So I’ve been getting into making some dice trays recently and I wanted to share my method for making them!
It’s super easy and quick once you have all the materials and the end result is really nice! (in my opinion)
Materials
- Photo frame
This photo frame is the RIBBA from IKEA. This frame works really well because it has high sides to keep your dice in, it’s a good size, and it’s cheap. (£1.75)
- Foam or felt
This will be the surface for the dice tray so the denser the foam the better. Pretty much every craft store should have something like this, but I got mine on Amazon
- Knife or spatula
This will be used to take the metal pieces off the back of the frame, so something with a strong blade works best.
- Pen
Anything that will draw on the foam/felt you have so you know where to cut
- Scissors
- PVA glue
You can also use Pritt stick glue or other types of craft glue but I find PVA works well
- (Optional) Sandpaper
Step 1
Open the frame and take out the back. Bend the leg on the back of the frame until it snaps off, then set it aside to use as a glue spreader later. Using the knife or spatula, work the tip under the metal brackets until they come off. Be careful not to cut towards you, it’s easier than you think to slip and catch your hand.
Step 2 (Optional)
If you have sandpaper, use it to smooth out the holes left by the metal pieces. This doesn’t matter too much because the sheet will be facing the ground and will be covered, but it can help to make the bottom piece of foam sit flat
Step 3
Draw around the piece of cardboard in the frame to make 2 foam rectangles. One of these will go on the bottom to cover up the card and one will go on the top to make a nice surface to roll on.
Step 4
Put one of the cutouts into the bottom and put the card on top, with the holes facing downwards. If the frame you’re using has a plastic front pane, put that over the cardboard to add some rigidity. If the pane is glass then don’t bother. Its not worth shattering your dice tray halfway through a game and rolling on shards for the rest of the night!
Step 5
Fold the metal tabs back down to keep the layers in place
Step 6
Apply some PVA to the second layer of foam and spread it evenly. If you don’t have a glue spreader, the leg of the photo frame works really well. Make sure to push the glue right up into the corners so the foam doesn’t curl at all.
Step 7
Press the foam down over the other layers and smooth down, especially where the foam goes over the metal tabs. Apply some pressure (like a book or a paperweight) and leave to dry overnight. PVA doesn’t bond instantly so if the foam is a little wonky on the first try you can just push it back into place.
Step 8
Decorate and enjoy! If you want to paint the dice tray, especially with spray paint, I would recommend doing this before putting in the foam, since it has a tenancy to curl and wrinkle when painted. I decided to leave this one black but I find spray paint and POSCA pens work really well for decoration
So people that have talked with me about Magic Items in 5E know very well how much of a mess i think they are. So i was thinking and figured i could try my hand at making magic items scale from uncommon to very rare. For this test i used one of the more fun magic items i made for one of my characters. I probably will make more magic items in the same style.
@critical-role I sent you guys a email threw the critical role website with some questions in it. I know you guy get a lot of them. But how long does it usually take for a answer?