Frequently Asked Qeustions

All Artistic Wood Appliques are manufactured at our facility in Byhalia, Mississippi, just outside Memphis, Tennessee. All of our products are made in the USA. Our decorative wood appliques are produced using precision-engraved embossing dies and specialized high-tonnage presses. We manufacture our products in-house so we can maintain control over quality, detail, and production.

Our embossed wood appliques are made from high-quality, furniture-grade birch plywood. Birch plywood provides the combination of strength, stability, and flexibility needed to create detailed embossed designs. It also gives customers a versatile surface that can be sanded, painted, stained, or sealed to coordinate with furniture, cabinetry, and other decorative projects.

Solid wood can be embossed, but thinner pieces of solid wood have a much greater risk of cracking or breaking during the embossing process. When solid wood becomes thinner than approximately 1/4 inch, intricate designs can crack or split along the natural grain of the wood. Furniture-grade birch plywood provides greater stability, allowing us to produce detailed, thinner decorative wood appliques with less risk of breakage.

No. Our wood appliques are embossed, not carved. Carved wood appliques are typically thicker and feature deeper, sharper dimensional cuts. Our embossing process creates detailed raised patterns while maintaining a thinner, more subtle profile. This makes embossed appliques ideal for projects where you want decorative detail without the bulk of a traditional carved wood ornament.

We do not recommend using our appliques outdoors. Exposure to rain, humidity, and changing weather conditions can cause plywood to deteriorate over time. Moisture can also affect the embossed surface and cause some of the fine detail to lose its sharpness. For the best appearance and longest life, our appliques are recommended for indoor furniture, cabinetry, doors, walls, mantels, signs, frames, and decorative projects.

Our appliques are shipped in their natural, unfinished state. Before finishing, lightly sand the applique to smooth any rough edges or minor surface imperfections. Once prepared, the applique can be:
● Painted
● Stained
● Glazed
● Sealed
● Finished to coordinate with your furniture or project
Because finishing products and project surfaces vary, we recommend testing your chosen paint, stain, or finish before completing the entire piece.

Small surface cracks can occasionally occur as a natural result of the embossing process. During manufacturing, some areas of the plywood are compressed while other areas are stretched to create the raised design. The top layer of the plywood is approximately 1/32 inch thick, and highly detailed areas can sometimes develop small splits when placed under pressure by the embossing die. These minor imperfections are generally easy to correct with light sanding or a small amount of wood filler before painting or staining. Small surface splits do not necessarily indicate that the applique is defective and are often part of working with embossed natural wood products.

Our decorative appliques can be used for many indoor projects, including:
● Furniture makeovers
● Dressers and cabinets
● Kitchen and bathroom cabinetry
● Doors and wall panels
● Fireplace mantels
● Headboards
● Mirrors and picture frames
● Wooden signs
● Boxes and keepsakes
● DIY home décor
● Furniture restoration
● Craft and woodworking projects
Their thinner profile makes them especially useful when you want decorative detail that blends naturally into the surrounding surface.

Yes. Our unfinished birch wood appliques can be painted to coordinate with your project. For best results, lightly sand the applique first and prepare the surface according to the instructions for the paint or primer you plan to use.

Yes. Birch plywood can be stained, although the final color and appearance may vary depending on the stain, preparation, and natural characteristics of the wood. We recommend testing your stain on a small area or sample before finishing the entire applique.