







So I was looking around for a "Yahtzee" cup shaker, then realized it was literally just a plastic cup, or a plastic tube (the new one uses a small little box that's barely bigger than your palm). Those fancy backgammon shakers are awesome but too small...
The idea I had was something to give you a nice satisfying roll (some people in my play group are notorious for their rolling technique) while not adding to the wear and tear on the dice themselves.
Anyway, I thought about using those foam rubber cozy (coozy?) type things for drink cans but no (while cheap, they would get misplaced, and foam breaks down and gets funky over time).
Ultimately I made my own...
So the cheapest (but still sturdy) thing I could find were those small plastic "character" cups they sell for kid's birthdays at walmart or any party store. You can get them for less than a dollar. You might also check a thrift store for an old plastic kids cup. The "wider mouth" shape worked for me (you can find cups that are straight up cylinders if that's your preference). It works best with a smaller tumber/size of dice, but give it a little more agitation if you're rolling six 16mm size dice in your tumbler.
I also picked up some colored craft felt (around 33 cents a sheet) and glued that to the inside. Be ware... rubber cement IS highly flammable... don't ask. Anyway, I measured out a fan shaped piece rolling the cup on a flat sheet and marking it out ahead of time does the trick, trim off the excess with some good scissors).
I also happened to have some left over faux leather material, that I cut for the outside, in one fan shaped sheet to fit the cup exterior and give it a good grip texture... imitating the way a wax paper disposable drinking cup is put together. Let dry and the end result is pretty pleasing to me. I was able to put together a set for the four Hero players for about the same price of one of those store bought ones you'd find at a gaming hobby store. I'm pleased with the tactile feel and aesthetic, so do what works for you.
The only downside to this is possibly confusing it with a drinking cup during a late night session, or forgetting who has the dice...
