A First Birthday Present: Colored Oak Blocks

My 4 year old selected the oak branch and marked where the cuts should be made. We went over to the chop saw and he supervised, from a distance, each cut. Then we dried them in the oven on warm for an hour or so and then soaked them in a bit of water with food coloring added to it for about half an hour and then dried them in the sun. The pieces took the color really well. Then we sealed them with a beeswax sealer and wrapped them in a cloth for his little brother's first birthday.

I'd love to make a whole basket of these of varying widths and lengths. They are quite beautiful.