Yardzee Yard Dice Game Tutorial + Printables

It is summer time and BRING IT ON already!  Are you guys ready to play some Yardzee?   I am so ready!  Ready for family game time outside, neighborhood barbecues, NO school and our amazing flood irrigation parties – seriously the best perk about this old house!!!

It is funny how much joy there is in a new season and I feel like Olaf as I dream of summer and all things hot and fun!  Especially now that my kids are in school and I am craving some freedom from busy schedules and being closed up inside the house.  Let's just play outside all day and enjoy the

Easy summer game projects are definitely a favorite. Especially with Remodelaholic readers, so we thought we would add this REALLY fun DIY game to your summer plans.

Free Yardzee Game Printable & Score Sheet

This post contains affiliate links. See our full disclosure policy here. 

Supplies:

1 – 5 gallon bucket with a lid for storing (we bought ours at Walmart)

Approximately 20″ of 4×4 wood

Craft paint, sharpie or wood burning tool

Sanding block and sanding paper (orbital sander or belt sander)

Canon PIXMA MG 7720 Printer 

Our free Yardzee printables for score cards, customizable bucket label (in 6 different colors!), and dice stencil

(You can also  purchase a pad of score cards on Amazon)

 

This project can be as easy or hard as you make it.  So as I write the instructions just keep in mind, that this can be small and easy or you can take it all the way, and go crazy perfectionist (like my cute husband) did on our game.

Video Instructions:

Watch this quick tutorial video for step by step instructions.

How to Make Your Own Wood Yardzee Dice Game

Step 1:

Set up a stop on your miter saw at 3 1/2″.  Do this by clamping a board to your fence.  By creating a stop you can guarantee that each dice is exactly the same size, and it saves a TON of measuring and time. Simple push the 4×4 til it hits the stop and cut according to the directions on your machine.

Step 2:

When the yard dice blocks are all cut, it is time to knock down the sharp edges of the new cuts.  This can be done in several ways depending on the tools you own. Optional tools:

• hand sanding block,


• orbital sander, or


• table top belt sander.

Just be sure to soften all the corners to match the pre-cut, filleted (or rounded) edges of the 4×4.  This will also be a helpful safety precaution since you don't want those sharp corners to land on any toes when you are playing Yardzee, so don't skip this step.

Step 3:

Once the blocks are sanded smooth, you need to printout your dice stencil printable from above.  Mark the layout of the dice in a couple ways.

• You can use trace paper to trace the shape on the blocks,


• Try rubbing soft pencil lead on the back of each dot, place the rubbed lead side down on the block and trace the circles, the lead should transfer the mark.


• Use a ball point pen to trace the outline of the shape and indent the soft pine.


• Use an awl to locate the center of the dot, and use a drill press to drill out the hole thereafter.

Step 4:

Color in the number dots.  There are several options.

• Use a sharpie to fill in the dots.


• Use a wood burning tool to fill in the dots.


• Use a drill press set at about an 1/8th inch depth.  Drill the holes and then using black acrylic paint fill in the holes. (No drill press? You could also use a Forstner bit like Jamison used here.)

Step 5:

Seal with polyurethane or oil if desired.  We skipped this step because I liked the light color of the wood, and these steps always darken the wood.

Step 6:

Print out the Yardzee bucket label of your choice. You can leave it blank like we did, or customize the PDF by typing in the family name. Great for neighborhood BBQs or an easy gift idea!

We used our Canon PIXMA MG7720 on 8 1/2 x 11 paper.  We decided to laminate ours so that it could stand up to heavy use and possible water.  Tape it to your bucket.

Print out the Yardzee score card sheet.  (Again we laminated ours and threw in several dry erase markers so that we would always have a score card available.  You can also buy a yahtzee score card sheet pad on Amazon.)

Throw the dice, and score sheets in the bucket and get ready to Yardzee your summer nights away!

Thank you to Canon for partnering with me on this super fun Yardzee printable.  Be sure to check out more great crafting ideas on Canon.

Be sure to check out more fun summer yard games here, too!

 

 

The post Yardzee Yard Dice Game Tutorial + Printables appeared first on Remodelaholic.

Summer “Reading” List

I don't know about you but I am PSYCHED for summer!!  Now that I am an adult, I love me a good summer reading list… not so much when I was younger… but now that I know how much I actually love to read and get to choose what I read I am always looking for a good book.

But there are a few cons when it comes to reading.  When I am reading a book, I become bad at “real life” – like I can't shower, or be a mom,  I can't clean the house and do the laundry or who wants to work when there is a good book at hand?  I just don't get anything else done.  My house quickly becomes out of control, and the laundry just piles up.

I just HATE to put a book down, its like the commercial break that never ends.  Then, when I do have to stop, I miss my made up friends and life, I know I just said that- truly I get into my books.  But you totally get me right?

Also, while I love to read, a can get a little stir crazy.  Because usually I really like to stay busy and get things done.  There are always things on the to do list around here and I don't have a day to sit around to read a book, and I also like to sleep at night so reading all night and waking up like a zombie the next day is not an option.

Lastly, since it is summer I want to be outdoors, gardening and working on helping to build a new playhouse.   But just think about this for a second, if I can garden, build, craft or clean and be immersed in a book at the same time, or better yet, learn something new, life just got even better.

So I am making up the summer reading list for real life people and that list includes partnering with Audible.  Have you guys discovered the joy that is listening to books on Audible.  I have at least 15 books on my phone as we speak and the list is always growing.  You can both garden AND read at the same time.  It is a busy person's mecca!  I love audible and have been using it in real life for about 4 years.

One of my favorite features about audible is the speed option.  If you are in a hurry and want to listen fast, you can easily speed up the narration of the book.  I ALWAYS choose 1.25 at least, but often set it at 1.5, just to help me get through books faster which is really nice for road trips, because if you know about the length of the trip often you can time your book to last the trip, and finish in time.

TEN GREAT AUDIBLE BOOKS:

Guys I don't pick favorites well.  Seriously, trying to make a list of favorites, leads me to forget everything or think of everything all at once.  But here are a couple books I have listened to recently and really enjoyed (a couple I am still listening to)..

Business and Learning:

 

Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Instutitue

Want a good slap in the face?  Read this book!  But seriously, it is a very worthwhile use of your time.  It is very eye opening about why we do stuff and how our motives of thoughts affect our actions.  If you want to be a better spouse, parent, employee this is a great book to read.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

This is a book my husband and I downloaded and listened to on a road trip.  I LOVE road Trip books, and this one was amazing for thinking about business ideas and great thinkers

The E Myth by Michael Gerber

This is great for small business owners that want to know how to grow their business and what to have control over and what to let go.  LOVED it.

The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

This was just interesting, everything about it.  Hearing about people that have not followed the course that everyone seems to, some how they excel or are not effected in the same way by seemingly natural laws.  Fascinating.

Health and Fitness Books:

The Calorie Myth by Jonathan Bailor

My two dietitian friends were reading this, and so I listened to it too.  A lot of interesting ideas to think over, I don't agree with everything he says, but it is an interesting perspective.  (Con, when he knocks “dies” programs designed to help people but yet he sells his own- so read it with a grain of salt)  Still, I really enjoyed the book and feel like there are a lot of worthwhile take home points.

The Diet Trap By Jason Lillis PhD and JoAnne Dahl PHD

I haven't finished this one, but I like thinking about the psychological aspect that eating and health has on our life that we don't even think about.

Family:

The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman

I loved the original love languages book, and I thought this was nice to hear how it related to kids and to think specifically how it relates to my kids.

Daring Greatly By Brene Brown 

This is on my list to listen to, from my sister.

Just for Fun:

(Book preferences vary greatly so to give you an idea of what I like, my preferences are, clean, happy endings, and fast reads)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This is my FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME.  I LOVE this book more than words.  My favorite part happens in the very beginning when Jane is living at Lowood School and Helen explains to her forgiveness- it is pure truth that resonates with my heart.   Literally I have it highlighted like scripture in my paper copy.  This particular part has not been portrayed in any of the movies, so if you haven't read this book you are missing out.

The Host by  Stephanie Meyer

I hesitate to put this, because I read it first on hard copy and it was a boring the first go round and LONG.  BUT once I finished, knew the story line, I REALLY loved it.  I have since reread the book, I really love the story.   It is one of the books that randomly I will think I want to read that again, and audible is perfect for re-listening to old favorites.

Bonus: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Okay, anything by Shannon Hale to be honest.  But this book made me want to be an author.  I loved every moment, plus it is part of a series, so then I get to read the rest, without having to find new books.

What do you love to read?

Tell us your favorites in the comments.  Notes to readers, I never read a series unless the whole series is out, so if it is a series, please let me know.

Sign up for Audible today and get a 1 month free trial.  I really have loved learning more or discussing books on a long road trip or camp out.  Totally worthwhile!!

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

 

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Style Icon: the Louis Chair

It's classy, classic, versatile, well-designed, and comfortable – what more could you possibly want from a chair? The Louis chair is a wildly popular style, and it's no wonder: it fits in with virtually every decor scheme. What some may … Continued

The post Style Icon: the Louis Chair appeared first on QB Blog.

Trough Sinks {+ Colored Powder Coating}

BHG Many years ago my mom put a really cool deep white sink with a black undercoating in our beach house laundry room. I loved it! Ever since then I've had my eye out for an opportunity to use a sink like it. My mom's beach house laundry sink – Sink source (does not include wood stand) I […]

This article Trough Sinks {+ Colored Powder Coating} is from The Inspired Room Republishing this article in full or in part is a violation of copyright law. © 2009-2013, all rights reserved.

Tutorial: How to Build a Ladder Plant Stand

I actually started to work a bit outdoors, since the weather it's starting to be nicer here in Okinawa, Japan. But all we have is a small balcony with ugly concrete flooring, so I started searching the web for inspiration for makeovers and I am happy to say that I am in the middle of giving our balcony a makeover. So today I'll be sharing a cute Ladder Plant Stand I made, it is super practical for a small space and will hold all our veggies and flowers.

Isn't this ladder plant stand super cute? I would have loved to use a real ladder for this, but since we are overseas my options were limited. However, building it from scratch wasn't as hard as you may think!

How to Build a Ladder Plant Stand

by Oh Everything Handmade

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MATERIAL

---

• Total 253″ of boards ( buy – three 6 ft x 3 1/2″  + one 3 ft x 3 1/2″ )


• 2″ square legs ( 3ft tall )


• Kreg Jig


• Screwdriver


• Electric Drill


• Measuring tape


• Pencil


• Saw (electric or handsaw)


• Clamps


• Nails


• Screws 1″ and 1 1/2″


• Corner brackets


• Stain or Paint


• Waterproof wood finish

INSTRUCTIONS

---

Leg Assembly

• Cut all the ends of the 35″ boards at a 22.5º angle. Make sure they are both the same length after the cuts


• Cut the back legs at the same height


• Add glue to each board and secure with clamps.


• Use a Kreg jig drill bit to drill a sinking hole for the screw (see images 2-3 above).


• Screw both legs together with a 1 1/2″ pocket screw

To give the top board a better hold I attached corner brackets, the top boards are 16″ long and 3 1/2″ wide. Gluing the two boards together before assembly is recommended.

---

Horizontal board assembly

• Measure 11″ from the top down on both legs


• Drill pocket holes on each end of the support boards (see image above and below)


• Align and level the horizontal boards between legs (TIP: to keep the boards in place use clamps but only tighten them slightly so you can still move the horizontal board)


• Use 1 1/2″ pocket screws to attach the boards onto the legs (additional gluing is optional)


• When attaching the front board make sure it is lowered by 3/4″ – measure 11 3/4″ from the top down

---

Attach the shelves

• The boards for the second shelving measure 8.5″  x 3 1/2″


• Drill pocket holes at the bottom (one side only)


• Gluing the boards to each other is recommended (make sure to let them dry before continuing)


• Align, level and attach the boards with 1″ pocket hole screws


• Use scrap wood for the sides (this it to cover any gaps and to close of the shelving)

• Use wood glue and a clamp to secure the wooden piece on the side (as seen above). I also used two screws on the bottom to connect the pieces

---

Bottom Board Assembly

• The boards for the bottom shelving measure 15″ x 3 1/2″


• For the sides I used 3/4″ thick scrap wood that I cut to 1 3/4″ x 15″


• Add pocket holes to one side of all the boards, including the side boards


• Once everything is attached, glue and nail the front piece on – my measurements are 1 3/4″ x 15 1/2″

---

Sand, Stain, and Apply a Waterproof Finish

• I only sanded the corners and where I had written on


• Once sanded, dust the ladder shelves off and start applying the stain or paint


• I used black water-based stain, mixed with a water-based weathered wood stain
  
  
  
  • Stain mixture: 3/4 part black stain with 1/4 part weathered wood stain
  
  
  
  


• Let dry overnight and apply 1-2 coats of waterproof sealer

---

Want more gardening ideas? Check out this garden fence from Betty over at Oh Everything Handmade:

DIY // HOW TO MAKE A GARDEN FENCE

For the past month or so I have been growing some garden tomatoes (successfully), however after I put some belt pepper seedlings into the ground I had to find out that our wild rabbit likes the leaves… not good at all! That's why I haven't planted my other veggies yet, the fear of mr. rabbit …

[READ MORE…]

 

 

 

and more garden ideas like these here on Remodelaholic:

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The Happy Medium in Design {Get to Know You}

Elle Decor / Design by Rita Konig / Wallpaper by Pierre Frey / Photo by Eric Piasecki Yesterday on social media I posted a link to a post I wrote a couple of years ago called Finding the Happy Medium in Design. As I reread it I realized I would say pretty much the exact same thing today about my style preferences! I feel […]

This article The Happy Medium in Design {Get to Know You} is from The Inspired Room Republishing this article in full or in part is a violation of copyright law. © 2009-2013, all rights reserved.

My Backyard {The Secret to Creating an Inviting Outdoor Space}

This post created in partnership with TIKI Brand When we moved to Seattle last fall, our biggest priority was to have more family time. Even though we knew there would be a need for some remodeling, we were certain that the location and many of the features of this house would make family togetherness an […]

This article My Backyard {The Secret to Creating an Inviting Outdoor Space} is from The Inspired Room Republishing this article in full or in part is a violation of copyright law. © 2009-2013, all rights reserved.

Undercover Entertainment: the Hidden TV

As much as we all love to kick back on the couch with our favorite show (binge-watchers, no judging!), figuring out proper placement for your TV can be complicated. It has to be visible from your comfiest perch, close to … Continued

The post Undercover Entertainment: the Hidden TV appeared first on QB Blog.

A floating ethereal structure

By British architect Luke Lowings of Carpenter Lowings worked with American sculptor James Carpenter on the design via Dezeen

Home Decorating Coloring Book {You're Invited!}

Hey friends, I am SO excited about this! My first copy of The Inspired Room Coloring book arrived at my house last week! I just have to say it is even more beautiful than I could have imagined. I cannot wait for you to see it, I think you are going to LOVE it. If you missed the news about my latest […]

This article Home Decorating Coloring Book {You're Invited!} is from The Inspired Room Republishing this article in full or in part is a violation of copyright law. © 2009-2013, all rights reserved.