So, you’ve rolled some dice across your table and thought: how do people make these things? Wonder no more! Here's a peek behind the curtain at how I make each and every dice set by hand in the Kraken’s lair.
The Moldy Beginning (In a Good Way)
Every set of dice here begins with a master set—the original dice used to create all future molds.
I designed my own custom shape and font to give my dice their distinctive style, and had those masters physically produced by the wonderful Tief’s Things. Think of these as the “blueprints” for every set that follows.
To make my molds, I use silicone and craft what’s known as a cap mold—a two-part mold with a simple base and a cap that fits snugly on top of it. While there are other styles, like sprue molds, I’ve found cap molds give me the most consistent and high-quality results.
Because the mold is a perfect replica of the master, the more polished and shiny the master is, the less sanding I need to do later (more on that soon). Each mold set yields about 15 perfect sets and another 15 nearly perfect sets before the silicone wears out and must be retired.
The Pour
Now comes the fun part: the pour.
Each dice set I make starts as perfectly clear resin, but what gives them their unique character is the pouring technique. These methods let me control how color, depth, and movement appear in the final set (at least a little, there's a lot of luck at play here too!):
Blob Pouring – I mix colored resins and pour them in distinct blobs alongside clear resin, letting them swirl softly as they settle. This gives a soft, patchy effect that’s unpredictable and beautiful (like Espresso Elemental or Pretty in Pink).
Nebula Pour – a batch of clear resin gets black alcohol ink dropped on its surface and is immediately pour into a mold filling it halfway. Then a syringe of fabulous color shifting pigment from Chromatic Castle is injected into the center of the mold, and is topped of with more inky resin (like Dork Souls).
Dirty Pour – All the colors, usually in the form of alcohol ink, are dropped into a single cup--no mixing!-- then poured together. It creates delicate swirls and unexpected patterns (Veins of the Mountain).
Split Cup Pour – A lovely cup with multiple sections make this pour possible, as each compartment gets it's own color that then gets poured simultaneously with all the other compartments. While similar in theory to a Dirty Pour, it creates much more defined, thick stripes of color (like Sigilbound).
Chaos Pour– The process starts like a Dirty Pour, but clear resin is injected with a syringe at the same time, creating swirls and unique mixes within the dice (like Jardin du Chaos)
Blanks – Some dice begin as white or full foil and sparkle, then get their magic from what’s added or how colors are layered on top. I use things like nail art decals (like Bear Necessities or Sweet Sakura) or let pigments interact with the blank surface for mesmerizing effects (like Chromatic Orb).
Each technique creates wildly different results—even when I use the same colors! That’s part of what makes each set one of a kind.
Into the Pressure Pot
To keep my dice free of bubbles and perfectly smooth, I place the molds into a pressure pot, which compresses any tiny air bubbles before the resin cures. I usually run the pot at 35–40 PSI and leave it for 24 hours.
After that, the dice still need 3–5 days to fully harden into their final, durable form. Yes, it takes time—but perfection can’t be rushed.
Sand, Ink, Repeat
Once they’re out of the molds, I inspect and sand the cap sides by hand using Zona polishing paper. The other faces don’t need sanding—my molds do most of that work for me.
It used to take me an hour per set… now I’ve got it down to around 20 minutes, while still making sure each piece is smooth and ready to roll.
Next, I ink the numbers using acrylic paint, then clean the excess with alcohol wipes and buff with a glasses cloth (because your d20 deserves to shine!)
Now You Know What Goes Into Every Roll!
Every dice set is made by hand this way with love, care, and a lot of luck.
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