Things You'll Need:
- 2 x 4-inch untreated pine boards
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Carpenter's square
- Hand saw
- Drill
- Forstner bit (1-inch or whatever size hole you want to make)
- Sandpaper
- Safety eyewear
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Step 1
Measure different lengths on the board and mark them with a pencil. You can make squares, long and short rectangles or triangles. To make triangles, use the carpenter's square to draw a line diagonally across some of the squares and rectangles and cut across this line. The width of the blocks remains the same, since you will be cutting only the length of the board. A handsaw will do the job, but if you have a miter saw, the work goes much faster.
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Step 2
Find the center of some of the blocks with the carpenter's square and drill a hole using the Forstner drill bit. After drilling the hole, cut the block in half, or on the diagonal, to form a curve. You can also cut on both diagonals, which will result in a triangle with one curved corner. The variety of sizes makes the wooden building blocks more interesting for the kids.
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Step 3
Sand all of the building blocks, making sure the edges and surfaces are smooth. Start with medium grit sandpaper, and then use a fine grit to finish it.
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Step 4
Leave the blocks natural or decorate them. You can paint, stain, stencil or carve designs onto the blocks, and then seal the surface with a non-toxic varnish.
