Beaver-tail wooden shingles – dark brown veneer (wenge)

The nativity scene is set up and the little house is built. Only the roof still looks bare. With these wooden shingles in a rounded beaver-tail cut, you cover it row by row. In the end, your model looks like a real old shingle roof. The dark brown wenge veneer is made for nativity and model builders who love detail: fine, precisely cut and made of real wood.

What changes for you

• Your model roof looks real rather than homemade – because the semicircular shingles are modelled on the classic beaver-tail shape and can be laid overlapping, just like a proper tiled roof.
• You can work neatly with no finishing needed – thanks to the laser-cut cutouts with smooth edges, every shingle is precisely sized.
• You'll find the right size for every project – there are 28 sizes to choose from, from a tiny 15 x 7.5 mm up to 150 x 75 mm.
• You're free to finish the surface as you like – because the wood is untreated, you can use oil, wax, glaze or paint, just as you imagine it.
• You don't get anonymous mass-produced goods – every order is freshly laser-cut in Bütic's own production in Pößneck.

Why these wooden shingles make a real difference

A roof often decides whether a model looks like a craft project or like a small piece of real craftsmanship. With genuine roof shingles in dark veneer, your nativity scene, Christmas pyramid or model house gains depth, texture and a warm, natural character. And as you glue them on row by row, it's not just the roof that grows – so does the anticipation of the moment the finished piece takes its place on the table.

Material & finish

The shingles are made from dark brown real wood veneer (wenge) approx. 0.7 mm thick – thin enough to overlap neatly, yet stable enough to keep their shape while you glue them. Laser cutting gives smooth edges and an even, clean finish. The wood is untreated, meaning it is neither varnished nor glazed: indoors you can use it straight away; for outdoor use, treat it first, for example by oiling, waxing, painting or glazing. And because wood is a purely natural material, every shingle shows its own grain – slight colour variations or small knots are not flaws, they make each piece unique.

Dimensions & technical details

• Material: dark brown real wood veneer (wenge)
• Material thickness: approx. 0.7 mm
• Shape: beaver tail, semicircular (rounded cut)
• Dimensions: from 15 x 7.5 mm to 150 x 75 mm – available in 28 sizes
• Cut: laser cut, smooth edges
• Surface: untreated, not varnished or glazed
• Made in Thuringia, Germany

How to use the shingles

• For nativity scenes: you glue the shingles onto the roof from the bottom up, with each row overlapping – and the stable gets the rustic look a nativity scene needs.
• For model making: half-timbered houses, mills or bird houses get a true-to-scale shingle roof – with 28 sizes, you'll find the shingle that matches your scale.
• Our tip for the Christmas season: You can glue the thin pieces on row by row, overlapping each other – so your Christmas pyramid gets a detailed shingle roof that glows warm and dark in the candlelight.
• For decorating and crafting: paint, write on or embellish the semicircular pieces – as table scatter, hanging decorations or elements for wreaths and floral arrangements.
• For a demonstration workshop, a Christmas market or shop displays: with the ready-lasered shingles, you can build display pieces quickly – even shapes, no cutting to size, a clean result.

Good to know about the beaver tail

The beaver tail is one of the most traditional roof tile shapes in German-speaking countries – its rounded lower end resembles a beaver's tail and has shaped historic roofs for centuries. That's exactly why nativity scenes, half-timbered models and pyramid roofs look so authentic with these round-cut shingles: you bring the classic roof look to your craft table in miniature.

Care & durability

There's not much you need to do: indoors, the untreated shingles can simply stay as they are. If your piece is going outdoors, treat the wood first – for example by oiling, waxing, painting or glazing – to protect it from the weather for the long term.

Options & what's included

• 28 sizes available: from 15 x 7.5 mm to 150 x 75 mm
• Quantity depends on the pack size you choose
• What's included: semicircular shingles in your chosen size and pack option

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the shingles outdoors? Yes – but only once treated. Untreated, they are suitable for indoor use; for outdoors, you should oil, wax, paint or glaze the wood, for example.

Are the edges clean, or do I need to sand them? The shingles are laser-cut and have smooth edges – you can use them straight away.

Do all the shingles look exactly the same? Thanks to laser cutting, shape and dimensions are precise. As wenge is a natural wood, colour and grain vary slightly – that's part of the material and brings every roof to life.

Where do the shingles come from? They are made after you order, in our own production in Pößneck, Thuringia.

In the end, it's not about little pieces of veneer. It's about the moment you look at your finished roof – and it seems as if a roofer had been at work in miniature. Simply choose the right size and quantity for your project.