Why WoodUBend furniture moulding is an Upcyclers Dream come true

9 min readJun 25, 2022

In this post, I wanna introduce you to a total game-changer for furniture upcyclers and furniture artists. Aren’t we all thrilled when we find a roadside rescue with amazing moulding and decorative carvings already intact? It can happen, of course, but not that often.

If you are lucky enough to find a free ornate dresser, a closer inspection reveals it was thrown out for a reason. There is significant damage or missing pieces the previous owner just did not know how to handle.

What if I told you that there was a way to add those decorative details to ANY furniture we find, and to make it look like that charm has always been there!

What is this miracle product? It's called WoodUBend, cause yeah, it's a kind of wood that actually bends!

Let me. tell you a little bit about how I was introduced to this most amazing product…

First, we have to address how I, Tanglewood Sue, am a bit different from most other furniture flippers?

I have not paid for a piece of furniture in 3 years
My emphasis is on the eco more than the ego. In other words, joy is in keeping something out of a landfill. Not overpaying for something at an auction or estate sale.
My goal is to create an artistic piece, not to try and mimic a mass-manufactured design or current trend.
I will only upcycle real wood furniture.

So here’s the kind of furniture that I get to work with: Ugly, damaged, plain jane side of the road, nobody wants me, everybody hates me wood furniture.

I see all these Instagram posts and Pinterest images of the most amazing painted furniture. What I also notice is that the actual furniture is downright dreamy! I mean, that piece was already fantastical. I’m not saying the artists did not outdo themselves bringing it to a whole new level, but they already started out with quite a glorious canvas.

At one time my husband suggested that I should invest in one of these ornate wood masterpieces if only to add a few scroll stoppers to my IG page. To show what I could do with an already gorgeous wooden work of art.

I agreed that this might be a strategy that I could adopt but it also kinda felt like cheating. These kinds of pieces are not USUALLY found on trash day, and to acquire their means spending money more than it means saving furniture from landfills.

I wanted instead to prove that I could create those same scroll stoppers without having to BUY the furniture. I wanted to prove that I could truly upcycle furniture destined for the garbage and turn it into something worth saving

Pardon it from its death sentence!!! or Rescue it from the kill shelter... Too much???

Yeah, I know, but I think it’s an important distinction to make among furniture painters.

Some are flippers
Some are salvagers
Some are artists
Some are hobbyists
Some are entrepreneurs
Some are experimenters
Some are crafters
Some are business owners
Some are eco-warriors
Some just want a pink nightstand…

We all end up in the same place even if we have taken different routes to get to the same furniture painting party. What else is different is our canvases. Some of us just take what is leftover and discarded while some elevate what is already elevated (IMHO)

Until Now that is!

I have finally found the missing piece that lets me stay true to my salvage mission but allows my pieces to have the details and flourishes of those ornate antique makeovers that I covet.

Let me Introduce you to WoodUBend Appliques

WoodUBend: Yes. It's wood that you can bend. Bendy wood. Wiggly Wood. Most importantly, it is the product that allows me to find plain jane pieces and add the details that could only be found in elaborate, hard-to-procure (as in you need to pay for) furniture.

I admit. I was reluctant at first.

It cant be that easy.

I should have to get a mold and some clay, or some resin, or hot glue and make flowery doo dahs to put on my piece

How could someone have felt my pain and solved my problem without me even asking?

I skipped the step where I buy a few samples, try them out and then apply to be a retailer. That’s not how Tanglewood Sue rolls. When I see the answer to my problem I buy ALL THE FLAVORS.

So within a day of seeing WoodUBend in action on TkiTok, I applied and was approved to be a US retailer. WoodUBend is actually based in the UK so getting my hands on it here in the US was very exciting, and excitement I want to share with everyone that I possibly can.

So what IS WoodUBend exactly besides wiggly wood? I mean, aren’t there other appliques out there that do the same thing?

Not exactly,

Unlike competitors that are made from resin or silicone, WoodUbend takes an important leap forward. When cool, WoodUbend mouldings are effectively wood because they’re made with such a large amount of wood. They appear to be wood, feel like wood, and have a scent that is reminiscent of wood. In reality, they can be sanded, cut, stained,

Now grab your heat gun cause this is where it’s gonna get interesting! Since these Moldings are made mostly of wood, they are quite flexible when heated! This allows you to curve them around surfaces and create seamless blends perfectly between old and new. Once you get your perfect shape with just the right bend, just let it cool. WoodUbend will retain its form but return to hardwood again once it’s cooled.

The high volume of the WOOD in the WoodUBend also means that when you are ready to paint your piece, the WUB moulding paints just like wood. It doesn’t look fake or plastic looking. It looks like wood because, well it is wood. How awesome is that! Now you can grab your favorite furniture paints and make some colorful magic.

So now that you know the why, and the what, let’s dive into the HOW.

It's just so dang easy I’m gonna have to stretch this part out to get enough words in this here blog or you can just watch my video:

First, examine your otherwise blank canvas. Where do you want to add details that would look inherent to the piece?

Now measure your furniture piece so you know what size detail you may need. (make sure you have your phone open to the measurements app because all WUB products are in centimeters)

Do not get pissed off at this! It is the US that made the ridiculous decision to ignore the metric system and forever embrace our dear multiples of 12. Get over it.

Remember, the beauty of WoodUBend is that it will mold to any curves and you can also break it apart, if needed, to fit into a tight space. I had a piece that was an inch too wide for my project but once I heated it up I was able to bend it to fit perfectly.

I heated and bent this applique to curve around the top of my mirror

The next step is to go here and pick out the most perfect selections for your piece, place your order, and wait impatiently by the mailbox until it arrives.

Here are the rest of the steps from my handy dandy video

Once that glorious day has arrived (should just be a couple of days), rip open the package (notice how nicely it’s wrapped though) pop all the bubble wrap next to a loved one’s ear while they are napping, just for fun, and then go grab your hair dryer or heat gun.
Either one works but obviously, you will feel more all-powerful with a genuine heat gun.
Get some blue tape (I am anti-frogtape but you do you boo) and some wood glue.
Ok. Place the WUB where you want it to live on your piece. Is it flat? If so you can skip the next step.
f it’s curved you need to put the bend in your WUB. All you need to do is heat it up, girl. Move the heat source around till your piece gets a little wiggly. Once it is ready to bend to your will place it on your furniture and hold it in place with your tape. This is not the sticking phase. This is the molding phase. It’s possible to mold and stick at the same time but I like to give myself the chance to readjust before permanent stickage.
Let the piece cool for a few minutes and then remove the tape. Your piece should now hold the curve you needed and won’t flatten unless you apply heat again.
Now you can apply your wood glue to both your WUB and your piece and smash them together. I personally always manage to apply too much glue but better too much than too little. You want to make sure you have complete adhesion, my friend.
If some come out around the edges just use a chip brush to wipe off, or like I did in this video, I stippled the glue to add another kind of texture around the applique.
Now put your blue tape back on or even a clamp if you really want that sucker on for life. Make sure it has not slipped out of place and you are free to go.
Go have lunch, take a walk, get in the clubhouse, and make a TikTok. Whatever you do, you go do.
Once you come back you can rip off that tape and paint your piece just like you always would, but now you have some details to play with. To highlight, or lowlight, to add metallic wax to, or even some aging dust.
Remember that boring mirror at the beginning of the blog. Look what a WoodUBend transformation can look like.

Honestly. The possibilities are endless and now those of us who upcycle what is essentially doomed rather than what is fought over and overpriced can successfully trick everyone into thinking our piece was once an ornate hand-carved antique piece rather than a 1970s ethan allen sideboard from gramma’s yardsale.

Woodubend Furniture moulding and appliques can turn old and unwanted pieces of furniture into beautifully ornate ones. Here are some great ideas for up-cycled projects you could take to the next level with these decorative elements:

Trimming out an unframed mirror
Adding ornate detail to a simple frame
Transforming a simple dresser into an ornate canvas
Adding to a canvas or sign to give dimension
Adding ornate detail to an old chair

I hope I’ve inspired you to try this yourself. Here’s how the Nightstands turned out and I’ve included links to the WoodUBend products I currently carry.