The Best Wood Slices for Arts & Crafts

Wood slice crafts are taking the arts & crafts world by storm, and it's no wonder. There are so many fun ways to use these rustic pieces. To help get your creative juices flowing, here are a few ideas. You can use a wood burning tool to burn beautiful images or favorite sayings on them. They're also the perfect canvas for craft paint. You can turn one into a hanging ornament that'll look amazing any time of year, or combine several into a natural looking wreath for your door. If you cut a groove in the top, you've just made a name card holder for rustic-themed celebrations. But, before you can bring any of these projects to life, you've got to pick up some wood slices of your own. While you can go out into the woods and cut your own, it's much simpler to buy a pack. To help you find the perfect wood slices for your next craft project, here are a few of the best ones available.

5ARTH Natural Wood Slices

Ready to Paint

These wood slices have a smooth, polished surface that's ready to be transformed into something amazing.
Best Overall

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You can use your imagination to turn these beautiful wood slices into anything. They’re each about two inches in diameter, though some may be a little larger or smaller. This is the perfect size for making holiday ornaments, wedding decorations, or place settings. The surface is smooth and polished, giving you a great blank canvas. On the outside, a layer of bark makes each piece appear more natural and rustic.

You get 37 wood slices in this set, so you can create many different projects. It also comes with two rolls of rope. One is natural jute, and the other is orange-and-white striped. Since each wood slice has a hole pre-drilled at the top, you can use a piece of rope to hang each one up if you want. The possibilities are endless, so pick up this bag of premium wood slices and see what you can turn them into.

Pros

  • Good quality wood slices with a smooth surface for painting or drawing
  • Made from pine trees, so they are all-natural without toxic chemicals for you to worry about
  • Controlled moisture levels to help prevent cracking in your wood slices

Cons

  • These wood slices aren’t all exactly the same size; there will be some variation. If you need an exact size for a project, you may not be able to use all of them for that project.

Ilauke Unfinished Wood Pieces

Wooden Geometry

Who says wood slices have to be round? You'll find plenty of creative ways to use these square wood slices.
Best Square-Shaped

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Large Scrabble tiles. Coasters. Paint-pour canvases. When you open up this bag of square wood slices, you will be amazed at how many possible uses come to mind. And since you get 50 squares, you can bring a lot of your ideas to life without having to buy more.

Each wood slice is nice and smooth. The corners are straight, and since they’ve been cut with a laser, there aren’t jagged edges that can cut your fingers or give you splinters. They are ready to go, so you won’t waste any time sanding before you start creating. The hardest part will be deciding what to try first.

Pros

  • Nice size – each wood slice is 4-inches square so you can easily use 3-inch Scrabble stencils
  • No burrs or rough edges to deal with, making it easier to get started without prepping the squares first
  • Flat and smooth so they’re perfect for just about any medium you want to try

Cons

  • These are not made from solid wood pieces, but are more like a pressed wood. They are very lightweight and easy to work with.

Canusa Premium Wisconsin Basswood Pieces

Carve the Day Away

Want to try your hand at wood carving? These smooth slices of Wisconsin basswood are perfect for beginners.
Best for Carving

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With a set of carving tools, you’ll be able to turn these rectangular pieces of wood into anything you can imagine. This set includes ten pieces of wood. You’ll get larger eight blocks and two slightly larger ones, which will give you plenty of wood slices to practice your whittling on.

The wood is a high-quality Wisconsin basswood, which is known to be soft and fine. When you carve it, you’ll notice it has an even texture that’s easy to work with. Since the color is so light, you can easily paint or stain your finished carvings, too. Because of these qualities, this wood is perfect for beginning carvers. It’s always a great time to learn a new hobby, so see what you can create with a chisel and gouge.

Pros

  • Harvested and milled in the United States using sustainable practices
  • Ten pieces that are the perfect size for carving small animals or figures
  • Kiln-dried so you don’t have to worry about cracking

Cons

  • If you want to carve something larger, you’ll need a different set since the largest piece in this one is only 2″ x 2″ x 6″

CEWOR Natural Wood Slices

Whole Lotta Wood

Have ambitious projects in mind? This set comes with 68 slices of wood you can use in your crafting.
Best in Bulk

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Do you need to create a lot of projects from wood slices? If yes, this is the set you need. It comes with 68 slices of natural pine. Each one is about 0.2 inches in thickness and has bark running around the edge to give it some character. The pieces vary in diameter from 2.4 inches to 2.7 inches, so they’re all a very similar size but won’t be identical.

They are all polished and ready to go. You can go simple and write on them with a permanent marker, take a little more time and paint them, or use them for string art. Since these wood slices are unfinished, there isn’t any coating or paint on them to get in your way or change the look of your project. With these pieces of wood, you’ll be able to make dozens of beautiful works of art.

Pros

  • Pre-drilled so that you can easily hang them up without risking them cracking when you try to put a hole in them
  • Comes with a roll of jute rope that adds some natural charm to your projects
  • Lots of pieces (68) so you can create many projects or make many copies of the same one
  • Good wood slice to let your kids craft with sinceit’s so affordable

Cons

  • You’ll need to seal these when you’re finished crafting to ensure they don’t crack

Super Z Outlet Mini Assorted Size Natural Wood Slices

Big and Small

Your wood slice crafts don't all need to be the same size. With this pack, you get a variety of sizes so you can create different projects.
Best Assortment

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You might not always want to use the same-size wood slices for your crafting. If you have projects in mind that require different sizes, check out this set. You’ll get an assortment of wood slices ranging from just under 2 inches to just over 3 inches. In all, you’ll get 20 pieces of wood to turn into something wonderful.

These wood slices are smooth, so they’re easy to write on or cover in paint. You can even stick on stickers or gems without worrying about them falling off. They’ll make a great rustic canvas for anything you decide to create.

Pros

  • Assorted sizes, so you’ll have some variety for your projects
  • Natural wood color that won’t distract from your art
  • Bark around the edges for increased rustic charm

Cons

  • These wood slices aren’t pre-drilled, so if you want them to have a hole you’ll need to do so carefully so that it doesn’t crack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my wood slices have dark spots on them?

When you order wood slices, you are ordering a natural product. Wood, by nature, isn’t perfect. There are imperfections in every tree in every forest, so your wood slices are bound to have some, too. You might notice darker rings, dark spots, or knotholes; however, companies typically remove any wood slices that are so imperfect they are no longer usable. This means each piece in your set should be able to be turned into something lovely.

How do I seal artwork on a wood slice?

Once you’ve invested time and energy into a craft project, you want it to last. To help prevent your wood art from warping or cracking, it’s a good idea to apply some sealant. This is especially true if you are working with unfinished wood slices. To seal, make sure you’re done with your art. You won’t be able to go back and make changes once you apply the sealant, so if you aren’t sure, give yourself a day or two to think it over. When you’re ready, you’ll want to coat each side of your project with a clear sealant. This is available as a spray or as a paint-on material, giving you options in how you finish your work of art.