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Products / Kitchenware and small wood goods

Custom Wooden Kitchenware and Small Wood Goods

Cutting boards, serving boards, utensils, bowls, toys and home decor. Send the design, species, finish and target market so food contact and toy rules can be checked.

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Wooden kitchenware: three wooden cutting boards

Small wood goods are the products retailers and brands sell to consumers in volume: cutting boards, serving boards, spoons and utensils, bowls, toys and home decor. The work is a mix of edge gluing, turning, CNC shaping and a lot of sanding, and most orders ship in retail packaging with labels and barcodes.

What sets this category apart is that the product touches food or children. The species, glue and finish all matter, and the rules depend on the market and the product. Plants that make kitchenware often know which finishes they can document, but the buyer is the one who places the product on the market, so plan testing and paperwork before the first order.

What this covers

  • Cutting boards and chopping blocks, edge grain and end grain
  • Serving boards, trays and charcuterie boards
  • Spoons, spatulas and other utensils
  • Bowls and turned ware
  • Wooden toys, puzzles and blocks
  • Home decor: frames, organizers and candle holders
Kitchenware and small wood goodsAt a glance
Species
Hard maple, Black walnut, Acacia, Rubberwood, Beech, Teak, Cherry
Processes
Kiln drying, Rough milling, Finger jointing and edge gluing, CNC routing, Wood turning, Sanding and finishing, Inspection and packing
Order size
Retail programs often order several designs and sizes per container, with branded packaging and barcodes. Plants usually set a minimum per design, and custom engraving, packaging or mixed species raise it.
Rules
  • Food contact: in the US, finishes and glues on food contact surfaces should be cleared under FDA food contact regulations. In the EU, Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 sets the general rules and some member states add national rules for wood. Confirm which apply and ask for test reports.
  • Toys in the US: CPSIA, with third party testing to ASTM F963 and a Children's Product Certificate. Confirm the age grade and the tests that apply.
  • Toys in the EU: EU toy safety rules, with EN 71 testing and CE marking. Confirm which parts of EN 71 apply to your product.
  • California Proposition 65 warnings for products sold in California
  • EUDR due diligence for wood placed on the EU market

Kitchenware and small wood goods by product line

Each line has its own page with typical specs, species, construction options and the RFQ checklist factories quote from.

Cutting boards

Edge grain, end grain and face grain cutting boards and serving boards in acacia, maple, walnut, teak, rubberwood and beech, oiled with food grade finishes and packed for retail under your brand.

How it is built

  • One-piece solidCut from a single board. Common for serving boards and utensils.
  • Edge-gluedStrips glued side by side for wider boards. Needs a water resistant glue for anything that will be washed.
  • End grain blocksShort blocks glued end grain up. Easy on knives, but checks if dried too wet or soaked in use.
  • Turned or carvedShaped on a lathe or CNC router for bowls, handles and toy parts.

What to send for a quote

  1. A drawing or sample for each design, with size and thickness
  2. Species and construction: one piece, edge grain or end grain
  3. Finish, and what it must be tested or documented for
  4. Logo or engraving method with artwork
  5. Packaging, labels and barcodes
  6. Target market, and the age grade for toys
  7. Quantity per design

Where orders go wrong

  • Cracks in dry homesBoards dried for a humid climate crack or split in heated kitchens. Give a target moisture content for the market and ask how the plant checks it.
  • Finish that cannot be documentedA finish that looks fine may have no food contact paperwork. Ask for the finish data and test reports before approving samples.
  • Small parts and sharp edges on toysToy tests look at small parts, sharp points, sharp edges and coatings. Design for the age grade and test samples before mass production.
  • Mold in transitWet wood in sealed packaging grows mold in a hot container. Ask for moisture checks before packing and desiccant in the container.
Send an RFQ for kitchenware and small wood goods

Questions about kitchenware and small wood goods

Related guides:

Which species are used for wooden kitchenware?

Closed grain hardwoods such as hard maple, beech, cherry and walnut are common because they resist staining and are easy to clean. Acacia and teak are also widely used for serving boards and utensils. Avoid open grain or resinous woods for surfaces that touch food often, unless your market accepts them.

What finish is used on wood that touches food?

Many kitchenware items get a food grade mineral oil or an oil and wax blend, and some get a lacquer that is cleared for food contact. What matters is that the finish is documented for your market. Ask for the product data and any test reports before you approve samples.

Can the factory engrave our logo and pack for retail?

Most kitchenware plants can laser engrave, brand or print a logo and pack each item with labels and barcodes. Send vector artwork with the logo size and position. Add the packaging files. Approve a packed sample, not only the product.

Who is responsible for testing kitchenware and toys?

The brand or importer that places the product on the market. Factories may hold reports for their finishes and glues, but those do not always cover your product. Plan tests with a lab you choose and confirm which rules apply before the first order.

Other product types

One RFQ, up to 3 factories that make kitchenware and small wood goods

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