Hey, I actually use a foam stamp for the alphabet blocks. I think I got them at Wal-mart. The trick is to use a paint brush and put a thin layer on the stamp, then stamp it. Cheap craft paint works pretty good because the finish you put on them will protect the paint anyways. Also it doesn't bleed into the wood. I have tried many different ways of making that process faster but the results are always sloppy or just not very good. If you decide to make them and find another way that works good, please let me know. Thanks for the complement and talk to you later.