BLOCKSetc
Buyers are raving!
This shop got multiple 5-star reviews in the past 7 days.
Announcement The Original Personalized Baby Block. With over 49,000 sales worldwide and more than 7,900 5-STAR positive reviews BLOCKSetc creates personalized engraved gifts for all occasions. Specializing in clean and simple designs BLOCKSetc offers unique and affordable keepsakes for baby gifts, baby baptisms, personalized wedding gifts, baby's first Christmas, beer cap maps, state shapes and memorial gifts. BLOCKSetc offers old fashioned customer service and creates your custom engraved art within days. Satisfaction guaranteed. Rush orders available. Custom inquiries welcomed.
Announcement
The Original Personalized Baby Block. With over 49,000 sales worldwide and more than 7,900 5-STAR positive reviews BLOCKSetc creates personalized engraved gifts for all occasions. Specializing in clean and simple designs BLOCKSetc offers unique and affordable keepsakes for baby gifts, baby baptisms, personalized wedding gifts, baby's first Christmas, beer cap maps, state shapes and memorial gifts. BLOCKSetc offers old fashioned customer service and creates your custom engraved art within days. Satisfaction guaranteed. Rush orders available. Custom inquiries welcomed.
Items
Featured items
All Items
Reviews
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Christina on Nov 14, 2021
5 out of 5 starsBeautiful custom block ornament for baby’s first Christmas - absolutely love it!
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Karen on Nov 14, 2021
5 out of 5 starsThe blocks were great quality and finished perfectly. They were made and shipped earlier than expected which was a wonderful surprise. Erika answered messages promptly and was very accommodating. I highly recommend this business.
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Joni on Nov 13, 2021
5 out of 5 starsThis is perfect! Just as described/pictured. I love the ability to personalize colors. Production and shipping were fast.
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Caroline on Nov 12, 2021
5 out of 5 starsWhat a beautiful gift! I selected rush my order and it was produced next business day and arrived soon after. There was one misspelling on sellers end. Seller fixed on next business and mailed it. Wonderful communication and shop owner!
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rottek on Nov 9, 2021
5 out of 5 starsI got the Baptism memento block, 3-1/2”. Love it, love it, love it! I am sure my niece will love it too! Beautiful!
Quick order, quick delivery! Lovely packaging! Thank you!
I will be a repeat customer, no doubt. -
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Hillary on Nov 7, 2021
5 out of 5 starsSuper cute! I've already "decorated" it and posted it on FB. I've had lots of people say they want one, so I've been sharing the link to the listing, so you'll have a few orders from my friends coming your way.
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Natalie on Nov 14, 2021
5 out of 5 starsThe item was shipped very quickly and the custom engraving was exactly what I was envisioning! It looks amazing and will make a great present.
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Karen on Nov 14, 2021
5 out of 5 starsI received my order and it was gorgeous!! I ordered the 3 inch block, natural, and it was perfect!
About BLOCKSetc
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Rough wooden planks stand waiting to be milled
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Planing, Jointing and Sanding
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The wood has been precisely measured and prepared into a stick where it will be finely sanded and then cut to size
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American hard maple sticks ready for cutting
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Cutting each block with precision on a chop saw
Farmhouse Entrepreneur
I am often asked how I started my business or where the idea came from so I decided to tell my story. Thank you in advance for taking the time to get to know me; it’s quite a story! BLOCKSetc has been a work in progress since its inception in June 2005. I am originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania where I grew up surrounded by truly authentic farm houses nestled in idyllic Wyeth-esque landscapes. As a young girl I would dream of someday living in a farmhouse full of charm and character and raising a family. I LOVE history and anything that conjures a past, a story or has had a previous ‘life’; there is something mystical about the imaginative qualities of actual things. When I got a little older my father would take me ‘antiquing’ and I relished just being among old pieces as I would imagine the life they may have once had. When I married and moved to Michigan with my husband, I begged him to consider buying a farmhouse, so we could literally live inside a piece of American history. After lots of searching we found a farmhouse in need of some TLC but one that oozed charm and character and had a story to tell. With all the naiveté of 26-year-old newlyweds, we bought the house dreaming of its potential. For 8 very long years we chipped away at project after project while starting our family and working ‘real’ jobs. I finally had a reason to shop for antiques and I filled the house with old farm tools, period pieces and folk art. On one of my shopping trips I stumbled across and old drawstring bag that had been tossed into a basket on the floor of a staged living room. The basket was filled with wooden knitting needles and an old shuttle from a trestle machine and had been placed at the foot of a wooden rocking chair that was donned with a hand sewn patchwork quilt. The little scene caught my eye and I was drawn to the clunky bag. I opened the musty linen to find an assortment of old fashioned alphabet blocks, worn from years of use and play but still colorful and almost oiled with wear. They were as rustic and as authentic as you can imagine, and my mind started swirling with scenes of kids sitting in front of fireplaces on braided rugs playing with building blocks. Once home, I discovered the blocks revealed an assortment of letters and I was super excited to find that I was able to spell my son’s name, BROCK, from them; they immediately found their way to a shelf in his toddler room. Every room in the house was officially submerged in Americana history. Life was good. I was the Alumni Director at a small Liberal Arts College and my husband was working in his field of OSHA as a regional safety manager for an aluminum recycling company. I loved my job but all I ever really wanted was to be a stay at home mother.
In 2004 I had a 1-year old daughter, a 3 year old son, I was pregnant with my third child, working full time and juggling renovations, housework and daycare. I was busy, but I loved being a mother and a wife and learned to appreciate the ongoing constant construction that brought chaos. My only sanity was my solitude in the wee hours of the night as I painstakingly scrapbooked baby memories for my children. I would sit among crafting totes and bins; I would rummage through piles of cutesy paper and themed stickers; I would belabor decisions like which decorative scissors I would use to edge my photos with. One night, buried among embellishments and stickers on what was once a dining room table, I wondered if there was a better way to preserve baby memories. Sure, there were silver spoons and rattles, bronzed baby shoes and picture frames but what about something different? Unique and truly personal? What if something could be rustic and charming and would someday be full of character like those wooden alphabet blocks I found in that antique shop? What if I could make something that would someday tell a story? Then it hit me. What if I could make an alphabet block like the ones I found but personalized with the baby’s birth details? And there you have it; the birth story of the baby block! For weeks I researched lumber and wood working equipment, I revisited marketing chapters from old college textbooks, I read every article on the internet I could find about starting a business and I learned how to build an e-commerce website. When my 3rd child was born I resigned from my position at the college and became a "mom-trepeneur". I started slow and small and my goal was to be able to spend my days with the kids but attempt to recover some of the loss we experienced when we went to a single income household. By day I was home with the kids living my farmhouse dream and having a blast raising them. I eventually had a fourth child, and as they grew so did my business. There have been a lot of changes over the years, but I love how I can continue to evolve by tapping into my creativity. Thank you for reading my story! -Erika
Shop members
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Erika
Owner
Erika is afflicted with wanderlust and is always planning her next adventure with her 4 kids. She lives by the motto WORK HARD-PLAY HARD and is a mover and a shaker. She is building this business and hopes to leave it as a legacy for her kids.
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Brady
Finishing, Numbers Guy
Brady is Erika's husband of 20+ years and has been by her side since the beginning. He is responsible for milling, painting, sanding and all finishing of the blocks. He is also the numbers guy and keeps Erika on her toes!
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Brock
Sign Maker
Brock is the 19 year old son of Brady & Erika. He was accepted to University in Scotland but couldn't go because of COVID so he pivoted and invested his tuition in a small business. He launched his own product line is creating & making custom signs.
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Julie
Block Maker Extraordinaire
Julie has been working for BLOCKSetc for 4 years. She is a mom of 3. Julie processes all of the block orders. She enjoys camping & spending time with her friends & family. She is a fabulous friend, a loyal employee & a terrific mom and wife!
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Derby
Resident Shop Dog
Derby is our 9 year old Labradoodle and is the quintessential shop dog! He watches all the activity from his bed each day and only stirs when the mailman comes or if someone has beef jerky! Derby has grown up in the shop.
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Haggis
Shop Dog In Training
Haggis is our 1 year old Bernese Mountain Dog. He is larger than life & loves to play in the snow. If he’s not outside chasing the farm cats he’s in the shop cooling off or getting hugs. He is ALL personality:)
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Rigi
Newest Member
Rigi is our 4 month old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. She is the sweetest girl and is Haggis' best friend. When she's not scrounging or begging for food she is chewing all of our scrap wood, cardboard boxes, shoes and whatever she can get her paws on!
Shop policies
Shipping
Digital downloads
Payment options
Returns & exchanges
I don't accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations
I accept returns I do not accept returns
I accept exchanges I do not accept exchanges
I accept cancellations I do not accept cancellations
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Privacy policy
More information
Frequently asked questions
Custom and personalized orders
Each item is made to order so please send your requests and we will work together to create your very special one-of-a-kind item. I do charge a small fee for custom images, designs and proofs/layout changes.
Sizing details
I offer 5 sizes.
2'' = 5.08cm $25 natural $30 painted
2-1/2'' = 6.35 cm $35 natural $40 painted
3'' = 7.62 cm $45 natural $50 painted
3-1/2'' = 8.89 cm $50 natural $55 painted
4" =10.16 cm $60 natural $65 painted
They are options available in the drop down menu.
Gift wrapping and packaging
Blocks are packaged in an organza bag that compliments the item. Baby girl block, pink; Baptism, white. Baby Boy, blue. etc.
Larger items like beer cap maps and memory boxes are not gift wrapped and no gift wrapping is offered at this time.
Wholesale availability
I welcome all wholesale inquiries.
What is RUSH MY ORDER
Rush my order means that you are paying to have your order "bumped" to a priority processing status and your order will be completed within 24 hours.
This DOES NOT EXPEDITE SHIPPING
if you would also like to expedite the shipping process (once it leaves my shop) you can also purchase upgraded shipping options in the shipping setting during your order.
Loyalty Rewards/Discounts
I appreciate customer loyalty and past orders but I do not offer any discounts at this time. This is my philosophy:
I feel it is more important to offer a quality product and sell it for a reasonable price up front instead of raising prices (like so many other stores, vendors, crafters do) just to show a deal or discount.
The prices listed in my shop include all custom engraving and I gift wrap most items at no additional cost.
Proofs
Proofs are not offered at this time but I am happy to send a screenshot of a custom order in the design layout and/or photos of the completed item for a small fee. Please contact me for a proof.