DIY Colorful Wooden Toys

Are you a fan of beautiful, colorful wooden resources? Me too! I love browsing shops with page after page of them. I would order them all if my wallet would allow. I most definitely support small businesses and love to order their beautiful products but I also love a good DIY too. Crafting is one of my favorite outlets and fills my “me time” quite often. While painting may not be my strongest skill, even I am able to turn unfinished wooden products into colorful resources for our shelves. If I can do it, you can too! See my tips for getting started below.

What do I need?

The first step is deciding what wooden resources you want to work with. You will want to find unfinished natural wooden resources. If the pieces are finished then you may have to strip them prior to painting. These can be found at most craft stores such as Michael’s or online on Amazon. I will link the resources I have used from Amazon on this post. Next, you will need acrylic paint and a nontoxic sealer. If you plan to use these resources with young children be sure to look for a sealer that is nontoxic to be on the safe side (such as this one). Even older kids put random things in their mouths from time to time. I also bought a set of various acrylic paint brushes to use with various shapes and sizes.

What do I do?

It’s as simple as painting and sealing. You could be a little more proactive than I was and tape off the resources or use paint markers perhaps but so far I’ve kept it pretty simple and accept my imperfections. My kids don’t seem to mind a smudge here or there either.

Depending on the size of the wooden resource, I select a paint brush that will allow me to work efficiently and get in any nooks and crannies. I typically leave the painted resources out overnight to allow for plenty of dry time. Then I seal them by painting on several layers of the nontoxic sealer. I typically leave out overnight again to ensure they are thoroughly dry.

I still consider myself a novice at this but am really enjoying the end results. The best part is adding our own touches on our loose parts and play resources. I love adding our DIY resources to tinker trays and as manipulatives with math practice. We would love to see your creations as well! Share your wins in the comments below and/or tag us on social media.

Are you more of a DIY or an add to cart person?