Scavenger Chic

DIY “Vintage” Color Cubes, Design Blocks

• By Joan
• February 10, 2021
• 8 Comments

DIY Vintage Color Cubes

Several weeks ago I made a piece of black and white wall art using triangles that could be assembled in thousands of ways.  In the middle of my project my mind flashed back to a block toy I had as a kid.   It was just a set of wooden cubes painted with bright solid colors, 2 of the sides having 2 colors painted on the diagonal. 

This toy wasn’t new when we got it, it was in a box of games from an auction.

It was one of those simple games that could be pulled out any time, tinkered around with then  put back away.  I put them in the same category as regular building blocks, lincoln logs, tinker toys, you know, the original non-electronic toy.

The toy originally came out in the 1930’s as both a toy and a design aid, perhaps to make a quilt?  This was the lid from The Embossing Company from Albany, NY.

A few of these toys still pop up on Etsy and Ebay every now and then .  This 6×6 version was  sold on Etsy. It was originally made in Germany.

I think this 4×4 version is the size I had as a kid.  It was also being sold on Etsy.

And then you have this jumbo size set. It is 9 blocks by 9 blocks for a total of 81 blocks. I found a couple on Ebay that sold weeks ago but nothing current.

So we’re going to make our own set.  How many blocks you make is entirely up to you. I’m making a nice reasonable set of 25 blocks.

Start with a couple of scrap pieces of 2×4’s and a table top saw.  

If you don’t have a table saw you still have a couple of options.  These may be slightly more expensive but a lot less work.  The choice is yours.  First up, buy a bag of Natural Solid Wood Square Blocks Wood Cubes .  Secondly, buy a square dowel and use a chop saw to create your square blocks.

If you go the 2×4 route you’ll need to create some nice crisp edges, not the rounded edge a 2×4 comes with.

Start by sawing off that nice rounded edge. You’re just getting rid of a sliver of wood, about 1/4″ if you include the blade width.

Readjust the fence on the table saw to create a block about 1 3/8″.

Once you have a square dowel, you’ll be able to get 2 from a 2×4, sand the cut edges until smooth.  It’s easier to sand  the sides now before you chop them into the smaller cubes.

Without moving the fence on the table saw, run the square dowels thru the saw again to create the smaller blocks.

Sand the blocks once more on all those newly cut rough ends.  If there are any holes, gouges or nicks fill those in with wood filler and resand.

The beauty of this toy is its simplicity.  Each block is painted with only 4 colors, red, white, blue, yellow, red/white, and yellow/blue.

Since this is for children, use a non-toxic paint.  Chalk paint is non-toxic and since I had all four colors that is what I used.

If you do use the chalk paint, finish with a coat of clear wax.  When dry, buff with fine steel wool which brings out the sheen of the wax.

It is time to start designing.  These were the directions for a set of color cubes, design blocks, offered on Ebay.  This is a 5×5 set like I’m making though a 4×4 set is almost as satisfying.

Since I’m giving these as a gift I wanted a nice little wooden box for storage.  Use whatever scrap wood you have available.

If you are more comfortable on the sewing machine than you are at the saw, feel free to make a cloth bag for storage.

And if you have a chop saw or jigsaw, but no access to a table saw, you may find this easy box more to your liking.

Based on my cube size of 1 3/8″, I needed 2 sides 8 1/8″ and 2 sides 7 inches in length.  If your wood is thicker or if you have more than 5 blocks, you may have to adjust those measurements.

I’m holding up a piece of 1/8″ hardboard which I’m using for my base and my lid.  The thickness of the hardboard happens to be the thickness of the saw blade.

Based on this very inexact method I decided my box should be 2 1/8″ tall.

My 5×5 blocks still fit inside the box with enough room to spare for the lid and bottom.

If you’re still with me on the table saw and didn’t go for the cloth sack option, adjust your saw blade so that it doesn’t come up farther than halfway into your board.

Run all your box side pieces thru the table saw making a dado cut in each one somewhat close to the bottom of the box.

This is a dado cut, which is just another way to say you added a groove in a board.

This would be the back corner of the box.

I’m just  putting a scrap piece of the hardboard into my new dado cut to figure out where the top groove should be.  I do want to give the block a little wiggle room.

The wider groove at the top is the slot where my lid will go.  It’s actually a stacked dado, in which you make one saw cut, move the wood over just a tiny bit and make another cut.  The wider groove will allow the lid to slide back and forth freely.

**use a scrap piece of wood to make practice cuts before going onto your final board.

On the front side box piece, cut the wood down so it is just lower than the double stacked dado.

Use finish nails and glue to attach the sides and back of your box together.

Measure and cut your hardboard to fit, (cut 2, one will be for the lid)  and slide it into the groove you cut around the box.

Nail on the shorter front side of the box.

Sand the completed box well.

Any nail holes, nicks and grooves should be filled with wood putty.  Let dry then sand smooth.

Paint or finish your box as desired.  Mine is getting 2 coats of Dark Walnut, Varathane, stain and poly in one application.

I’m giving the inside a coat of black chalk paint.

Black chalk paint lets the colors on the  blocks pop.

For the lid, I painted the border of the hardboard with more of the black chalk paint.  I then printed out the graphic from the original color cubes box and Mod Podged that to the top. Paint a thin layer of the Modpodge on the top, attach your graphic, and finish with another coat of the Modpodge to seal.  Don’t worry, it does dry clear.

You can save the lid design from earlier in my post.

I sat down for an hour and created a bunch of designs with the color cubes so that I could include the design ideas with my “vintage” toy.  This is just a start, the possibilities are endless.

I did drill a hole in the lid for a little finger to be able to slide the top on and off.

All the designs do not have to be flat!

This toy is sure to be passed down from generation to generation.

Start chopping and stay inspired.

If you bought a bag of the wooden blocks or just got carried away with your chopping, you may want to make a photo cube puzzle.  It also makes a great gift..

I have one more idea from Meaningful Mama, a set of interchangeable block kids. So cute.