Lawn games have grown to be very popular, I’ve started seeing them pop up in most store nowadays. The only issue is the price tags are typically not very nice, and they have no character!

 I always loved playing Yahtzee growing up with my family, so I decided to make my own custom Yard Dice Set to enjoy outdoors with the family!

Check out how you can make your own by following

the easy step-by-step below!

Step #1

Using a tape measure, mark your board at 3 1/2″. Since a 4×4 is actually 3-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ you will have a perfect cube. Using a saw, cut carefully on your mark.
(repeat this step 5 times)

Step #2

Now that you have cut all five blocks, it’s time to get dusty with sanding.
(now you can sand these by hand with sand paper, but I would recommend using a palm sander to save time and energy!)

Palm sander.

Completely sanded yard dice.

Step #3

It’s time to color, I choose Minwax dark walnut 2716, however, you can paint or stain these however you’d like! Be sure follow the directions on the back of the can.

(I would recommend using gloves, as this will stain your hands)

Staining is really easy, I just use a rag and rub the stain on the surface, if you want a darker color you can brush it on and let it sit before wiping it off with a rag.

Step #4

Once you’ve allowed the stain to dry, it’s time to add the dots! There are multiple ways to do this, I choose to drill them using a 1″ bit.

(If you are not comfortable with a drill, you can also just paint the dots or even buy vinyl decal dots.)

Keep in mind when marking for your dots, the space you need between each one!

When drilling, hold the block firmly.

Continue this process until you have all 6 sides marked!

Step #5

With a piece sand paper or sanding block smooth out the inside of the dots.

Step #6

To fill holes left from drilling, use wood putty or spackle.

(you may need to sand once again if you want a smooth surface)

Step #7

Painting the dots, be sure to clean the dice really well before you start painting!

I used some white paint we had left over from a previous project.

Now that the dice are complete, it’s time to move onto the score boards and storage container!

For the score boards, I completely spaced on taking step by step photos! So here is a walk through…

I wanted something more durable and sturdy than a flimsy piece of laminated paper. So I did some searching and I found this PVC board, I made 4 boards at 8.5″ x 12″. In doing this I did have waist, so you may want to adjust your sizings to conserve material.

Once I had my material, I found a Yahtzee score board download and adjusted the file to the correct size for my panels. Then I ordered custom vinyl decals using my file, I made sure to select premium with UV laminate so they would be durable and dry-erasable.

(I also designed and ordered my vinyl lettering for my storage container here as well!)

When my decals arrived, I went to work!

Step #1

Following the vinyl installation instructions, I applied my decals to my board.

(I placed them right next to each other so I only had to cut them once.)

Step #2

Because I used application fluid to install these, I waited for an 1hr for the liquid to evaporate before I started cutting.

I used a straight edge and a razor blade to cut the 2 sides.

(top and bottom didn’t need cutting because my decal height was the same as my panels)

Step #3

I wanted rounded corners so I used a spray paint cap to mark my radius, and carefully rounded the corners with a knife.

Storage Container

I pick this guy up at my local home depot – linked in the materials list

Like I mentioned above I designed and ordered, my custom vinyl lettering when I ordered my score board decals.

This is the design I went with..

Step #1

Using a strip of masking tape across the center, I temporary position my vinyl.

Step #2

I then took a tape measure and verified I had it positioned correctly.

You may need to make adjustments to the placement.

Step #3

When I was confident I had it positioned correctly, I place 2 more pieces of tape to ensure it would not move for the next step.

Step #4

Next, I carefully pulled the vinyl away from the backing on just half of the sticker.

Then I tore the backing off of that half ( picture below)

Step #5

Place the vinyl back on the can, using a squeegee or credit card press the vinyl firmly on the surface, before repeating steps #4 and #5 on the second half.

Step #6

Once you are confident you have firmly adhered the vinyl decal to the surface, carefully remove the masking tape.

With that all complete, it’s time to enjoy quality family and friends time with your new Yard Dice Game!