Though we don't follow any specific educational philosophy over here, I do love the simplicity and beauty of Waldorf toys - specifically the Grimm Rainbow Blocks
. They are just sooooo beautiful. I have coveted them for a long time now, and though I am sure they are incredibly high quality wooden blocks, I just can't bring myself to spend that much money. So I decided to see if I could come up with a DIY version of the rainbow wooden blocks. I am so thrilled with how well they turned out - and our homemade version was just a fraction of the cost - even better. Though I'm sure ours are not quite heirloom quality, they are super vibrant, bright, and fun to build with - so we're very pleased with them. They would make a fabulous homemade gift as well!
. They are just sooooo beautiful. I have coveted them for a long time now, and though I am sure they are incredibly high quality wooden blocks, I just can't bring myself to spend that much money. So I decided to see if I could come up with a DIY version of the rainbow wooden blocks. I am so thrilled with how well they turned out - and our homemade version was just a fraction of the cost - even better. Though I'm sure ours are not quite heirloom quality, they are super vibrant, bright, and fun to build with - so we're very pleased with them. They would make a fabulous homemade gift as well!+(1).jpg)
And they are so fun to build with. I can't get over the gorgeous rainbow colors!
To make them is super easy! You could use liquid watercolors to color wood when you see Teaching 2 and 3 Year Old's Rainbow Craft Stick Mobiles. You figure if they could make gorgeous craft sticks, they could probably dye wooden blocks. And they totally can! I You buy several bags of various sized Unfinished Wood Blocks at local craft store (Michaels) and put a small amount of each different color of liquid watercolors in a tray. Dip each side of the block in the liquid watercolors for 2 seconds, then flipped, and when the entire block is coated, lay them on some wax paper to dry.
at local craft store (Michaels) and put a small amount of each different color of liquid watercolors in a tray. Dip each side of the block in the liquid watercolors for 2 seconds, then flipped, and when the entire block is coated, lay them on some wax paper to dry. 
To be on the safe side, let blocks dry for a full 24 hours before using them for building. Use a combination of different brands of liquid watercolors, as well as dilute a few colors to get a wide variety of hues of each color. If you do not have liquid watercolors, I suspect some well mixed dilute food coloring would also work (though you may want to wear gloves while dying them). And just a reminder that the dye is not set - so these are not blocks that should be around babies/toddlers who are still mouthing (as the dye may come off in their mouths).
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