Photojojo has a sweet video tutorial for making photo blocks. It involves gluing a 4x6 photo onto four 2x3 linoleum blocks, then sealing it with painter's gel. Super easy, and while I'm not too sure about the edibility of painter's gel, or the life span of a photo block when confronted with a teething baby, this'd make a fiiine desk toy for GTWD's [or GTWM's, of course] to show off the kid with.
If only the blocks themselves weren't so butt ugly. They're linoleum sheets mounted on particleboard, and while they don't shrink ever-so-slightly the way hardwood blocks would, they look pretty rough.
Fortunately, outfits like Barclay Blocks can supply totally righteous old-school hardwood blocks (maple or birch, mostly) in a variety of shapes, sizes, combinations, and states of finish. I'd glue photos onto these blocks and turn them into cute little puzzles in a second.
And for the more adventurous woodworker dads out there, Barclay also has an extensive set of instructions for making your own set of hardwood blocks. At 10-20 hours/set, and $50-200 for lumber, don't expect to save any money doing it, but doesn't the idea of a homemade, dad-made set of blocks sound really cool right about now?
Photo Blocks: Stunning Gifts from Your Photos in 15 Minutes or Less [photojojo via mathowie]
Building block sets for little kids, craft parts, and blockmaking tips, all by Barclay Blocks [barclaywoods.com]
Thank you for your kind comments. Apropos of picture blocks, your readers might be happier using six 2" cubes. We sell these to crafters all of the time. Then, users glue six pictures to them, doing a different face each time.