Personalized Baby Blocks

A good friend of mine created the cutest baby announcement cross stitch project for each new baby that’s come into their family, and they are proudly on display in her home. I love the idea of having a child’s birth information displayed, so I created these darling personalized baby blocks–perfect as a baby gift for a new mom, or for your own child’s nursery or room. This is a simple project with a fabulous finish!

 

SUPPLIES:

• 4×4 post, cut into perfect squares
• spray paint
• vinyl lettering OR the negative space for a stencil + craft paint
• ribbon
• sander

DIRECTIONS: 1.  Cut the 4×4 post into four perfect square blocks.  Make sure to measure the width of the post first–they aren’t actually 4 inches across, and can vary in size, but usually around 3.5 inches. Once you know the width, you can cut the length accordingly, to be a perfect square.  Remember, most large home improvement stores will cut these for you, and it’s worth asking a smaller, local store as well. I’ve also had a lot of questions about only being able to find treated posts, which are kind of a green color.  Those are fine, and that’s what I use, since it’s typically the only kind that hardware stores carry.  It’s worth asking your store, just in case, but if not, you can still use them.  Once you paint them, you won’t even know!  Occasionally they might be a little damp, so putting them out for a day or so to dry is helpful. 2.  Spray paint your blocks, and let dry completely.  You can use craft paint, but I highly recommend using pray paint.  It is MUCH faster, and requires less coats–craft paint tends to absorb very quickly. Once the paint has dried, use your sander to distress the edges of your blocks. 3.  I used my Silhouette to cut out my vinyl, but you could use another type of cutting machine, or order it from a company who sells vinyl. (Font = Typewriter) You can either use the vinyl itself, or the negative space as a stencil, and use craft paint to stencil the info on. You’ll probably need a few coats, then let it dry completely and remove the stencil. 4. Tie ribbon around one of the blocks, ta-da, you’re done!