I first saw the design back in 1988 as a promotional piece a dealership gave away. Fascinated by the endless turning this promotional toy attracted children of all ages. Years later I found instructions for a cloth version that was extremely difficult to understand, partly because it was in another language. It was clear though, that the sewing was all done by hand.

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Our version of this block is named the Magic 3D Block. The magic is in the continuous manipulation, the calming effect it has on children. These directions will show you how to sew half the seams by machine. At that point you might think it is a big mistake - that somehow the instructions must be wrong. It is only when you start inserting the foam cubes that the toy magically takes shape. It is rewarding to successfully reach that point.

Since producing and distributing the Magic 3D Block people have been telling me of playing with all kinds of versions made from wood and leather, or from cardboard. Some stories go back to childhood more than 60 years ago. 

We would love to know when and where this block was actually created for the first time. If you have any stories, please let us know, we would love to share them.

Our instructions for the Magic 3D Block include both the basic layout - a six fabric version with 3 colors showing when the block is one way and the other three when the block is turned 'inside-out' - and the advanced layout where each face of the block can be a picture from pre-printed fabric. 

We recommend making the basic layout first.  We package with and without fabric and also sell additional sets of 8 foam cubes. Cutting foam is not easy as we have discovered the hard way.

For the advanced layout you will see that each side of the block is a complete picture. You need multiple versions of the same print so you can cut the sections with seam allowance. To help you cut your fabric so these pieces line up exactly, we have created a template.