You knock on the front door of the sweet little cottage and then pull your coat a little bit tighter to your chest. It’s a cool Fall day and the first chill wind seems to have arrived at the neighborhood at the same time as you.
The door opens and you’re enveloped in the embrace of the glowing soon-to-be parents!
They let you in, taking your coats and pointing to a table overflowing with sentimental baby shower gifts. You place your hand-wrapped package down gently in the center and head over to grab some refreshments and mingle. The other guests whisper conspiratorially, asking you what you brought the baby. You reply in equally hushed tones, something about a toymaker kit and wooden blocks, not wanting to ruin the surprise.
Before you know it, it’s time to open presents. You cheer and clap as the happy couple squeals with delight not only about the lovely gifts but about the way their community has come together to support them as they welcome new life into their family.
Finally, they get to your gift.
“This one feels heavy!” the wife remarks.
“That’s how you know it’s quality!” the husband replies.
Removing the wrapping paper, they both coo in admiration.
“What are those?” the lady next to you asks.
You have the attention of the entire room now.
“It’s a BridgeWood Toymaker Kit”, you smile. “You can paint it together to prepare for the baby or you can save it for after they’re here…you could even paint it together in a few years! It’s an heirloom toy, so not only is it sustainable and sturdy, it’s a chance to bond and build something lasting and beautiful together. We painted it with these colors and these little roses because it made us think of your home and garden…it’s a reflection of how you see and express beauty, and now you can share that with your baby…do you like it?”
They smile at each other and then back at you.
“We love it.”
We wanted to do something different and thought that dramatic ‘Moody’ Roses’ would be an unexpected and beautiful addition to a playroom. We weren’t sure how they would turn out, but we loved them!
This toymaking tutorial presumes that you are already familiar with ‘The Basics: How To Make Toys.’ Check it out to familiarize yourself with the steps before diving into this slightly more advanced technique.
The ‘Moody Roses’ pattern is a more difficult homemade block style for a beginner. We recommend practicing on paper with your detail brush until you feel comfortable getting the technique right. And don’t worry! A baby wipe or wet Q-tip can easily remove mistakes while the paint is still wet, while an Exacto knife (used by a responsible adult) and your detail brush can help with touch-ups afterward.
We’ve also included an easy-to-follow trace and paint download to help make it even easier to practice before committing paint to your toy blocks. Don’t worry! You will make beautiful toys with a bit of practice and a steady hand!
Want a different look? The flower pattern on raw wood blocks would make beautiful, precious toys!
Download the 3-D Moody Rose Block Template and Flower Pattern Practice here. This template will help you track where to apply the flowers, and the Practice sheet will help you practice making the little flowers before applying them to your toy block.
How to Make Moody Roses Blocks
1
Print and Fold the 3-D Moody Rose Template
- Follow the instructions on the 3-D Moody Rose Block Template and Flower Pattern Practice to fold and tape the 3-D model block.
- This template will help you reference where to place the flowers. The box greatly simplifies figuring out how the flowers are positioned and will help you achieve a great result.
2
Mix Your Paints
Our “Mixing Your Favorite Colors” Tutorial will teach you how to get the perfect shade.
- Mix Rosy Red and Mary Blue To Get Hazy Purple
- Mix Rosy Red and Butter Yellow To Get Baby Rose Pink
- Mix Mary Blue and Butter Yellow To Get Meadow Green
3
Prep the Blocks
Check each edge of the wooden toys. If there are any rough edges, sand them smooth and wipe them clean.
For detailed instructions and tips, see the “Prepping the Blocks” Tutorial.
4
Paint the End Grains
- Dip your foam applicator or perfect brush into the Cozy Black paint.
- Paint the end grain of the block Cozy Black.
- Flip to the opposite side and paint.
- Set on an unpainted side to dry and continue with the rest of the set.
- You will want two coats of paint for even coverage.
5
Apply the Star
- Cut out the BridgeWood star from the silk screen stencil.
- Center on the black side of the block.
- Using the ‘Basics’ tutorial techniques, scrape Rosy Red paint over the star and peel to reveal.
- Flip to the opposite side and apply another star.
- Set on an unpainted side to dry.
- Continue to apply the star to each wooden block in the set.
6
Seal the Stars
- Once the stars are dry, dip your foam applicator or perfect brush into the toy-safe sealer.
- Apply two thin coats to each star side of the wooden blocks.
- Do not seal the four unpainted sides.
- Set on an unpainted side to dry. Cure for 72 hours.
- If you want to continue with the project before the curing is complete, place the wooden toys on a gallon freezer plastic bag spaced a finger-width apart. Although the sealer feels dry to the touch, the underlayers are still curing. The plastic freezer bag will prevent the homemade toys from sticking to each other or the drying surface, making it possible to continue your project once the star sides are dry.
See the “Sealing the Stars” Tutorial for detailed instructions
7
Paint the Sides
- Using the Cozy Black and your foam applicator or Perfect Brush, evenly paint the last four sides of the block. You should need at least two coats.
8
Practice with the Moody Rose Practice Sheet
- Print out the 3-D Moody Rose Block Template and Flower Pattern Practice’ template and practice using your detail brush to create the Moody Rose pattern.
- The template is the same size as your wooden block.
- Practice doing it ‘free-hand’ before painting the pattern on the wooden block.
- And don’t worry about it looking ‘perfect’! This is an intentionally loose template. It doesn’t need to be ‘perfect’ to be charming!
9
Paint the Moody Roses Pattern
Now that you’ve perfected your roses on the paper template, it’s time to put them on your blocks!
9a
Paint the Red Roses
- In the corner of each block, paint the red rose. Reference the 3-d pattern template as necessary.
- Each toy block will have four red roses.
9b
Paint the Pink Flowers
- Next, paint three small pink flowers next to each red rose on each wooden block
9c
Paint the Black Dot
- Place a tiny black dot in the center of each of the three pink flowers.
9d
Paint the Green Leaves
- Paint the green leaves surrounding the red rose and travel along the sides of each block.
- Avoid making the leaves too big. Leave enough space between the green leaves for the berries and purple flowers.
9e
Paint the Purple Flowers
- Paint the purple flowers that travel along one side of the wooden block
9f
Paint the Red Berries
- Paint tiny red dot ‘berries’ that travel along the last of the wooden block.
9g
Let the Blocks Dry
- After finishing the flowers on each block’s four sides, set to the side to dry.
10
Seal the Last Four Sides
- Apply two thin coats of sealer to the last four sides of each wooden toy.
- Set on a sealed, dry ‘star side’ to dry.
11
Let Cure for 72 Hours
- Although the sealer will be dry to the touch very quickly, the underlayers still need to cure and dry.
- Store the toys a finger-width apart and on a gallon plastic freezer bag to avoid ‘gluing’ them to each other or the drying surface.
- Turn daily to ensure even curing on all sides of the wooden toys.
12
Playtime!
It is time to play with your gorgeous toys! It was fun making them. It is even MORE fun to give them away and spend quality time playing with your loved ones with your homemade toys. These toys will send sweet messages of your love to little ones for generations of playtime while challenging their little brains to grow and learn.
