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How to Make Wooden Lawn Dice

Lowe's Editorial Team

By Lowe's Editorial Team
Published November 15, 2024

Creating your wooden lawn dice can be a fun and rewarding project. Oversized dice are perfect for outdoor games and add a unique touch to your backyard. In this guide, we'll show you how to make wooden dice and walk you through the entire process, from selecting the materials to finishing touches.

Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

Preparation

This prep is necessary before getting into the key steps of how to make large dice.

  • Decide the size of the dice you want, for example, 6x6x6 inches or 4x4x4 inches. It can be bigger than this, but this size is ideal to pick up and play with.
  • Select the wood you want to use. You can either use a discarded wooden block and cut it into the dice or buy a piece of hardwood block, such as oak, maple or walnut, for durability.
  • Print out stencils or templates for all six faces of the dice. Make sure they match the size of the dice you want to build.

Caution

While working with wood, there are high chances of splinters and sawdust getting in your eyes. Wear protective gear and clean the area so other tools don’t get in your way.

How to Make Wooden Dice: Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing the Wood

  • Before you start cutting the log, mark the places you want to cut from it, for example, 4 inches for length and breadth. A dice is square, so its length, breadth and height should be the same. Discard the rotten parts of the wood.
  • Use a marker or pencil and draw lines on the wood using a scale.
  • Using a miter saw machine or a hand saw to cut the wood into a cube.
  • After cutting the pieces, use a combination square on the edges to see if the block is cut 90 degrees from all sides and an Inch tape to make sure the measurements are correct.

Caution

Make sure the miter saw is firmly placed and does not move

Marking and Drilling the Points

Now that you have your cube prepared, the next step is to mark the spots for the dice points.

  • Place the stencil or template of the number 6 on one side.
  • Use a nail and a hammer to put holes in the middle of all six circles. This will help you mark the point for drilling.
  • The side opposite to 6 is 1, so mark the point. Similarly, do the same for all the sides. Remember, opposite sides always add up to 7
  • Use Forstner bits to drill holes in those points on the cube. Forstner bits will drill perfectly straight and circular holes into the wood.

Smooth it out

  • You can use regular sandpaper to smooth the edges and corners of the dice.
  • If the dice are bigger in size or you have multiple dice, it is better to use a belt sander machine.
  • Ensure that there are no sharp edges and splinters left.

Designing the Dice

Now, your DIY dice is ready. You can design, paint and decorate it in any way you like.

  • Apply primer to the dice before painting it for better adhesion.
  • Apply wood stain to give it a natural wooden look.
  • You can either paint the holes or fill them with small stones or other decorative items.
  • Finally, a wooden sealer should be applied so that it will stay protected from moisture and humidity.

Tip

Paint the different sides with different colors to make them more vibrant.

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