carved out the majority of your seat and you're happy with the shape, go over the seat with 320-grit sandpaper to get rid of any rough edges or burrs. Wipe the sawdust off your chair occasionally with a clean shop cloth so you can see any rough areas.^[8]
- You can also use an electric sander, but it may leave marks on your chair. Be sure to go over the area again by hand to remove any marks.

EditForming the Spindles and Legs

Cut the front and back legs to size using your bandsaw. Cut your leg pieces from wood that's wide by thick. Make your 2 front legs so they're long and the 2 back legs so they're .^[9]
- Wear safety glasses while you're working with power tools.
- Keep your wood pressed down while working with a bandsaw, or else you may get an uneven cut.
Shape the legs into thick cylinders using a lathe. A lathe is a large tool used to spin wood so you can shape it into a cylinder. Push the ends of the wood onto the grips of the lathe to secure it in place. Set the flat edge of a scraping lathe tool on the guard in front of the lathe and press it into your wood. Work across the entire surface of the wood while it spins so it becomes cylindrical. Periodically stop the lathe and check the thickness of your legs with a caliper.^[10]
- Lathes can be purchased online or from hardware stores.
- When you first start shaping the wood, your scraper tool may meet some resistance. Use your nondominant hand to support the top of the tool so you can hold it sturdy.
- Always wear safety glasses while you use a lathe so you don't get sawdust in your eyes.
Taper the ends of the legs so they're on one end. Spin the leg on your lathe and use the scraper tool to shape one end. Work back and forth along the last of the leg until it's only thick. Keep the rest of the leg the same thickness. Continue working on each leg until each one has a taper.^[11]
- The tapered ends will fit into the holes you drilled into your seat.
Cut the spindles for your back and arm supports. Use wood that's wide and thick to start each of your spindles. Look for wood that's sturdy and flexible, such as white ash, to use for your spindles. Cut the blanks to size using your bandsaw. In total, you'll need 16 spindles varying in different lengths for the supports on your chair.^[12]
- Make 10 of your spindles long for the back of the chair.
- Use 2 spindles that are long for the front supports on the arms.
- Cut 2 spindles to long for the center arm supports.
- Make 2 spindles long for the back arm supports.
Use a block plane to round your spindles into cylinders. A block plane is a hand tool used to smooth out edges and round wood by hand. Grab the top of the hand plane and pull it toward you to shave off the wood. Rotate the spindle every time you use the plane to round the edges evenly. Check the thickness of the cylinders occasionally until they are thick.^[13]
- You may need to sand your spindles to get a completely smooth finish.
Cut slots into the untapered ends of the legs. Use a table saw or your band saw to cut the slots into the thick ends of your legs. Make sure the slots are positioned directly in the middle of the leg. Cut out the slot so it's wide and deep. Make the slots at the end of each leg.^[14]
- The slots will fit onto the rocks so they are held firmly in place.

EditInstalling the Back Spindles

Spread wood glue around the inside of the holes along the back of the seat. Open a bottle of wood glue and squeeze a generous dab of wood glue into each of the holes. Use your finger or a shop cloth to coat the entire inside of the hole with the glue to get the best adhesion.^[15]
- Work on 1 hole at a time since wood glue can dry quickly.
Fit the end of the spindles into the holes. Look at the direction of the wood grains on your spindles and make sure it's perpendicular to the wood grain of your seat. Slide the ends of the spindles into the holes with the glue so the ends stick out from the bottom of the seat by about . Continue putting the rest of the back spindles into the holes until you've filled them all.^[16]
- Keep the spindles for the chair's arms aside for now since you'll add them later.
- If you have trouble getting the spindles into the holes, tap the ends of them lightly with a wooden mallet.
Allow the glue on the spindles to set for 24 hours. Wood glue takes about 1 day to set completely, so leave your chair alone for a full day. Make sure the area stays cool and dry so the glue doesn't stay wet.^[17]
- You can work on other pieces of your chair while the glue is drying.
Cut and sand the ends of the spindles with a flush cut saw. A flush cut saw has a flexible blade so you can cut along the edge of your seat. Once the glue is completely set, use your saw to cut the spindles sticking through the bottom of your seat. Then, use 220-grit sandpaper to smooth the edges on your cuts.^[18]

EditAdding the Arms and Bask Crest

Cut your arms and back crest to size with your bandsaw. Use a sturdy piece of wood, such as cherry, for your arms and back crest. Draw curved arcs on the wood so the middle of the arc is back from the edges. Cut the back crest so it's long, tall, and thick. Make the arms so they're long, wide, and thick.^[19]
- The back crest needs to match the curve at the back of your seat so the spindles can fit in it.
Drill holes in the bottom of the back crest. Space the holes on your back crest apart to line up with your spindles. Use a handheld drill with a bit that's thick to make the holes deep.^[20]
- Clamp the back crest in a vise so it doesn't move around while you're drilling.
- Make you drill straight into the wood or else the bit may come out the side.
Make holes through the backs of your arm pieces. Put the hole about from the back of each arm. Use a handheld drill or a drill press with a bit to make the hole at a 12-degree angle to match the back spindles.^[21]
Slide the arm pieces onto the outermost spindles. Guide the arms down the left- and right-most spindles so they're snug. Tap the arms lightly with a wooden mallet if you need to until the back of the arm is about up from the seat. Put a clamp underneath the arm so it doesn't move down any further.^[22]
- Be sure to do this before you put the back crest on or else you won't be able to attach the arms.
Line the holes in the back crest with wood glue and press it onto the spindles. Put a generous dab of wood glue into each hole in the back crest and spread it around the hole with a finger or shop cloth. Line up the holes with the spindles and press the back crest into place. Tap the back crest lightly with a hammer so the spindles go completely in the holes. Wipe up any excess wood glue that spilled out with a clean cloth.^[23]
- You may have to slightly bend the spindles to line up with the back crest, but they will not break or weaken.
Drill holes with a drill through the seat and arms. Now that you have the back crest in place, you can drill the holes for the arm spindles. Choose where you want to position the spindles and mark the spots with a pencil. Use a drill bit to bore through the arms and seat completely so they line up with one another.^[24]
- Work slowly and carefully so the spindles and back crest don't move around.
Apply wood glue to the holes and slide the arm spindles into place. Put a dab of wood glue into each of the holes and spread it around the entire surface. Slide the spindles through the top of each arm and through the seat so they extend an equal amount from each side. Let the glue dry for a full day before working on your chair again.^[25]
Trim off any excess spindle on the arms after 24 hours using a flush cut saw. Once the glue is set, use your flush cut saw to trim any spindles on the arms of your chair. Try to get as close to the wood as you can so it's a smooth cut. If you need to, use 220-grit sandpaper to smooth any edges that are rough after you make your cut.^[26]
- You do not need to trim anything off of the back crest.

EditPutting in the Legs

Line the holes for the legs with wood glue. Place a dab of glue in each of the holes for your chair's legs and spread it around the inside of the hole with your finger or a shop cloth. Make sure it coats the entire surface evenly to get the best adhesion.^[27]
Pound the tapered ends of your legs into the seat with a mallet. Position the sides of your legs that are on the bottom of your seat. Hold the seat sturdy with your nondominant hand and tap on the ends of the legs with your mallet to work them into the holes. They will be a tight fit so keep hitting the legs until they fit inside. Wipe any excess glue that comes out with a shop cloth.^[28]
- Make sure you put the longer legs in the back 2 holes on the seat and the shorter legs in the front.
Remove any wood sticking out from the seat after 24 hours with a flush cut saw. Start working on your chair again the next day so the glue can completely set. Hold the blade of your flush cut saw sideways against your seat use it to trim any wood sticking out from your leg. Cut the wood completely until it's smooth with the seat.^[29]
- You may need to use 220-grit sandpaper to get the edges completely smooth.

EditFinishing with the Rockers

Cut the shape of the rockers out from your planks of wood. Trace the shape of your rockers on your piece of wood. The rockers should be long, tall at their tallest point, and thick. Use a bandsaw to cut the curved shape of the rockers out of the wood you're using.^[30]
- Use the same wood you used as your seat so your rocking chair looks uniform.
- You can find templates and shapes for the rockers online.
- Make sure the backs of the rockers are longer than the front to prevent the chair from tipping over.
Clamp the pieces together to plane them evenly. Put the rockers together upside down so they're lined up. Use your block plane to smooth the curved bottoms of the rockers at the same time. That way, the rockers won't wobble or feel uneven when you're sitting in the chair. Keep smoothing out the bottom curves of the rockers until you're satisfied with the shape.^[31]
- The bottom curve of the rocker should be no more than 45 degrees since that could make the rocking motion feel choppy while you're sitting down.
Glue and clamp the rockers into the slots on the legs. Coat the insides of the slots on the chair legs with wood glue and spread it around with your finger. Slide the rockers into the slots on the bottom of the chair legs. If you need to, tap the bottom of the rocker with a wooden mallet so they fit tightly in place.^[32]
- The rockers will have a snug fit since they are slightly smaller than the thickness of the slots.
Drill holes through the legs and rockers. Once the rockers are glued in place, use a drill with a bit to make a hole through the leg and rocker. Make sure the hole goes completely through both sides of the leg. Keep drilling holes in each leg this way so you can insert dowels.^[33]
Insert wooden dowels through the holes to hold the legs in place. Place a dowel into each of the holes and slide them completely through. Once the dowels are in place, let the glue dry for 24 hours and your chair is finished and ready to use!^[34]
- The dowels add extra support to the rockers rather than just relying on the wood glue.

EditTips

You can buy a rocking chair kit from many stores or online if you don't want to make your rocking chair from scratch.

EditWarnings

Always wear safety glasses while you're working with power tools.

EditThings You'll Need

piece of wood
2 wooden strips that are
8 wooden strips that are
3 pieces of wood that are
2 pieces of wood that are
Bandsaw or jigsaw
Drill press
Curved draw shave
Straight draw shave
320-grit sandpaper
Lathe
Hand scraper tool
Calipers
Block plane
Table saw
Mallet
Wood glue
Flush cut saw
220-grit sandpaper
dowels

EditReferences

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How to Play UNO

Posted: 12 Jun 2019 09:00 AM PDT

If you're looking for a fun card game to play with friends, give Uno a try! Each player begins with a hand of 7 Uno cards. To play, match one of your cards with the card that's been dealt. The first player to get rid off all of their cards wins the round. Then all players tally up their scores. The game continues until one person scores 500 points. Once you've gotten the hang of Uno, try variations to switch things up.

EditSteps

EditJumping into the Game

Shuffle the cards and deal 7 cards to each player. Get out a pack of Uno cards and shuffle all 108 cards. Then deal 7 cards to each person who wants to play. Direct the players to keep their cards face down.^[1]
- You can play Uno with 2 to 10 players. Players should be at least 7 years old.
Put the rest of the Uno cards in the center of the table. Keep the cards face down in a stack. These cards will make the draw pile which players will take from throughout the game.^[2]
Turn over the top card from the draw pile to start the game. Place the top card from the draw pile next to the draw pile, but leave it facing up. You'll use this card to start the game and it will become the discard pile.^[3]
Play a card to match the color, number, or symbol on the card. The player to the left of the dealer should lay down a card from their hand if it matches the color, number, word, or symbol on the card that's laying face up in the center of the table. Direct them to put their card on top of the discard pile. The next player then looks for a card from their hand that they can play.^[4]
- For example, if the top card in the discard pile is a red number 8, you could play any red card you have or a card of any color that has an 8 on it.
- The game is usually played going clockwise from the dealer.
Draw a card from the draw pile if you can't play a card. If it's your turn and you don't have any cards that match the color, number, or symbol on the top card, take a card from the draw pile to add to your hand. You can play this card immediately if it matches some aspect of the card on the table.^[5]
- If you can't play the card you just drew, the player next to you can take their turn.
Pay attention to action and Wild cards. In addition to basic Uno cards that have numbers on them, there are 3 types of action cards. If you play a Wild card, you choose the color for the next play. If you put down a Draw 2, the player next to you must take 2 cards, and their turn is skipped. If you play Reverse, you change the direction of play, so the person who went before you will then have another turn.^[6]
- A Reverse card has 2 arrows that are going in opposite directions.
- If you get a Skip card, which is a card that has a circle with a slash through it, the player next to you must skip their turn.
Say "Uno" if you only have 1 card left. Keep taking turns until 1 player has just 1 card left in their hand. At that point, the player must say "Uno," or they'll be penalized if another player calls them out.^[7]
- If someone forgets to say "Uno," hand them 2 cards as a penalty. If no one notices that the player didn't say "Uno," there is no penalty.
Play your last card to win the hand. Once you're down to one card (and you've already called "Uno"), wait until the gameplay goes around the table and comes back to you. If you can play your last card before anyone else goes out, you'll be the winner of the round!
- If you can't play your last card, draw another card and continue until someone's hand is empty.
- Try to save a Wild card as your last card, if you have one. That way, you'll know for sure that you'll be able to play it and win the round!
Tally the points in each player's hand at the end of each round. The person who won the round gets points by adding up the cards in the remaining players' hands. Keep track of points for each round and keep playing rounds until a person scores 500 points. That person is the winner of the game. To score a hand, give the winner of the round:^[8]
- 20 points for each Draw 2, Reverse, or Skip card in an opponent's hand
- 50 points for Wild and Wild Draw 4 cards
- The face value for number cards (for example, an 8 card equals 8 points)

EditTrying Simple Variations

Play double cards to make the game end faster. To do a quick moving game of Uno, have every player put down 2 matches instead of 1 if they have them. This means everyone will go through cards quicker.
- For example, if there's a yellow 3 on the table, a player could put down a yellow 7 and a red 3.
- If you don't want the game to end faster, you can have the players draw 2 cards instead of 1 each time they don't have a card to play.
Customize your own Wild cards. If you're playing with a newer deck of Uno cards, you'll probably see 3 customizable Wild cards included. To play with these blank Wild cards, write down your own rules that everyone agrees to. Then you can play them as you would other Wild cards. For example, a customizable rule could be:^[9]
- Everyone must draw 2 cards.
- The next player must sing a song or draw a card.
- Swap 1 card with the player next to you.
Swap hands with another player if you get the Swap Hands card. This is another newer card that Uno now includes in the deck. Play the Wild Swap Hands card like a Wild card, but decide which player you'd like to swap hands with.^[10]
- For example, if you have this card, wait until the game is almost over and swap hands with the player that has the fewest cards.
Play Uno online or on a gaming system. Don't worry if you can't find people to play Uno with you in person! You can easily do an internet search in order to play Uno online. If you prefer, purchase Uno to play on your PC or gaming system, such as a PS4 or Xbox One.^[11]
- You can even personalize the rules to create completely unique Uno games.