Chica and Jo Chica and Jo

DIY tutorials, party ideas, recipes, crafts, and tips for everyday life

Chica and Jo Chica and Jo

DIY tutorials, party ideas, recipes, crafts, and tips for everyday life

Chica and Jo Chica and Jo Facebook TikTok Pinterest Instagram

8-Bit Super Mario Brothers Pixel Art (Free Pattern)

by: Chica
This page may contain affiliate links and we may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking them. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
8-Bit Super Mario Brothers Pixel Art (Free Pattern)
Facebook Pinterest Email
share it

I'm a huge fan of Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers, from the original NES game console up through every iteration since. I decided recently to create a tribute to the game by making some pixel art images out of wooden blocks. What fun Mario and Luigi craft project they would make, not to mention a great retro decoration for my office!

VIDEO: Creating Super Mario Pixel Art Decor

If you can't see the video, try viewing it directly on YouTube.

Free Super Mario Brothers Pixel Art Pattern

I decided to make Mario, Luigi, the red Super Mushroom, and the Fire Flower, and I went with the 8-bit version because the characters were only 16 pixels tall. I created a grid pattern for all four characters. If you want to play along at home, just download my 8-bit Super Mario pixel art pattern and print it out.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

Making Super Mario Pixel Art from Wood Blocks

Since my grid pattern is only 16 pixels tall, I could use 1/2" wood blocks (anything smaller would have been hard to handle) and the finished pieces would be 8" tall. Perfect! You could easily use any size block you want to create larger or smaller pieces if you wish.

Then I gathered up a bunch of 1/2" wooden blocks, some multi-surface acrylic paint, and several foam cosmetic wedges.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

I counted up the pixels to see how many of each color I would need, so that I could paint just the right number of blocks. To make one of each character, I needed 728 blocks total (in these recommended colors of multi-surface paint):

I didn't relish the idea of hand-painting each of these tiny blocks, so I came up with a technique to make it easy to paint all the blocks of a given color at once. First, I counted enough blocks for one color, then I lined them all up in a tight grid. Also, to keep the finish consistent across pieces, I made sure the end grain was facing up on every block.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

Then I used a cosmetic wedge sponge to just dab the color on. Having them in a tight grid made it super easy to paint just one side of all the blocks at once.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

Oh my goodness, this made it SO much easier!

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

I cranked through my colors, making enough of each one, and applying a couple coats where needed.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

When the blocks were all dry, it was finally time to assemble. I did this one row at a time, following my pattern. I first laid out all the blocks I would need for a row so that they were all ready, then I glued that row of blocks, one by one. I just dabbed a little wood glue onto the sides of each block and pressed them in place. Then I squeezed the whole row tightly, and wiped away any glue that squirted out.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

I was tickled to see each of the characters come together, based on the pattern.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

But then I realized that the sides of each piece still had unpainted wood. Oops!

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

Easy fix, though. I just painted the sides with whatever color the top of the block was. For the mushroom and flower, all the sides were black, so this was a quick job.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

Mario and Luigi took a little more time, because their edges were several different colors.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

As a final step, I sprayed the finished pieces with a clear glossy varnish, to give them some protection and shine.

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

I'm thrilled with the results. And once I worked out a few tricks to make it easy to deal with so many tiny blocks, I found this to be a rather addictive art form, and will probably expand the technique into more ideas later. The possibilities are endless!

8-bit super mario brothers pixel art pattern

8-Bit Super Mario Brothers Pixel Art (Free Pattern)
Facebook Pinterest Email
share it

13 comments so far:

  • 1
    tina phillips 06/08/2018 at 7:35 pm

    When you painted the blocks, you should have used contact paper or tape on the back to hold them together and then peeled it away once they were dry. Love the patterns, thx!

  • 2
    Jennifer 09/15/2018 at 3:45 pm

    Have you ever thought about making pixel art using Perler beads?

  • 3
    Chica 09/15/2018 at 7:19 pm

    Jennifer, we have thought about it, and actually have a project like that on our to-do list! Stay tuned. :)

  • 4
    jack 05/21/2019 at 9:46 am

    amazing idea

  • 5
    Odessa Ficklin 01/21/2021 at 11:28 am

    Where did you buy your block from? They are all about the same size. The blocks I brought where all different sizes and it looked a mess lol so let me know where you got the blocks from thank you

  • 6
    Chica 01/21/2021 at 11:52 am

    Odessa, we picked up our blocks at our local craft store, but there are lots of options on Amazon as well.

  • 7
    Kathy Baugus 08/07/2021 at 4:37 pm

    Where did you get the paint for this and what color would you recommend if you can’t find the same color you used on the project?

  • 8
    Chica 08/08/2021 at 11:14 am

    Kathy, I provided a list of colors in the tutorial above, with links to where you can purchase them on Amazon. You can probably also find them at your local craft store. As for alternate colors, I can't really provide suggestions without knowing all the options available to you... but you could open up this tutorial on your phone at the store and color match from the photos.

  • 9
    Angela 02/09/2023 at 6:17 pm

    Chica, how many characters did your 728 blocks make?

  • 10
    Chica 02/10/2023 at 10:38 am

    Angela, the 728 makes one of each character.

  • 11
    Kelly 03/31/2023 at 9:21 pm

    Made these with my son and his friends! Came out great :) Thank you! We ended up finding the blocks at the Dollar Store.

  • 12
    Cynthia 01/27/2024 at 10:58 am

    My friend and I are interested in a copy of the template for the mushroom and star. Can you share a link to the template you used. Also do you have one for the flower power?

  • 13
    Chica 01/29/2024 at 4:18 pm

    Cynthia, you'll find our downloadable template linked in the post above, with patterns for Mario, Luigi, the red Super Mushroom, and the Fire Flower. Those are the only patterns we have created.

leave a comment:

submit comment

Chica and Jo

Hi there! We are Chica and Jo, best friends who love to create whenever we can. From fun DIY projects to elaborate parties to delicious recipes, you're sure to find ideas that will inspire you. Take a look around and follow us @chicaandjo to see what we're up to today.

shop our Amazon store
shop our Etsy store
buy us a cup of coffee

want to support us?

buy us a cup of coffee
Please visit Chica and Jo at http://www.chicaandjo.com for more DIY projects and clever ideas!