How to Make Wooden Lawn Dice

• 4 x 4 lumber is actually 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches, so measure and mark 3 1/2-inches on your post
  to make a perfect cube.
• Use a miter saw to cut the 4 x 4.
  If you don’t have a miter saw, you can cut it with a hand saw or a circular saw with a few more steps.
• When measuring, you may find some spots on the post that you don’t want to include in your dice. Just cut those parts out of the post and use places with nice surfaces. There will be plenty of wood to make eight dice.
• If using a circular saw, mark your first 3 1/2-inch measurement. Use a square to extend that line all the way around the post. Clamp the post to a sturdy work surface. Set the depth of cut to 2 inches and use your square to help keep the saw straight through the first cut. Now, turn the post
  a 1/4 turn
  towards you. Align your saw blade in the kerf you just cut. Bring your square against the saw foot to help keep your cut straight. After the second cut, make another 1/4 turn with the post and follow the same cutting procedure. You should have a nice square cut.

• Lay a clamp near the edge of the work table.
• Use another clamp to secure the first one to the table.
• Use this setup to hold each individual die for routing, drilling and sanding.

• Put a die into the clamp with one cut end facing upward.
• Round over the edges with a 1/4-inch roundover bit in a router.
• Turn the die over and couple the routing on the other cut end.
• Alternatively, use a router table if you have one.
• If you don’t have a router, smooth the edges using sandpaper.

Safety: Never try to
hold the die with your hand for this step.
Always use clamps.

• Use the template above
  to
  mark the drilling locations on one face of the die.
• Put the point of a felt tip marker on the small circles for a few seconds, letting the ink bleed through
  onto the wood.

• Place the point of a 3/4-inch spade
  bit on the first dice dot.
• Drill
  a hole that is about 1/4-inch deep.
• A drill press with a Forstner bit makes short work of this step and provides the best results.

• Use sandpaper to smooth the faces of the dice.
• If the edges weren’t rounded over in step 3, relieve the edges with sandpaper.
• After sanding the corners and surfaces, use your thumb to push the sandpaper into the holes to sand the edges.

• Since these dice are made from bare wood, apply a coat of primer first to make them easier to paint.
• Paint the faces of the dice.
  Use paint leftover from another project if you have it.
• Paint the insides of the holes contrasting colors or fill them in with a felt tip marker.

Tip: For many games, you’ll want four pairs of dice that are different colors.

Once the paint has fully dried, your lawn dice are ready to use in all your outdoor games.