• About
    • About Blue i Style
    • Tour Our Home
    • Free Organizing eBook
    • Blogging Resources
  • Work With Me
    • Interior Decor & Organizing Services
    • Partnerships & Collaborations
    • Blogging Resources
  • Features & Press
  • Policies & Disclosures
  • Contact

Blue i Style

Creating an Organized & Pretty, Happy Home

  • Decor
    • Tour Our Home
    • Room Makeovers & Design Plans
    • Decorating Tips & Tutorials
    • Outdoor Decor
    • One Room Challenge
  • Organizing and Cleaning
    • Organizing Tips & Tutorials
    • Organizing By Room
    • Organizing on the Go
    • Cleaning
  • DIY
    • DIY Tips & Tutorials
    • Smart Home & Safety
    • Paint Tips & Projects
    • Crafts
    • Cricut Projects
  • Kids
    • Decor & DIY for Kids
    • Organizing Kids
    • Life With Kids
  • Five Minute Projects
  • Holidays & Entertaining
    • Seasonal & Holiday Decor
    • Entertaining
    • DIY Gifts & Gift Guides
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Uncategorized

{diy with style} Summer Fun with DIY Wooden Yard Dice

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
A few weeks back I was browsing my local Crate & Barrel’s extensive line of stylish outdoor furniture and summer entertaining accessories. I was scoping out their outdoor games when I spotted a set of five Wooden Yard Dice. I have many fond memories of playing Yahtzee with my grandparents, so I love the idea of introducing my kids to some fun dice games while playing in the yard this summer – but the $60 price tag of the Crate & Barrel dice made me do a double take! Hello DIY project inspiration!
DIY Wooden Yard Dice

DIY Yard Dice: Supply List

The dice from Crate & Barrel are 3.5 inch cubes, so I knew that a 4×4 piece of lumber from a hardware store would be perfect {because despite the name, a 4×4 is actually closer to 3.5×3.5 in dimension}. After looking at all of the 4×4 options, we selected a 10 foot length of Douglas Fir because the boards were in better shape than most of the others types of wood we looked at – with fewer cracks and large knot holes. From this one board, we were able to cut more than 30 3.5 inch cubes – enough for 6 sets of 5 dice.

  • 4×4 Douglas Fir Lumber {10 ft length is enough for 6 sets of dice} – $12.84
  • Chop Saw {I used my dad’s} or have them cut at your hardware store for a small fee per cut
  • Hand Held Electric Sander – already owned
  • Sand Paper – Coarse Grit & Fine Grit – already owned
  • Rust-Oleum Wood Stain {color: Summer Oak} – $5.48
  • Foam Brush {for applying stain} – $.98
  • Rag {for removing excess stain} – already owned
  • Expressions Vinyl Black Outdoor Permanent Adhesive – $7.45
  • Fiskars .6″ Circle Punch – $5.99 {on sale at JoAnn}
  • Black Canvas Drawstring Bag – $2.50/each from JoAnn {on sale}
  • Iron-On Transfer Paper for Dark Fabric – $.70/sheet {1 sheet per bag} 
The total cost of all the supplies was just under $52. From these supplies, I created 6 sets of dice, complete with carry bag, bring the total per set to less than $9! Quite a steal compared to the $60 Crate & Barrel price tag! 
DIY Yard Dice: Tutorial
STEP 1: Cutting the Dice
I took the 10 foot long board over to my dad’s house, and we used his chop saw to cut it into more than 30 3.5″ cubes. Because we didn’t have an appropriate jig, we clamped a 2×4 to the saw to serve as a guide for cutting each cube to exactly 3.5 inches.
Cut wood lawn dice

We quickly discovered the chop saw, which has a 10 inch blade, is just slightly too small to cut all the way through the 4×4. With each cube we cut, we were left with one uncut corner.

Cut wood for yard dice

We were able remedy this situation by simply using a hand saw to cut through the final corner of each cube, but if you are able to use a chop saw with a 12 inch blade, rather than a 10 inch blade, you could avoid this extra step and speed up the process.

Cut wood for lawn dice

We were able to cut a total of 32 cubes from the 10 foot long board, but two of them we discarded because of knot holes. This left us with 30 good cubes, perfect for 6 sets of 5 dice.

Wood blocks for yard dice



STEP 2: Sanding the Dice


Once all the cubes were cut, I sanded all six sides of each die with a hand-held electric sander. I began with a coarse grit sandpaper, then repeated the process with a fine grit sandpaper to achieve a nice, smooth finish on each die.

Sanding wood for yard dice

The 4×4 had slightly rounded edges, but the cuts we made with the chop saw created, crisp 90 degree cuts. As a result, each die had 4 rounded edges and eight square edges. I wanted each edge of the dice to look the same, so I used the sander to round the square edges, which turned out to be much easier than I expected.

Sanding wood for yard dice

As you can see in the side by side comparison, the wood grain on the cut sides of the dice was pretty rough when I started, but, after a little sanding, each die was a nice smooth cube, ready for stain.

Sanded wood blocks before and after

STEP 3: Staining the Dice

I typically prefer darker stain colors, but when choosing a stain color for my DIY yard dice, I decided to stick with a fairly light color to ensure that the black dots would easily show up, even from a distance. I chose Rust-Oleum’s wood stain in Summer Oak.

Staining DIY yard dice

I applied the stain with a foam brush…

Staining DIY yard dice

…then used a white rag to wipe off the excess stain.

Stain on DIY yard dice

STEP 4: Adding Pips to the Dice


I love DIY projects because you always learn something new in the process, and in this project, I learned that the dots on dice are called “PIPS.” Rather than trying to paint the pips on the dice, I decided to take the easier route by creating stickers from an outdoor rated, permanent adhesive vinyl.

Expressions Vinyl for DIY yard dice

I had used this same adhesive vinyl for several past projects, including my LOVE scrabble tile coasters, so I knew it would hold up well even if exposed to moisture in the grass.

To cut the pips, I purchased a .6″ inch circle punch at JoAnn. After testing the punch on the vinyl, I determine that in order to get a nice, smooth cut I needed the punch to cut through the vinyl first, and then the backing {punching from the backside of the vinyl first resulted in chewed up edges rather than a nice, smooth circle}.

Cutting vinyl for DIY yard dice

Each die requires 21 pips, for a total of 105 pips per set of 5 dice. Fortunately, cutting the pips is super quick and easy using the punch. I just punched all the circles into a small kitchen bowl to

Before applying the pips, I did a quick Google search to determine the correct placement of the numbers of each side of a die. I learned that the 1 and 6 are on opposite sides, the 2 and 5 on opposite sides, and the 3 and 4 on opposite sides.

To apply each pip, I simply peeled the backing off of the vinyl {which comes off really easily} and stuck the dots on to the dice. In order to get the spacing of the pips right, I used the removed backing from prior pips to layout a 3×3 grid on each side – then removed them one by one and replaced them with the black vinyl stickers in the appropriate places.

Adding pips to yard dice

After sticking on each pip, I pressed it down to make sure there was a good seal around the edges.

Adding dots to yard dice

STEP 5: Creating a Carry Bag for the Dice


The Crate & Barrel dice come in a nice, drawstring carry bag, so I decide to create the same for my dice. I picked up some black, canvas drawstring bags from JoAnn {on sale for half price}. I designed a simple label for the bags which I printed onto dark color iron-on transfer paper, and then I ironed the labels onto the bags.

Creating carry bag for DIY yard dice
Want to make your own? Download this free printable version of my Yard Dice iron-on carry bag label! 
DIY Yard Dice and Carry Bag
One of my favorite dice games is Yahtzee {download the rules here; and printable score sheets here}, but there are endless games you can play with up to five dice. Here are a few more five dice games to get you started: Snake-Eyes, Beat That, Run for It, Dice-1000 and Stuck in the Mud.
Playing yard dice on the lawn

I can’t get over the fact that I was able to make six sets of dice for less than the cost of one set at Crate & Barrel. I gave one set to my husband and one to my dad for Father’s Day, and the other sets I am going to hang on to as future gifts. 
DIY yard dice for less than Crate & Barrel

Let’s get social!   

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

06.24.15

« {featured} Organizing with IKEA Centennial: Join Me on Saturday for a How To Seminar
{link party} The Creative Circle – Week 21 »

Meet Angela

Angela, the founder of Blue i Style, strongly believes that decor should be functional, organizing can be beautiful, smart DIYs help stretch your budget, and an organized and stylish home can still be practical for life with kids.

Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and 5280 Home magazine, and online by HGTV, the Today Show, Good Housekeeping, and more. She was also named a 2018 Stylemaker by Better Homes & Gardens.

You can reach Angela at angela@blueistyle.com

COPYRIGHT & PHOTO SHARING POLICY

All text, images, and other content that are part of this blog are the property of Blue i Style, unless otherwise noted. All material is copyright protected.

If you wish to feature one of my projects, feel free to share a single photo (no collaged images, or images with text overlays) as long as the no pin code is used to prevent my image from being pinned from your site.

All features must include credit to Blue i Style with a link back to the original content (not just to the homepage). The project steps, supply list, and/or sources may not be disclosed.

Please read my full content and photo sharing policy to ensure you comply with all guidelines. Failure to do so constitutes copyright violation.

Create At Your Own Risk

Any and all content on this website is for personal use only and created exclusively for inspiration purposes.

Creating with my suggested methods, products used, and tools is at your own risk.

Please ensure you are following proper guidelines with anything used, and you receive professional guidance when necessary.

Read my complete disclosure at: Policies & Disclosures.

Sponsorships & Affiliations

To help fund this blog, I accept some forms of advertising, sponsorships, and affiliate links.

If you buy something that I recommend, you pay the same price, but I may receive a small commission. As always, all opinions are my own.

Blue i Style is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

I use an affiliate marketing service which may automatically put links into some posts, so please assume any/all links may be affiliate links.

Read my full Disclosure Statement.

Copyright © 2023 · Dazzling Theme theme by Restored 316

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest