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Eco Food-Safe Wood Block Pyramid

100 small 2x2 blocks in five graduated sizes, stacked into a pyramid, with a fitted plywood storage tray.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L	Material	✓
Blocks, size 1 (largest)	4	1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 7 3/4"	Pine	☐
Blocks, size 2	12	1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 6 1/2"	Pine	☐
Blocks, size 3	20	1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 5 1/4"	Pine	☐
Blocks, size 4	28	1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 3 3/4"	Pine	☐
Blocks, size 5 (smallest)	36	1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 2 1/2"	Pine	☐
Tray bottom Cut 1/8" larger than the stacked blocks' actual outside dimensions — measure your own stack, don't trust a fixed number.	1	1/2" × 16" × 16"	Plywood	☐

Item	Qty	✓
Pine, 2x2, 8 ft	5 each	☐
Plywood, 1/2" 16" x 16" — the storage tray bottom.	1 each	☐
Pine, 1x2, 8 ft Tray frame.	1 each	☐
Food-safe finishing oil Or leave the blocks raw and unfinished — this is a toy young kids will mouth.	1 each	☐

Overall cost: $. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.

Hearing Protection
Miter Saw
A stop block is worth setting up — there are over 100 short, repeated cuts.
Pencil
Random Orbit Sander
Sand the full-length boards before cutting into blocks — far faster than sanding each block individually.
Safety Glasses
Speed Square
Tape Measure

1. Sand the boards, then cut the blocks
Tools: Miter Saw, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Pine, 2x2, 8 ft
Sand all five 2x2 boards well before cutting anything — it's far faster and more consistent to sand a full-length board than a hundred individual little cubes afterward. Then cut the blocks to the five sizes in the cut list. Setting up a stop block on your miter saw pays for itself many times over on a cut list this repetitive.
2. Stack and measure for the tray
Stack all the blocks into the finished pyramid and measure the outside footprint of the stack — this is what actually determines your tray size, not a fixed number from a plan.
3. Build the tray to fit
Tools: Miter Saw. Materials: Plywood, 1/2", Pine, 1x2, 8 ft
Cut the plywood tray bottom about 1/8" larger than the stack's measured outside dimensions, so the blocks drop in and lift out easily. Cut the 1x2 frame pieces to fit around it, mitering the corners, and attach.
4. Finish food-safe
Materials: Food-safe finishing oil
Apply a food-safe finishing oil to every block and the tray, or leave the wood raw — either is appropriate for a toy a young child will handle and mouth.