Blank wood, ready for paint
These wood cutouts are bare, laser-cut shapes for painting, staining, wood burning or layering. Thousands of designs, from letters, numbers and varsity fonts to animals, mascots, garden stakes, bookmarks and seasonal shapes for every holiday.
Most are cut from Baltic birch plywood, which has a smooth, pale face that takes paint evenly and very few voids in the edge. The laser leaves a slightly darkened edge you can sand back or leave as a contrast line.
Sizes and thickness
Small pieces like gift tags and ornaments come in 4 to 6 inches. Wall pieces and door hangers run 10 to 24 inches. Many plain cutouts can be ordered up to 30 or 46 inches for porch leaners and event signs.
Choose 1/8 inch for ornaments, tags, layered pieces and anything that hangs from a ribbon. Choose 1/4 inch for larger pieces, garden stakes and anything that stands up on its own. Above about 18 inches, the thicker board stays flatter.
Plain, etched or layered
Plain cutouts are just the outline, so you have a free hand with the design.
Etched pieces, labeled Paint By Line, have the details lightly engraved into the surface. You paint inside the lines like a coloring page, which makes them a good choice for kids, beginners and craft parties.
Layered kits, like the door sign kits, shelf sitters and custom name carrot tags, come in two or three stacked pieces that you paint separately and glue together for depth. Some can be personalized with a name before cutting.
Getting a clean finish
Give each piece a quick sand with 220 grit to remove any fuzz, then wipe off the dust. A coat of primer or gesso stops the birch from soaking up the paint and keeps colors bright. Craft acrylics are the easiest paint; two thin coats beat one thick one.
Seal the finished piece with a water-based polycrylic or a spray sealer. For anything going outdoors, like garden stakes or porch signs, use an exterior-grade sealer on every face and edge, and bring it inside over winter.
Ideas for using them
Seasonal porch leaners and door hangers are the most popular use, and a set of painted pieces makes an easy swap through the year. Our holiday decorations collection has ready-made pieces to style alongside them. Painted letters and word cutouts work as wall decor in kids' rooms and nurseries.
For a finished wood piece rather than a blank, see our wooden cutting boards, many of which come shaped and finished for use or gifting.
