A laminate comprising at least one substantially continuous layer of non-uniform thickness and a method of manufacturing the same is provided. In one embodiment, a veneer sheet is placed on top of a one-sided sanding mold having a contoured upper surface and passed through a thickness sander until the desired thickness of the pattern on the veneer is achieved. Each veneer layer of the laminate may be shaped in this manner. A plurality of contoured veneers are then laminated using methods known in the art, the result of which is a strong laminate that is composed of substantially continuous veneers of non-uniform thickness.