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DIY Yard Games

August 11, 2016 by wausaudiy@gmail.com

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Looking for something to do outside this summer?  Perhaps a cookout with friends, a family reunion, or camping trip?  Why not try your hand at making your own outdoor giant sized Jenga set and Yardzee (Yahtzee inspired giant dice).

Check us out on WSAW News Channel 7 at 5:00 pm to see us demo how to make these fun games.

Here are the instructions on how to make giant Jenga

Materials

  • 6 – 8ft 2″ by 4″ board
  • Miter saw
  • Orbital sander or sand paper
  • Choice of stain or paint
  • Paint Brushes
  • Rags
  • Storage Tote

How To

Here’s how we made our version.   First, figure out the length you need to cut the 2″ by 4″ lumber.  In our case, we are using 2 by 4’s which are actually 3.5″ wide, so 3 pieces wide would be 10.5″.  So cut as many pieces as you want at 10.5″!  (The official rules of the regular sized game call for 54 pieces.)   If you use 54 pieces, you will need six 2 x 4 x 8′ boards.  (Hint:  Our local big box hardware store has a 70% off rack outside and occasionally has 2×4’s on it, making this game cost under $5 for us!)
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If cutting your own 2 x 4’s a miter saw is handy.
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After cutting all of the pieces to length, we decided to stain them with Minwax Waterbased Stains.  To stain, you brush the stain on the blocks with a brush.  Let the stain sit for a few minutes to soak into the blocks then wipe the excess with a cloth.  Once stained, we sanded them with an orbital sander.  (Regardless of how you choose to finish them, sanding would be recommended to prevent slivers!)
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Voila!  Stack vertically in rows of 3, switching the direction 90 degrees each row.  The person who stacks the tower gets to go first.  The players take turns removing blocks from any level of the tower (except from the top level), and placing onto the top of the tower.  The game ends when the tower falls.  The winner obviously is the person who did not cause the tower to fall!
(Official rules also call for only one hand to be used when removing the block, but due to the size of these pieces you and your fellow players can make that judgement call!)
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Here are the instructions on how to make Yardzee

Materials

  • Minimum of 20″ of 4″ by 4″ post
  • Miter saw
  • Orbital sander or sand paper
  • Choice of stain or paint
  • Paint Brushes
  • Rags
  • Bucket
  • Score cards

How To

Here’s how we made our version.   Cut the 4 by 4 into five 3.5″ pieces to make cubes.  A 4 by 4 is really 3.5″ by 3.5″.
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Once you have all five cubes cut, sand the edges with an orbital sander or sand paper. The orbital sander makes sanding much easier!
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After sanding you can choose to stain the blocks or leave them natural.  We chose to stain ours slate with Minwax water based stain.  To stain, you brush the stain on the blocks with a brush.  Let the stain sit for a few minutes to soak into the blocks then wipe the excess with a cloth.
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Allow the stain to dry completely, now it is time to add the dots (which are actually called pips).  We chose to paint our pips using a stencil.  You can also use a wood burner or paint dotter to add the pips.
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Allow your pips to dry and the dice are ready to go.
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Haven’t played Yardzee or Yahtzee in awhile.  Here are the official rules from Hasboro.  yahtzee rules
Each player needs their own score sheet.  You can download it here – Yardzee Score Sheet
Yardzee score card
Once you are ready to play you need to use a bucket as your dice cup.
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Now you are ready to shake and roll!
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Keep on DIY’ng and let us know if you have any questions!

Lisa Kumfer & Ashley Witzeling co-owners of Wausau DIY

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