Wood Block Puzzle

Blueberries, the only food my son won't throw on the ground

Goodnight Gorilla, the book I've been forced to read 4294 times

I saw this clever idea somewhere in the blogosphere and wanted to reproduce it ever since. I love that you get to tailor the images to the interests of your child, and that you get 6 separate puzzles for the price of one (but not for the work of one, mind you). I've done the blueberries and Goodnight Gorilla images so far (as pictured above), but afterward when I tried to piece them back together again, I realized I had inadvertently chosen some relatively challenging images. My son probably won't be able to complete them by himself for at least a few more years, but that's yet another beauty of this puzzle--it can grow with your child if you choose a range of easy to hard images!

Anyway, on to the tutorial:

Supplies

You will need:

• Wood blocks (they come in a range of sizes--I used the 2" blocks, 4 rows, 4 columns)
• 6 images
• Glue
• Scissors
• Modge Podge
• Brush
• Pen or pencil (and maybe a ruler)

Steps:

1. Decide on the size of your wood blocks, and then decide how many rows and columns you want for your puzzle (you can order them for cheap online but you have to buy in bulk; I bought mine a la carte at Michael's for $1.29 each)
2. Once you determine the overall dimensions of your puzzle, select 6 images and cut them to the same dimensions. If you can find images in a magazine or calendar, great. If you need to print out the images, then use your computer program of choice to create images with the proper dimensions. 
3. Now for the somewhat tedious part. You'll have to cut up your image so that each piece lays flush on a block. It can be frustrating because you will likely find that some of your wood blocks are not perfect squares, and not necessarily the exact same dimensions as one another (wood can tend to contract or expand depending on the humidity). I just dealt with this by tracing around each wood block directly onto the image, one by one, then cutting out that particular piece, and gluing it onto the wood block.
4. Before gluing each piece though, you will likely have to trim it down before gluing because you do not want the image to hang over any of the edges of the wood block at all, and ideally it should rest just within each edge. That way, the Modge Podge, once applied, will seal the image fully onto the wood block and you won't have to worry about the image fraying or peeling somewhere down the line.
5. After you're finished with the cutting/gluing process for all six sides, then apply Modge Podge to all six sides and you're done!