DIY wooden cubes

A DIY educational cube is an affordable and effective DIY toy for a child’s development!

A learning cube is a simple and inexpensive entertaining toy, but in the future it can be an important reason for the development of excellent mathematical abilities in your child.

“Learning research has shown that building with blocks or solving puzzles can develop children's spatial skills that help them solve math problems in middle and high school. Our study is the first to show that a similar dependence is observed in preschoolers,” researcher Brian Verdine from the University of Delaware (USA).

In addition, bright cubes stimulate the development of color perception, perseverance, fine motor skills, understanding of three-dimensional space and cause-and-effect relationships.

Below you will find out:

• how to assemble educational paper cubes with pictures with your own hands,
• how to upgrade old wooden cubes to make a puzzle cube.

General information

First of all, it should be said that making wooden puzzles with your own hands is no less exciting than solving them. Moreover, there is nothing complicated in their manufacture, so anyone can cope with this task.

The only thing is that for this you will need a simple set of tools that every home craftsman has:

• Jigsaw (preferably a jigsaw);
• Chisels;
• Electric drill ;
• Files and needle files;
• Sandpaper .

Advice! To simplify the task and avoid mistakes in the process of making products, you first need to make drawings of wooden puzzles with your own hands.

As for materials, the most often required are:

• Small boards;
• Bars;
• Sheets of plywood;
• Wood varnish.

Even if these materials are not at hand, they can be purchased at a hardware store. Their price is usually low.

Manufacturing

There are so many options for wooden puzzles for children and adults. Next we will look at the most popular and common of them, which are easy to do yourself.

To make this puzzle, you will need a rail whose width is three times the thickness, for example, if its thickness is 8 mm, then the width should be 24 mm.

The product is made as follows:

• A rail of suitable parameters must be cut into three parts of equal length.
• Next, in each plank you need to cut out a cutout corresponding to its cross section using a jigsaw. As a result, the strips should fit into this hole with little effort. Therefore, it is better for the window to be slightly smaller; in this case, you can bring it to the required parameters using needle files.
• You need to make a cut in the two slats on the side, the width of which should be exactly equal to their thickness. As a result, a T-shaped cut should be obtained in two parts.
• At the end of the work, the parts need to be sanded and varnished.

This completes the puzzle making process.

Now you need to assemble it by following these steps:

• One of the parts with a T-shaped cutout must be inserted into the window, and it must be advanced so much that the end of the side cutout is “flush” with the surface of the strip.
• Next, you should take the third part and put it on top of the bar with the window until it stops.
• After this, you need to push down the first plank with a T-shaped cut all the way.

As a result, the puzzle takes on the appearance of a single piece.

Crossroads

To complete this craft, you will need a 1 cm square block.

The instructions for its manufacture are as follows:

• You need to cut three bars about 8-9 centimeters long from the slats.
• In the middle of one of them, you need to make a cutout 1 cm wide so that you end up with a square jumper with sides of 0.5 cm.
• The second part should be made in exactly the same way, only the jumper should turn out not square, but round.
• In the third block you need to cut a groove 0.5 cm deep and wide.
• Then the same block must be rotated 90 degrees, and another similar groove must be made on the adjacent surface.
• Next, all parts should also be sanded and varnished.

This completes the wooden puzzle.

Now it needs to be assembled as follows:

• Holding the block with two grooves vertically, you need to insert a part with a round jumper into it.
• A square puzzle is then inserted into the second slot.
• After this, the block with a round jumper must be rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise, after which the product will take the form of a non-scattering solid figure that is not easy to disassemble.

Note! In order for all the workpieces to turn out to be of high quality, they must be made from dry wood.

Makarov's puzzle

This craft is more complex, so before you start making it, it is advisable to complete a drawing. It must be said that DIY drawings of wooden puzzles do not have to be done to scale with high accuracy. The main thing is to indicate on them all the dimensions in millimeters and the main design features of the product.

To complete the Makarov puzzle you will need the same rail as for the product described above.

It is performed as follows:

• First you need six identical parts. One block should be immediately set aside without making any cuts on it.
• On another block you need to make a groove 1 cm wide and 0.5 cm deep.
• On the third block you need to make two grooves. The first is the same as on the previous part, and the second is at a distance of 0.5 cm. It should be the same depth, but twice as wide.
• The remaining three parts are made in the same way - two grooves are made on each of them. The first groove is cut 2 cm wide and 0.5 cm deep. After this, the block must be rotated 90 degrees and, as shown in the diagram, a groove 1 cm wide and 0.5 cm deep must be made.
• Finished parts need to be processed and varnished.

The product is assembled as follows:

• The last two bars need to be folded as shown in the diagram.
• A third block is inserted into the resulting window.
• Next, holding three bars, you need to insert the last sixth bar, as shown in the diagram.
• Then the second block should be turned with the groove up and inserted into the open window “a” formed.
• After this, the block without a cutout is inserted into the window formed between the first two folded parts. After this, the structure will be tightly connected.

It should be noted that without a diagram, it is difficult to assemble this puzzle even for adults.

In the photo - a cube in a cube

Cube in a cube

A cube within a cube is called a carpenter's puzzle, since it is different from all the products described above. This design is a hollow cube with round holes, inside of which there is a small cube. Moreover, it is impossible to pull out the latter.

When you see such a puzzle, the thought comes that the large cube was glued together unnoticed, because otherwise it is impossible to place the cube in it. However, in reality everything is much simpler.

A wooden cube puzzle is made in the following way:

• First of all, you need a cube with a square cross-section. It must have the correct geometric shape, since the success of the entire operation depends on this.
• Then on each side of the cube you need to mark the center. To do this, draw diagonals.
• Next, a recess of several millimeters is made in the center with a Forsner drill.
• After this, you need to draw a square in the resulting circle. With its help, you can determine the drilling depth at which all circles will intersect.
• Then the workpiece is fixed and a hole is drilled on each side to a previously determined depth. In order not to spoil the part, you should go deeper on each side evenly, turning the cube over and over again.
• As a result, inside the cube you will get a small cube connected by thin partitions to a large one at eight points.
• After this, the partitions must be cut with a knife. Thus, you will get two figures independent from each other.
• Finally, the product must be varnished. The dipping method is usually used for this.

You can play this kind of puzzle on your friends, for example, by inviting them to pull out a small cube for a bet, after all, it somehow got there?

Cube-cache

Another interesting puzzle - a cube made of wood represents a hiding place. In essence, this is a box that at first glance seems completely inseparable. However, in reality it consists of six parts, not secured to each other by glue or anything else.

To make this design you will need 6 planks 63 mm long, 40 mm wide and 6 mm thick. From these boards you need to cut out three parts with a jigsaw:

The most important thing in the manufacture of this product is to achieve the most accurate dimensions of all parts. After their manufacture, it is necessary to sand them with sandpaper to obtain a smooth surface.

It should be noted that the manufacture of the third part must be done after assembling all other structural elements. It must be adjusted so that it fits tightly into the groove between elements 1 and 2.

The whole secret of the puzzle lies in element 3, which works like a latch. To disassemble the cache, you need to click on it and slide it inside the cube. If all the parts are made correctly, then when assembled the structure will have no backlashes and is a solid structure.

Conclusion

We looked at the process of making some of the most interesting wooden puzzles. All of them are quite simple to make, and at the same time they are not only fun games, but also excellent souvenirs.

From the video in this article you can find some additional information on the topic discussed above.

Bradley Efron, a statistician from the United States, came up with a set of dice that had paradoxical properties. All cubes in this set are the same in shape and weight. The only difference is the numbers that are printed on their faces. The numbers are chosen in such a way that when rolled, the numbers on the red die come up more than on the orange, on the orange – more than on the yellow, and on the yellow – more than on the green. Finally, green more often shows a number greater than red, that is, the first. Today we will look at how you can make these miracle cubes at home.

So, let's watch the homemade video, and then try to repeat:

Efron cubes can be made from wood, plastic and stone. We know how to make plastic at home from. You can use this method to make plastic and make plastic cubes, but today we will make wooden ones.

To do this, take the most ordinary chopping hammer and cut it into cubes with edges of one and a half centimeters.

The next thing we need to do is color the cubes and put numbers on them. It is necessary to paint the cubes in different colors in order to know which one is better to choose to ensure victory. And for painting you can use ordinary acrylic paints, since they are resistant to abrasion.

Putting numbers on the dice is the most important part of the dice making process. To simplify the process, a special table is presented below that will tell you which numbers to put on each cube accordingly.

It should be noted here that the winning sequence of dice is easy to remember thanks to the colors chosen. It is enough to remember the sequence of the colors of the rainbow or say to yourself the famous phrase “Every Hunter Wants to Know”, and everything falls into place.

I would also like to draw attention to the rules of the game with these cubes. Each player chooses a die and rolls it exactly five times. The winner is the one who scores more points after a series of throws.

The method of teaching reading using Zaitsev's cubes is becoming increasingly popular in the modern world. Many parents make a choice in its favor. However, purchasing teaching aids using this method can significantly affect the family budget. Not all families can afford to purchase expensive materials. In this case, loving parents think about how to make them with their own hands.

Of course, in order to make them at home you will also have to spend money, but these expenses can be significantly less than buying ready-made manuals.

Sales of products

Being quite experienced in woodworking, an entrepreneur can start selling cubes in just two days.

You can sell them on the local market, create your own kiosk of children's toys and sell independently created products, or negotiate with the owners of toy stores.

The last option may be the most profitable, since you will not have to spend a lot of time on sales or pay for the work of an employee, dealing exclusively with production.

Cubes can be sold individually or in sets, creating your own colorful packaging for them from plywood or cardboard, or purchasing fabric bags at wholesale prices.

In order for the products to look as attractive as possible to parents, it is preferable to produce different variations of the products.

As an example, there are several options:

• unpainted products – sanded very high quality, made from wood with a beautiful texture;
• multi-colored - all sides of the cubes are painted in different colors, which will allow children to show their imagination while playing;
• same type - all sides have the same shade;
• of various sizes - sets are created consisting of a variety of cubes that can be used to build “houses”.

A beautiful company logo, recreated on each product with gold or silver paints, will significantly improve their appearance and emphasize the prestige of the company.

The basis

There are various options for making the base for the cubes. You can use thick cardboard or plastic cubes. The main thing is to find ones that are empty inside and, preferably, have one removable edge.

Some people make them from cardboard boxes of milk, juice or kefir. In total you will need to make 52 cubes, including single and double ones.

Wooden cubes are not suitable for making. They cannot be filled inside; they are solid. Although this material is durable and environmentally friendly.

Cardboard is a short-lived material. Without additional reinforcement they will last very little.

It will take you much longer to glue them together. All edges of the cardboard cubes must be well processed so that they do not become crooked. It is better to laminate them or cover them with tape or thermal film. In this case, they will last much longer.

An economical option would be to use liter cardboard bags of juice, kefir and milk as a base. The base of the bags must be square. They will be stronger and more beautiful than those glued together from cardboard.

The most convenient for making Zaitsev cubes will be plastic ones.

Although this option is more expensive. You will spend much less time making them.

Polymer clay cube

Polymer clay gives a lot of room for imagination. You can make multi-colored figures from it; its softness is slightly harder than plasticine.

There are two types of polymer clay - the kind that dries naturally and the kind that needs to be baked in the oven to harden. If your work uses clay for the oven, then you need to purchase additional baking sleeves for it, otherwise you will not be able to use the oven for cooking after working with clay.

The baking temperature should be the same as on the packaging with the materials. If this marking is not present, it is better to refuse the purchase.

When baking, the following safety precautions must be observed:

• the room should be well ventilated;
• be sure to wear gloves and a respirator;
• remove all food products from the room where the product is baked (so that steam does not reach them. For example, in the refrigerator);
• It is strictly forbidden to bake polymer clay and food products at the same time;
• Upon completion of work, the oven must be disinfected and washed thoroughly.

It is very easy to make a polymer clay cube. This shape can be easily sculpted by hand or cut with a knife. In its soft form, pieces of polymer clay are easily connected to each other. From multi-colored pieces you can make a Rubik's cube, or make original dice, and even earrings.

These are just a few materials suitable for making cubes. Products can also be sewn or knitted, glued together from plastic fragments.

The originality of the product depends solely on the imagination of the manufacturer.

The production of toys intended for children of various age groups has always been considered very promising.

Due to the increased requirements for materials that children with an immature immune system will come into contact with, the business idea for the production of wooden cubes is very popular.

Filling

All cubes are filled with special fillers. It is different for different types of cubes.

To fill iron cubes you can use:

• metal stoppers from glass bottles for beer and lemonade. The number of traffic jams varies. Small ones will require 4 plugs, large ones will need 6 plugs, and double ones will need 8 plugs.
• If there are not enough corks, you can partially replace them with small coins. Cubes filled only with coins will not ring well; they will have to be shaken very hard.
• Fishing bells. 2 bells for small cubes and 3 for large ones will be enough.
• You can buy small bells in craft departments. Their number is determined as for traffic jams.
• A piece bent into the letter “g” from a metal construction set. They must first be broken.
• Thimbles. Their number is the same as that of traffic jams.
• You can use cans for filling. They need to be cut into small pieces and folded into a “g” shape.
• Small fittings that will make a ringing sound.

Suitable for filling wooden cubes:

• scraps of thick cardboard.
• Small sticks, blocks, wooden slats (4 and 6 pieces).
• Tree branches broken into small pieces.
• If you break pencils into small pieces, you can use plastic parts from felt-tip pens.
• Beads.
• Buttons.
• Small stones, pebbles are best.
• Seashells.
• Peas, beans, pasta.
• Counting sticks broken into small pieces.
• Details from plastic and wooden construction sets.

The same list of materials as for iron ones is suitable for filling gold cubes. The choice of materials for iron and gold cubes should be different. They should sound different.

For iron-wood cubes, use two different fillers.

Those with punctuation marks can be filled with rustling paper or scraps. They need to be filled very tightly to make them heavier.

It is very important that one type of filler is used for each type,

because they should make the same sounds. Therefore, you need to decide in advance on the choice of items for filling. It should be enough for all cubes of the same type.

What nuances need to be taken into account?

There are 12 types of cubes in total:

1.
Large gold color.
The vowels A-U-O-E-Y are located on them. The font color used for the letters is red.

2. Small golden ones.

They are for the letters E-E-I-Y-YA. Font color – brown.

3. Large iron-gold colors.

Here are the warehouses B-BA-BU-BE-BO-BY, V-VA-VU-VE-VO-YOU, M-MA-MU-ME-MO-WE. These cubes are made in 2 copies. G-GA-GU-GE-GO-GY, D-DA-DU-DE-DO-DY, Z-ZA-ZU-ZE-ZO-ZY, L-LA-LU-LE-LO-LY, N- NA-NU-NE-NO-NY, R-RA-RU-RE-RO-RY. The letters are written in blue.

4. Double large cube of iron-gold color.

For warehouses ZH-ZH-ZH-ZH-ZH-ZH-ZH-ZH. The font is blue.

5.
Small iron-gold colored ones.
B-BY-BYA-BYO-BE-BI, V-VU-VYA-VYO-VE-VI, GY-GYU-GYA-GYO-GE-GI, DY-DU-DYA-DE-DE-DI, Z- ZYU-ZYA-ZE-ZE-ZI, L-LY-LA-LE-LE-LI, M-MU-MY-MY-ME-ME-MI, NY-NU-NYA-NO-NO-NO, RY-RYU- RYA-RYO-RE-RI. The font color for warehouses Бъ, Вь, Гь, Ль, Зь, Ль, Мь, Нь, Рь is blue-green, for other warehouses it is blue-blue.

6. Small iron-colored cube.

It only has the letter Y on all sides. Font – blue. Must be different in weight from other cubes.

7. Large wooden-gold ones.

P-PO-PA-PE-PY-PU, K-KO-KA-KE-KY-KU. There are 2 of these cubes. Warehouses F-FO-FA-FE-FY-FU, T-TO-TA-TE-YOU-TU, S-SO-SA-SE-SY-SU, H-HO-HA-HE-HY-HU one at a time copy. The font color for warehouses P, K, F, T, S, X is blue, for all others it is blue.

8. Double large wooden-gold ones.

SH-SH-SHA-SHO-SHU-SHE-SHE-SHI, T-TSA-TSO-TSU-TSI-TZ-TSE. The color of the letters for warehouses Ш, Ц – blue, Шь – blue-green, for the rest – blue-blue.

9. Small wooden-gold ones.

P-PY-PY-PYU-PI-PE, K-KYA-KYO-KYU-KI-KE, F-FYA-FY-FYU-FI-FE, T-TY-TY-TY-T-T-TE - these cubes 2 copies each. S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S, HH-HY-HY-HY-HY-HE. The font color for warehouses Пь, Кь, Фь, Ть, Сь, Хь is blue-green, for the rest it is blue-blue.

10. Double small wooden-gold ones.

For warehouses CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CH, SHCH-SHCH-SHCH-SHCH-SHCH-SHCH-SHCH. The font color for Ch, Shch is blue, for Chь, Shchch it is blue-green, for the rest it is blue-blue.

11. Large cube of wooden-iron color.

It shows the warehouse ВЪ-БЪ-ДЪ-ЗЪ-СЪ-ТЪ, the font is blue-green.

12.
Small white cube
for punctuation marks.

You can make a large wooden cube to store the remaining consonants with Ъ, but most likely it will not be needed.

Remember that the background color is gold for vowels, wood is for voiceless consonants, and iron is for voiced consonants. All warehouses follow a certain order, which must be adhered to.

Material options for manufacturing

Cardboard

In order to make them from cardboard, you need to download ready-made cube patterns and print them on a color printer.

We glue the sheets with printouts to thick sheets of cardboard and will need to let them dry under a press. After they are dry, cut out the reamer. Bend all edges well. Assemble the cube and think about which faces are best coated with glue right away, and which ones later, when all that remains is to fill it and glue the last face.

This is done for convenience. If you coat everything with glue at once, the gluing process will be very difficult. After you have glued the cube together, secure it with an elastic band so that it does not fall apart during drying. Cover it with tape or thermal film. You can laminate the development in advance, and after gluing, treat the corners with tape.

If suddenly you do not have the opportunity to print finished models on a color printer, then you will need simple developments for gluing the cube. After you glue it, use self-adhesive paper to give it the desired color and write on the folds using a stencil.

Once upon a time, wooden toys had practically no alternative for the vast majority of families with children. Nowadays, this niche is almost completely occupied by plastic products, and often not of the highest quality. Some sellers still offer factory-made wooden toys, but their prices are impressive. A way out of this situation can be. To make them, it is enough to have minimal skills in using simple woodworking tools.

Development prospects

After the business of creating cubes gains the necessary scope, and its owner, accordingly, has free funds, he will be able to organize his own factory, where all kinds of wooden toys will be created:

• figurines of fairy-tale heroes and animals;
• puzzles;
• pyramids;
• cars.

Among the tools, you will need to purchase additional milling, edge banding and drilling machines to the existing tools. Expansion costs will be limited to 50 thousand rubles.

Popular wooden toys

Wood is an excellent material for making a wide variety of objects and things for everyday use. Some of them will require high skill from you, but making many wooden toys with your own hands is quite simple. These primarily include developmental items for children under four years of age:

Because children learn and grow quickly, such activities will only hold their attention for a short time. Therefore, you should learn how to make more complex wooden toys with your own hands. Some of the most popular toys of this kind include:

The motivation of those who make wooden toys with their own hands, with rare exceptions, is unlikely to be related to monetary gain. It is rather an expression of love for their children, as well as a source of pride for their skilled parents. For many of them, making such toys becomes a real hobby in which they can achieve great heights.

Materials and tools

First of all, the toy must be safe for the child. To the greatest extent this depends on the properties of the material and the quality of its processing. Therefore, it is recommended to make wooden toys with your own hands from hardwood:

• linden;
• aspen;
• poplars;
• alders

Harder varieties (oak, birch, fruit trees) are also used in the manufacture of toys, but they are more difficult to process. Coniferous species, whose wood is prone to forming long, sharp splinters, are not suitable for children's toys.

To make wooden toys with your own hands, desire alone is not enough. You will need to acquire a minimum set of tools and supplies. These include:

1. hacksaw;
2. jigsaw;
3. drill;
4. Sander;
5. cutting tools - chisels, chisels;
6. tools for marking workpieces;
7. wood glue, varnishes, etc.

In fact, the set of tools is determined individually depending on what kind of wooden toys you are going to make with your own hands. For example, for the production of cylindrical parts, a benchtop lathe will not hurt.

Manufacturing procedure

You can prepare the material for wooden toys yourself, but it is much easier to buy it in construction supermarkets, where there are special departments for selling illiquid goods. Cheap scraps, substandard wood and plywood are perfect for making wooden toys with your own hands. And the manufacturing procedure can be represented by the following algorithm:

In order to make wooden toys with your own hands with the highest quality possible, you should use well-dried wood to make them. Since most of the parts of such products are small in size, you will need to be extremely careful when working with the material. The thinner and smaller the piece of wood, the easier it is to split. The final finishing of the finished toy can be done in color, preserving the natural texture and color of the wood, using the burning technique. Remember that varnishes and paints for surface decoration should not contain volatile compounds and heavy metals.

The easiest way to secure rotating wheels is with furniture (upholstery) nails. It will be much more reliable to install them using metal pins (axles), for example from bicycle spokes. It’s even better to use special threaded studs, which allows you to secure the wheels with nuts and prevent them from falling off. The presence of small parts in a toy significantly increases its value in the eyes of a child. For example, you can make a license plate for a car, glue wings over the wheels, etc.

Prospects for the domestic market

Most of the goods that can be found on the shelves are low-quality Chinese products created in a hurry.

Children's toys from similar manufacturers are no exception, attracting children with bright colors, but at the same time repelling them with an unpleasant chemical smell.

Lack of quality, the ability to break quickly, dubious dyes - all this can warn even an unpretentious buyer from wasting money, especially since the cost of such purchases is sometimes quite high.

Being quite well-read, parents began to pay great attention to the goods purchased for their children.