DIY Giant Yard Dice

18 Materials
$20
4 Hours
Easy

Hello, friends! This DIY giant yard dice tutorial is a great one for the weekend! As we approach Summer, we’ll all be spending more time outside enjoying the good ole’ outdoors. Here at the Fiddle Leaf House, we take every opportunity to hang out in our backyard, grill, and play some yard games! I’ve been seeing these giant yard dice sets on Wayfair for upwards of 75 bucks, and, um, no thanks! So I took matters into my own hands and decided to make a set myself! You can find loads more fun and affordable DIY projects over on my blog too, I love connecting with you over there!

Step 1

Step 1: Mark your 4"x4"x8' at 3.5". A common 4"x4" is actually 3.5"x3.5", so by cutting it at 3.5", you'll have a nice equal sided cube. Use your miter saw to carefully cut your first cube. Repeat 4 more times. (Be sure you are wearing the appropriate safety equipment while doing this - mask and goggles!)

PRO TIP: Make sure you are cutting 3.5" cubes out of your plank in spaces where there are NO splits or cracks. Hubby and I already played a game of this, and we have one dice that likely won't last as long as the rest because there is a crack in it and it inevitably bangs against the other dice and of course on the ground. Not having cracks in your dice initially will help them last longer. That said, we recommend only using these on grass. Douglas fir is a softwood (as are most easy to find 4"x4" planks), so it is not impervious to dents and dings, or even possibly fully splitting if thrown on concrete. So like I said above, if you can find yourself some hardwood in a 4"x4" - go for it - they'll last even longer!

Even with the crack though, I think we'll get dozens and dozens of games in before I have to bust out the materials to quickly make a replacement! Worth it to save $75 on a store bought set that will probably do the same thing anyway - wear over time!

Step 2

Using your electric sander and 120 grit sand paper, sand all of your cubes until mostly smooth. Sand the edges and corners to be slightly rounded. Wipe off any excess dust.

Step 3

Using a pencil, mark your cubes with the dots for your dice. 1 is across from 6, 2 is across from 5, and 3 is across from 4. I made sure all of mine were identical in layout, but that's up to you. I also just eyeballed this (we aren't into perfection over here), but you could certainly measure yours exactly if you choose.

Step 4

For the easier route, you can just paint on your little circular dots right now. For the more authentic looking route with indented holes, you'll take your forstner drill bit, and drill all of your holes where you marked. The forstner bit should give you a nice clean hole. I used a spade bit because that's all I had, and it made things a bit messier (spade bits are really intended to make holes that wont be seen later, but in the spirit of staying home, I just went for it. Some 80 grit sandpaper and a little elbow grease and I was able to clean up the holes just fine. That said, if you're out buying the materials for this project, just buy the $8 forstner bit.

Step 5

Using your fingers, add wood fill to each of the holes you just drilled. Make them look kind of like a circular valley - just like regular dice look with a little indentation. This makes them look more authentic! Also try not to get excess wood fill around the holes, because wood fill never stains the same as regular wood, no matter what they tell you. Allow to dry for a few hours, and then sand lightly again with 120 grit sandpaper so the holes are smooth.

Step 6

Apply the stain of your choice. I initially used Varathane's Early American, but decided I wanted something darker, so went over it with Minwax English Chestnut.

Step 7

Allow to dry overnight. Use a paper towel to wipe off any excess stain. Using your small brush and black acrylic paint, carefully paint all of your little indented dots. Allow to dry. Then, carefully spray your dice with the high gloss clear coat. Make sure to let them dry sufficiently before turning them over and coating the bottoms (you'll only be able to get 5 of th 6 sides the first go around). I did 3 coats total because I wanted them to be extra glossy and protected.

Step 8

While you are in between coats of the clear top coat, you can line your bucket with the self adhesive felt. I just used the bottom of the bucket to draw out a circle on the back of the felt and then cut it out. Peel off the backing and paste it in - easy peasy! I then lined about 2/3 of the way up the sides - this helps keep the noise down.

Step 9

This step is totally optional, but I wanted to add some personality to our little DIY giant yard dice game. So I found some old stickers from my scrapbook collection, and put those right on the bucket. I then used Modge Podge and painted over the stickers to help them stick better and last longer.

Step 10

Print out some scorecards online.

Step 11

Take your DIY giant yard dice outside and play your heart out! I hope this easy DIY is a good weekend project for you and that it gets you ready for summer fun! I know from personal experience that a good glass of Pinot Grigio, appetizer, and a game of DIY giant yard dice is the perfect way to start any summer night! I hope to see you over on the blog!

Resources for this project:
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Ana Ochoa - Sunrise Valley Farm Co.
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3 of 11 comments
  • Kros Kros on Jun 04, 2021

    I’m suprised this is part of your blog and posted here. Several years ago these were all the rage for crafters/sellers. Facebook, etc was full of these for-sale along with a bunch of other yard games. Until the maker of the original games began suing the big sellers and giving real contracts to mfg these to sale thru Walmart, Home Depot & Pool stores, etc. I love that you provided all the info rather than sale the “plan” as lots of people did - but please be safe - I would hate to see the wrong person come across this when your intentions are pure and helpful, for the rest of us.


    But I also know there are sellers still out on here, that maybe upset when they see this and may know exactly who to call and let know it’s here. Just please becareful - I wish I knew the “ins & outs” of what is legal and what is not, but I was never that involved in it so really can't help much. Good luck!

    • thanks Kros, but no worries on this. I am not trying to sell anything. I am a lawyer myself and this is just a DIY tutorial, not an attempt to monetize on someone else’s idea!

  • Sandra L Warren Sandra L Warren on Jun 05, 2021

    LOVE this!!! Yahtzee is one of my favorite games that looks so fun!!

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