Wooden building blocks are at the tippity top of my favorite children’s toys list. They are easy to find (or make!) and provide hours upon hours of creative play. I’ve been a bit obsessed with chalkboard paint as of late and wanted to experiment with some handmade blocks, and this little cityscape is the result. I’m happy to report that my toddlers are in wooden block heaven. These blocks are now the backdrop for Ollie’s cars and Audrey’s Little People collection.
To make some chalkboard blocks of your own you’ll need to gather a few supplies:
one length of 2X4 lumber
chalkboard paint
foam roller
paint tray
sandpaper
I purchased my piece of lumber at Lowe’s for less than three dollars. My husband has a shop full of saws and tools so I had him cut the wood into different sizes. If you don’t have access to a saw of your own, Lowe’s will make the cuts for you free of charge. The great thing about this project is that there really is no rhyme or reason. You can make the blocks as tall, short, or narrow as you’d like.
When the blocks are cut, some light sanding may be necessary to smooth out any rough spots. Then, simple apply your chalkboard paint using the foam roller. Painting the blocks took a total of 5 minutes. I let them dry overnight before use.
Once the chalkboard paint has dried overnight, have fun creating your little city!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
Fun!! I loooooove chalkboard paint!
persimmon / 1255 posts
What a cool idea!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
So fun!
GOLD / pomelo / 5167 posts
Oh my… adorable!
guest
Such a cute idea.
guest
perfection in simplicity. these look like a ton of fun! I know what I’ll be making my nephew for his birthday now.
guest
What a great birthday gift for a toddler!
guest
This is an awesome idea. Not only are the blocks easy to make, the ability to change the building design is so appealing. I’ll be linking to this on WeeFolkArt.com’s Facebook page. Thanks for sharing
guest
Neat idea!!! Love this!!! I’m posting this right now to https://www.facebook.com/GotKiddosBlog
guest
These are awesome! I think my boys & girls would both love them! I’m pinning this to my Gifts for Preschoolers (DIY Style!) board!
guest
This is a great idea – so simple – and I love using chalkboard paint as much as the kids enjoy getting to play with the items that get painted!
guest
Awesome idea. I’ll be including this on my website in the coming weeks in a blog talking about DIY toys. Thanks for the idea; I’ll link back to this page.
guest
This tutoriel looks so fun. I’m going to share your post on my french blog !
guest
I love this! Such a creative chalkboard projects for your kids! I can’t even express how much I love it! I’m asking bloggers to share their chalkboard projects this month at my Create with Me link up. I’d love if you came by to share this!
-Lindi @ Love Create Celebrate
guest
This post inspired me to make some gifts. I posted about it on my blog, where I credited you for the inspiration. Mine don’t have that great vintage type aesthetic of wooden toys that yours do, but they are quite adorable. Thanks for the great idea! How did you get the paint to stay on one side without dripping onto the edges? I tried tape but it caused issue so I ended up painting all around the pieces. It’s cool because it’s just providing more chalkboard space, but I really love the look of yours.