• 60 designs
  • Checked October 2026

Wood Block Painting Ideas

Press for three wood block designs, each with its colors, which sides take the paint and the brush or tool.

Wood Block Painting Ideas

Show all 60
  1. Typewriter keys: a round key and one letter on every sideBlack, cream, silver. A cream disc ringed in silver on black; a black capital in each. Stencil.
  2. Ten blocks with one painted side each, set as a color rowBare wood, ten tints. One side per block, each tint a step on from the last. Foam brush.
  3. Ice-cream stack: three flavor cubes on a waffle-lined blockPink, cream, brown, tan. Crossed lines on the bottom block; a drip edge under each scoop. Liner brush.

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All 60 designs

Stacked figures: snowmen, pumpkins, people 12

  • Animal stack: bear at the bottom, fox, rabbit, a bird on top Brown, orange, white, blue. One animal face per cube, each cube a size smaller if you have them. Round brush.
  • Bunny stack: tall ear block, face, tummy, a tail on the back White, pink, gray. Pink inner ears on the tall block; a round white tail on the rear side. Sponge.
  • Family tower: one face per cube, the oldest at the bottom Skin tones, hair colors. Each cube is one relative's face, all looking the same way. Round brush.
  • Giraffe from five cubes of patches, the head on top Yellow, brown, pink. Brown patches on four cubes; a face with two horn dots on the fifth. Round brush.
  • Ice-cream stack: three flavor cubes on a waffle-lined block Pink, cream, brown, tan. Crossed lines on the bottom block; a drip edge under each scoop. Liner brush.
  • Monster in three cubes that stack in any order Purple, green, white, black. One cube of eyes, one of teeth, one of feet, patterned alike. Flat brush.
  • Pumpkin tower with one vine spiraling up three orange cubes Orange, green. The vine crosses each join and turns every corner on the way up. Liner brush.
  • Robot from three cubes: dial head, panel chest, tread feet Silver, red, yellow, black. Two dials for eyes; a grid of buttons; black tread bands below. Paint pen.
  • Scarecrow in four cubes: hat, face, shirt, patched legs Tan, blue, red, brown. One part per cube; straw strokes poke out at each join. Liner brush.
  • Snowman whose head cube has a different face on each side White, black, orange. Happy, sleepy, surprised and winking faces; buttons on the cube below. Dotting tool.
  • Three-tier cake with piped borders, a candle block on top White, pink, yellow. Scalloped lines along the upper edge of each tier; one flame shape. Paint pen.
  • Turn-the-cube people: four heads, four bodies, four legs Skin tones, brights. Three stacked cubes; a different person on each of the four sides. Liner brush.

Word and letter blocks 12

  • Alphabet cubes: a capital on one side, its picture beside White, brights. A for an apple, B for a bee, each picture drawn small and flat. Liner brush.
  • Ampersand cube standing between two name blocks Gold, white. One gold cube with a white ampersand; the name blocks left for your own letters. Stencil.
  • Baby blocks: the name in front, the birth date on the tops Pastels, white. A letter on each front side; numerals on the top sides of the same cubes. Stencil.
  • Calendar cubes: two numeral cubes and a month block White, red, black. Numerals on all six sides of both cubes; month names on a long block. Stencil.
  • Chalkboard cubes for letters that change Chalkboard black. All six sides black, so any word can be chalked on and wiped off. Foam brush.
  • Initial cube: one large capital, five patterned sides Any two colors. The capital on the front; dots, stripes, checks, zigzags and waves elsewhere. Stencil.
  • Lowercase letter on one side, its capital on the side behind it Two colors, white. The pair of letters in white on two colors of the same cube. Stencil.
  • Numeral blocks one to ten, matching dots on the far side Ten colors, white. A white numeral in front; the same count of dots behind. Dotting tool.
  • Picture dice: six small drawings a cube, rolled for a story White, black, one bright. A sun, a key, a boat and so on, one to a side, in simple line. Paint pen.
  • Season word set: turn the cubes to spell four words Four colors, white. One letter per side; each color of sides spells its own word. Stencil.
  • Two-way row: a word on the fronts, your name on the backs Cream, navy. The same row of cubes reads two ways when the whole row is turned. Stencil.
  • Typewriter keys: a round key and one letter on every side Black, cream, silver. A cream disc ringed in silver on black; a black capital in each. Stencil.

Seasonal sets 12

  • Carrot patch: brown blocks, a carrot top on each upper side Brown, orange, green. Soil brown all around; a ring of orange and green leaves seen from above. Round brush.
  • Chick cube: white shell below a jagged line, yellow above White, yellow, orange. The line runs around all four sides; two eyes and a beak on one. Tape.
  • Cocoa mugs: a handle on one side, marshmallows on top Red, white, brown. A white C on one side of each block; brown top with white squares. Flat brush.
  • Ornament blocks: a different round ornament on every side Red, green, gold, white. Three cubes; a round ornament with a cap and a string line per side. Round brush.
  • Pie slices: wedge blocks with a lattice on the top side Tan, golden brown, red. Crossed strips on top; filling color along the two cut sides. Liner brush.
  • Potion bottles on tall blocks, labels lettered by you Green, purple, cream, black. A bottle outline with a cork; a cream label for your own word. Liner brush.
  • Spooky dice: ghost, cat, bat, owl, spider and moon to roll Black, white, orange. One simple face or shape per side on a black cube. Stencil.
  • Spring row of birdhouse blocks, a door dot on every front Aqua, yellow, pink, white. One color per block; a dark round door and a short perch line. Dotting tool.
  • Teacher's desk trio: an apple, a book and a pencil block Red, blue, yellow. One object per block, painted on all four upright sides. Flat brush.
  • Three tall blocks as stockings with cuffs and heel patches Red, white, green. White across the upper quarter; a green heel and toe on each. Flat brush.
  • Turkey: one body block, flat feather blocks fanned behind Brown, red, orange, gold. A face on the body block; one feather color per flat block. Flat brush.
  • Wrapped-candy trio: twisted paper ends on small blocks Orange, purple, green, white. Stripes or dots on the middle; fan lines at both ends. Liner brush.

Tiny scenes and houses 12

  • Block train: an engine and three cars, wheels on both sides Red, blue, green, black. One car per block; wheels along the lower edge of two sides. Round brush.
  • Castle set: stone-lined towers, an arch block for its gate Grays, black, red. Stone lines on every block; a red portcullis grid inside the arch. Liner brush.
  • City set of mixed heights, windows on all four sides Grays, navy, yellow. Rows of small yellow windows around each block; flat roofs. Paint pen.
  • Farm set: a barn block, a silo cylinder, animal cubes Red, white, gray, brown. Doors on the barn; bands on the silo; one animal per small cube. Flat brush.
  • Four-cube puzzle: a different picture on each of six sides Six color schemes. Each picture is split over four cubes, a quarter to a side. Liner brush.
  • Market stalls: striped band above, fruit dots on a counter Cream, red, green, brights. Awning stripes over the upper third of each block. Tape.
  • One horizon line carried across three blocks in a row Blue, green, yellow. Sky above, hills below; the line meets from block to block. Tape.
  • One house around a cube: door, garden, clothesline, shed Cream, green, red, blue. A different side of the same house on each upright side. Liner brush.
  • One house twice: daylight on the front side, lit windows on the rear Yellow, white, navy. Blue sky and open curtains in front; lit windows on navy at the rear. Flat brush.
  • Road pieces: flat blocks with dashed lines and a crossing Dark gray, white, yellow. A white dash down each block; one block with crossing stripes. Tape.
  • Row of block houses, a different door color on every one White, gray, brights. A door, two windows and a roof line on the front of every block. Liner brush.
  • Tree-trunk homes: bark strokes, a round door, one window Browns, yellow, green. Upright bark lines all around; one yellow window near the top. Dry brush.

Pattern blocks 12

  • All twelve edges lined in a color, the sides left bare Bare wood, red. A narrow line along every edge of the cube and nothing else. Liner brush.
  • Cube dipped on one corner, a slanted line on three sides Bare wood, one bright. The color covers one corner and ends in the same slant on each side. Tape.
  • Cube with a new black-and-white pattern on every side Black, white. Dots, stripes, checks, zigzags, waves and crosses, one to a side. Paint pen.
  • Dots set on the corners so each one covers three sides White, black. One large dot wraps each of the eight corners. Round brush.
  • Five cubes in wood-stain shades from honey to walnut Honey, amber, chestnut, brown, walnut. Wiped on, so the grain shows through. Rag.
  • Five matte black sides and a sixth brushed in gold Matte black, gold. Five sides black; the sixth gold, brushed in one direction. Flat brush.
  • One star per side, each a different size Navy, white. Six white stars from tiny to side-filling on a navy cube. Stencil.
  • Opposite sides matching: three pairs of colors on one cube Teal, mustard, coral. Each color appears twice, on sides that face away from each other. Flat brush.
  • Plaid crossing the top side and running down all four walls Red, black, white. Wide bands meet on top and continue over each edge. Tape.
  • Squares stepping in from the edges of every side Navy, white. Three nested square outlines per side, the smallest a thumb wide. Tape.
  • Stripes that wrap unbroken around four sides White, navy. Level bands meet exactly at each corner; top and bottom left plain. Tape.
  • Ten blocks with one painted side each, set as a color row Bare wood, ten tints. One side per block, each tint a step on from the last. Foam brush.

How it works

A plain block comes as a cube, a cylinder or an arch, and a cube has six sides, twelve edges and eight corners. These 60 designs use the sides that turn, stack and stand in a row.

Read the full guide

Six sides, so six pictures

A cube can change by being turned. Snowman whose head cube has a different face on each side gives four moods, and Season word set: turn the cubes to spell four words gives a word per season. All twelve edges lined in a color, the sides left bare paints nothing but the edges.

Wooden block painting ideas that stack or line up

Stacked, the blocks are one figure: Giraffe from five cubes of patches, the head on top. In a row they are a scene, as in Row of block houses, a different door color on every one and Block train: an engine and three cars, wheels on both sides.

Questions and answers

What paint do you use on wood blocks?

Acrylic paint is fast-drying, and most kinds are water-based and become water-resistant when dry. Whether a paint or sealer suits a toy that a small child handles is on its label: we do not test paints.

Which designs are for Halloween or Christmas?

Spooky dice: ghost, cat, bat, owl, spider and moon to roll is for October; Ornament blocks: a different round ornament on every side and Three tall blocks as stockings with cuffs and heel patches are for December.

Can blocks spell a name?

Yes. Baby blocks: the name in front, the birth date on the tops puts a letter on each front side, and Two-way row: a word on the fronts, your name on the backs makes one row of cubes read two ways.

Which block designs can a child paint?

The pattern group has the plain ones. Opposite sides matching: three pairs of colors on one cube is flat color with no lines, and Ten blocks with one painted side each, set as a color row is one coat per block.

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