Learn how to make these large yard dice and download your free printable Yahtzee® score sheets.
Last summer, we made our grandson a set of these large dice so he could play a game of Yard Yahtzee with his friends. The dice were such a big hit, that we decided to make seven more sets to gift to each of our other children for Christmas.
How to Make Yard Dice
Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures of my husband cutting the lumber and sanding the wood to make this set of large yard dice, but I think I can explain how to make yard dice well enough without the step-by-step pictures. I promise if we make another set, I’ll definitely include pictures and a video tutorial!
Supplies for Yard Dice
Please note that this post contains affiliate links to products used in the project. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at absolutely no additional cost to you!
There are a few supplies you’ll need to get started with this DIY yard dice project:
- 1 – 4″x4″x6′ Lumber (You won’t need all 6′, but I believe this is the smallest length of 4″x4″ lumber you can purchase.)
- Carpenter’s pencil
- Tape Measure
- Circular Saw or Hand Saw
- Sand paper or Sander (I used this one)
- Stain (optional)
- Rags for stain
- Black Paint
- 3/4″ Sponge Pouncer
- Paper plate
- Polycrylic (optional)
Instructions for Yard Dice
- Start by measuring and marking your 4″x4″ lumber in six 3-1/2″ sections. (A 4×4 isn’t really 4″ by 4″, it’s actually approximately 3-1/2″x3-1/2″.)
- With your circular saw or hand saw, cut your lumber at the marks indicated. You will need 6 blocks.
- With your 6 blocks cut, use your sander or sand paper to smooth and round the edges of the blocks. Rounding the edges slightly will help the dice to roll more easily.
- Once you have your blocks all sanded, you can stain them if you like. Allow the stain to completely dry before proceeding.
- Once your stain is dry, pour a small amount of black paint onto a paper plate. Dab your sponge pouncer into your paint and onto a dry spot on your paper plate to remove excess paint. Stamp or pounce the painted pouncer onto your block of wood, using the below image as a guide.
It may help you to know that the opposite side of the dice should add up to 7. In other words, 5 should be opposite 2, 6 should be opposite 1 and 4 should be opposite 3.
I painted the 6 (saving the 1 for last) on top of my dice, then painted the 5, 4, 2 and 3. Once the painted dots were dry, I flipped the dice over and painted the 1. - Allow the paint to dry and apply a protective coat of polycrylic. I don’t know that this step is completely necessary, but I thought it might help give a longer life to the painted dots.
Printable Yahtzee Score Sheets
What fun is a game of Yahtzee without a way to easily keep score? My thoughts exactly! So I re-created your typical Yahtzee score sheet into these large print printable Yahtzee score sheets. I printed out two of the score sheets and then sandwiched them in a laminating pouch and laminated the score sheets.
Supplies for Yahtzee Score Sheets
There are just a few supplies you’ll need for these printable Yahtzee Score Sheets:
- Printer
- Paper
- Laminator Sheets
- Laminator
- Dry Erase Marker
Simply print out the large print Yahtzee score sheet and laminate according to your laminator manufacturer’s instructions. Mine took a few minutes for the laminator to heat up and probably less than a minute to actually laminate.
I also sewed burlap bags, similar to my DIY Burlap Gift Bags but much larger, and placed six dice, the laminated score sheet and a dry erase marker in each bag. No gift wrapping required as the burlap bag and oversized gift tags made for a nice gift wrap.
TIP: We have found that placing the dice in a 5 gallon bucket really makes collecting and rolling the dice a lot easier.
Download Yahtzee Score Sheets
The free printable Large Print Yahtzee Score Sheets are available to subscribers of The Birch Cottage newsletter. To subscribe, simply complete the below form. Once submitted, you’ll receive a confirmation email along with a link to download the printable score sheets.
I hope you get take the opportunity to make these yard dice and enjoy countless hours of outdoor fun with your family playing Yard Yahtzee!
(Yahtzee is a Registered Trademark of Hasbro.)
More DIY Ideas
If you enjoy DIY projects like these large Yahtzee Yard Dice, you might also like these DIY ideas from The Birch Cottage:
- Make a Bird Feeder from a 2-Liter Plastic Bottle
- How to Make Essential Oil Room Sprays
- DIY Wood Slice Cutting Board
And be sure to pin this DIY project to your favorite Pinterest board to save it for later or to share with family and friends!
