When I was decorating the twins’ nursery, I wanted something unique to add to their bookshelves. Since twin decor is is basically non-existent, I decided I would make something! (Surprise, surprise.) I came across a super cute idea shared by a fellow DIY-er, (@ashleighlaurn_), and decided to adapt it. This DIY wood block abacus came out SO cute and cost me approximately $9 to make since I already had everything except the frame, dowels, and blocks. This would be adorable in any kids’ bedroom, and you could even customize it with their name — sky’s the limit!
What You’ll Need:
- A thick, shadowbox style frame (I found one at HomeGoods, but I’m linking one from Amazon)
- Wooden dowels
- Wooden blocks
- Rubber stamps (I already had these, but here are some from Amazon)
- Ink pad – the link above comes with one
- Ruler
- Saw
- Drill bit, same size as your dowels
- Optional: Spray paint
How To:
Step 1: Once you have a frame, you’ll want to remove the glass. Some frames have easy to remove glass; other frames (like mine, naturally lol) called for a hammer. Just watch out for shards of glass – NOT a good time.
Step 2: This step is optional, but I spray painted/’spainted’ (I’m coining that) my frame. A couple light coats outta do it!
Step 3: Measure the inside of your frame from side to side. You’ll want to saw your dowels so that they are a super snug fit and can be wedged inside your hollowed frame. This took a little trial and error to get perfect.
Step 4: Using a drill bit that’s the same size as your dowels, drill a hole in the middle of all your blocks. You could try to get them all perfect, orrrr you could just eyeball it like we did.
Step 5: Stamp your blocks on each side other than the two sides with holes.
Step 6: Place the stamped blocks through your dowels and wedge the dowels into the frame.
Done-zo!
If you decide to try this project, please send me pictures of how yours came out! I’d love to see!
FOLLOW ON THE GRAM
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