How to Make a Kubb Set

One of the best things about summer is playing a casual game on a field or the beach. In our office, one of our favorite games is called Kubb (rhymes with "tube") that is originally from Sweden. If you have access to some woodworking tools it's pretty easy to make and a lot of fun to play.

What's so fun about the game may not be obvious at first, but after a single game many people get hooked. Trust me, it's worth the bit of effort it takes to make a set.

Kubb wiki page
Rules of play

Remove these ads by Signing Up

Step 1: Get some wood!

To make one set you'll need:

- 6' of 4x4
- 6' of 1.5"-2" dowel
- 4' of .75" dowel
- 30' of string

If this is your first set you might want to pick up an 8' piece of 4x4 to try making a couple different kings.

Arrhyno says: May 25, 2013. 1:14 PM

Don't want to be too over-the-top when I play, but as a noob (pronounced like newb), would the extra weight of treated 4 x 4's (which I have some scraps of) throw off the way the game is played? Can any experienced players let me know what they think? Thx

ducksarewet in reply to ArrhynoJun 11, 2013. 3:25 AM

As someone who has played, I don't think it would be noticeable.. However, I wouldn't use pressure treated (PT) lumber unless people can wash their hands after. PT has toxins which transfer to skin. This isn't good if you are playing at a BBQ picnic.

K'nexFanatiFreek says: Jun 26, 2012. 1:02 PM

or you could just paint a stripe on it with enamel paint

taluntain says: Jun 12, 2012. 8:27 PM

just made a set today great part is i got all the wood for free

173

fungus amungus (author) in reply to taluntainJun 14, 2012. 10:35 AM

Nice! It's not too hard to make this from scrap and it doesn't really matter as long as you have fun playing it.

transparency says: Jul 9, 2008. 1:04 PM

I love this game, I made a set a year ago and beveled the ends of the smaller ones and lacquered them all.

173

fungus amungus (author) in reply to transparencyJul 9, 2008. 1:36 PM

Excellent! Cool to see that someone else knows about this game.

alisha7869 in reply to fungus amungusFeb 3, 2012. 2:01 PM

what do you mean about someone else knows this game

alisha7869 says: Feb 3, 2012. 1:51 PM

omg is it really true if you read it tel me

CrawJac says: Dec 6, 2011. 12:50 PM

We made a set and have not put it down. We used it to kill time while cooking a turkey in a trashcan and almost forgot about the bird!

Great job and thanks!

CamillaLuvzMusic says: Dec 14, 2010. 4:41 PM

I was too lazy to read the official directions. but to make it more interesting when I play, to shoot for the king we bend over and shoot through our legs

CamillaLuvzMusic says: Dec 14, 2010. 4:38 PM

lol "kubb that hes gonna miss"

HewgO says: Jul 10, 2008. 12:27 PM

Great Instructable! However, "Kubb" doesn't rhyme with "tube", it actually rhymes more with "tub". Trust me, I'm from Sweden :P Anyways, it's really fun to see that people outside of Sweden are taking a liking to this fantastic, wood-tossing, game :)

MegaMaker in reply to HewgOMay 24, 2009. 8:48 PM

It's pronounced "koob".

Eric95 in reply to MegaMakerNov 22, 2009. 1:22 AM

It's not pronounced koob! HewgO is right, it rhymes more with tub, but the U sound is like a mix between the american U and O.

MegaMaker in reply to Eric95Nov 22, 2009. 4:57 PM

No.

Eric95 in reply to MegaMakerJun 26, 2010. 6:04 AM

Yes! Are you swedish? I am. It's pronounced more tike tub than tube.

HewgO in reply to MegaMakerNov 22, 2009. 5:19 PM

Yes.
"Koob" is actually a very good example of how it sounds like when americans try to speak swedish. They never quite get the U right.

CamillaLuvzMusic in reply to HewgODec 14, 2010. 4:36 PM

Well I dunno about you all, but in Denmark it sounds no where near tub. And I'm not going to try to spell it because its not rly possible in english.
Just like americans can't say "rod grod med flode" except the o's in that should be o's w/ lines in them but I cant type that.

makendo says: May 22, 2010. 8:29 AM

Great way for me to recycle some fence post offcuts and an old curtain rod! Looking forward to trying it out this afternoon. Thanks!

seamster says: May 16, 2010. 9:10 PM

I saw this a while ago, and thought the game looked interesting. I just played it for the first time this weekend--it's a great game! Thanks for posting this.

I'll be making a set for myself soon.

173

fungus amungus (author) in reply to seamsterMay 17, 2010. 12:01 PM

Glad to hear it. You should totally make a set. It's easy and you can knock it out in an hour. The only tricky part for me was finding a place that sold the bigger sized dowels.

Just in time for summer, too!

Logan D says: Feb 7, 2010. 3:54 PM

I should've posted on this a year ago after this instructable after it prompted my interest in and love of kubb.
After first reading this I found an old 4X4 of clear cedar in my garage, bought some poplar dowels, knocked out a set in a day, stained and sealed it, shoved it in a milk crate, and forgot about it until the summer.
One faithful day I decided my and my friends might as well try it, and I think for the next month or two of summer we played everyday, beating that old cedar set to hell and back. It really is one of the best yard games we've ever played and my and my buddies are starting to build our own second generation sets. I am currently planning to make myself a new softwood set every summer, keeping my old battle scarred kings as momentos.
I encourage anyone to try this game, it's fun, strategic, and easy to pick up in an afternoon(though usual some house rules are developed).

173

fungus amungus (author) in reply to Logan DMay 17, 2010. 11:53 AM

Glad you made a set and enjoyed it. I've made 3 sets so far. One for myself and the others for friends. Super easy to knock out if you have a table saw handy.

bejt61 says: Aug 9, 2009. 2:32 PM

I got my wood from a local hardwood retailer for FREE. I got the spacers or shoring stock they use when shipping and storing the lumber. My king and batons are hickory and the kubbs are maple. BTW a wet 3 3/4 X 3 5/8 x 48 inch picece of hickory is kinda heavy. I am going back to see if I can score another 4 X 4 of that hickory.

kamazeuci says: May 30, 2009. 1:35 PM

I think you really don't need the exact measures. For example, I've just made my kubb set with firewood splitted with my axe. I did the best to match indicated sizes but obviously with an axe you can't be that precise.. I bet vikings didn't buy their kubbs at home depot.

RobertAdams says: May 25, 2009. 5:05 PM

I couldn't find 2" dowel at my local Lowes. The largest I found was 1 1/4". However, when I played, it seemed to be big enough to knock over the kubbs and king.

thepelton in reply to RobertAdamsMay 29, 2009. 12:35 PM

Try a Woodcraft store. Find your local one at www.woodcraft.com

rgmidnite in reply to RobertAdamsMay 26, 2009. 8:13 PM

We use a piece of hand rail instead of dowel. The only difference is a flat spot on one side. It is much easier to find at home improvement store and you can buy it buy the foot.

173

fungus amungus (author) in reply to RobertAdamsMay 25, 2009. 7:09 PM

That's good. Home Depot didn't have it either. I had to go to a hardwood supply house in the area to get it. As long as it works, right? Also I found that playing with the rule that the kubbs get thrown out of the game after they've been knocked down twice makes it more fun when people are new to it. Have fun!

MegaMaker says: May 24, 2009. 8:50 PM

This game rules. I played it some time back on an 86 mile float trip. SO fun.

loki95531 says: Aug 13, 2008. 8:57 PM

The S.C.A group near me are vikings and play this every time I go to a meeting.one of their rules is you must have a drink in one hand at all times. makes it a bit more challenging if its beer or stronger.lots of fun even sober.I gotta make me a set. thanks for reminding me.

stuant63 says: Jul 24, 2008. 4:39 AM

This is a great game (nice instructable too). We discovered it last year at a Pictish/Viking re-enactment day and play it a lot now with a rough and ready home made set. We don't bother with the string between the corner markers. A variant rule we have is this; on the FIRST occasion only in the game when a player is throwing to knock over the king (ie win the game), he has the choice to "be sporting" and use only one of his remaining throwing batons. Thereafter, all available batons are used on turns where a player is trying to hit the king. It adds an extra bit of interest.

173

fungus amungus (author) in reply to stuant63Jul 24, 2008. 9:14 AM

An assault on the king, eh? Sounds interesting. Yeah, the game is totally fun. In fact, we'll be playing it later today! As for the string, that's just to measure out the field in the beginning. We don't bother leaving it around the field.

zygote90 says: Jul 22, 2008. 2:37 PM

man i used 2 play this all the time at camp it was freiken sweet i always owned i played it so long ago i 4got how 2 play thanks for the 'ible never woulda played again with out u!!!

Floorman says: Jul 21, 2008. 1:07 PM

I've seen this played a the Ohio Renaisance Faire. There's a Viking shop there and they will occasionally set up a game in one of the open areas of the faire and will play a game or two. I've tried to figure it out to make my own set. Thanks for the instructable

Roxner says: Jul 21, 2008. 1:45 AM

this is really how to bring the bit of swedish culture you dont see to your own backyard :D the only thing thats really important when playing kubb is that you make sure everyone knows the rules.. ive played 100s of times and 70% of the times it ends in a fight over the rules .. kubb rules is something that can vary from family to family. but its great !