10" Unfinished Wooden Ampersand (&) Letter

I have bought numerous “unfinished” letters because I like to use them to craft with, and this product was cheaper than ones I’ve bought at big name craft stores before. However, the edges of this product are definitely more unfinished (aka rough) than those I’ve oreviously bought, and are rough/sharp to the touch. The edges of this definitely needs to be sanded in some way for safety reasons as I plan on using this as decoration. I have never had to actually sand any “unfinished” wood product I have bought as the edges are usually smooth- the “unfinished” part is usually to make it easier for you to customize the piece with various materials (such as paint, stain, adhering a mod podged image, etc.) and the edges are soft enough to touch. Actually- the surface is a little too uneven/rough so it would also have to be sanded (I just touched it to test and got sawdust type residue on my hand- see picture I attached).Other than having to try to find out how to sand this without ruining the item (I don’t know anything about woodwork, I’m more of a hobby crafter) and finding and buying the right product to do this, the item is exactly what I wanted. This ampersand is properly proportioned (something I found to be a problem with the ones I ordered from Darice on Amazon) and doesn’t sit at an angle- it actually sits and looks exactly as the picture on the product page. It is also slightly thicker than I expected so it might be able to stand up on its own if carefully placed and undisturbed, which is a positive for me in terms of versatility of decoration. It is also true to size as I measured it myself just to see.If you have sandpaper and don’t mind this extra step, then this product would be perfect for you and it is a great price. For me, I deducted two stars because the picture does not indicate that the entire piece would be rough and need sanding prior to decorating, and I now have to spend time/money on products to fix that. But the price was pretty low (I think around $10) for this item which sits properly and is thicker than others, so I probably will keep it. I just wish they put in the description that sanding of this product would be required if it’s use is for decoration, or if the pictures more accurately reflected this fact. I attached some photos to try to show the roughness but it is hard to capture on camera, but I did add a picture of the sawdust type residue on my hand after I lightly handled the product to take these pictures (I have not yet done anything or sanded the product in any way, so this is just how it came, not sawdust from any sanding).

Size is great to be used as a picture prop and/or decoration. 10" in length, 10.5" wide (widest part), and .5" thick. Don't like that its not freestanding (reason for 4 stars). Like that its unfinished so can create/paint own designs/color. I was lucky that there were no blemishes or stains as I've read other customers had. Good quality for the price paid.

Good quality! I spray-painted it gold for engagement pictures, and it looked really cute :)

Exactly as pictured. Does not have hanging hardware. I was nail gunning it into a wood sign so it was perfect for that purpose. Made of MDF. Took acrylic paint just fine. Arrived on time and packaged safely. Searched for one this size in every store. Didn't even think about amazon until I did! So glad I checked here. Sign for a friend turned out great!!

I spray pained this and it doesn't absorb well so let dry completely or it will wipe off. It was great for pictures for our wedding.

Great piece for our wedding day!!!! I would have given 5 stars but the pressed wood had a stain on the front that was visible...even after we sanded and painted it.

Used for our engagement photos. Perfect! Will be reusing it as part of the decor for our sign-in table at our reception.

Nice size. I painted it black and used commands strips to hang it