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Laser Engraver Christmas Gift Ideas to Make
Christmas gifts to make on a hobby diode or CO2 laser, from our build ideas: ornaments, a coaster set, a tabletop village and earrings, with the size and wood for each.
Made in my shop
- Reading time
- About 2 min
All of these run on a hobby diode or CO2 laser and come from our build ideas, with the size and wood from each idea. The pictures on the idea pages are concept images, not real builds.
Laser: never leave it running, keep an extinguisher in reach, and with an open-frame laser everyone in the room wears eyewear rated for its wavelength. See laser and CNC shop safety.
Ornaments, a sheet at a time
Personalized Laser-Engraved Walnut Ornaments: thin walnut discs about 3 1/4” across and 1/8” thick, each with an engraved motif, a scored border ring and space for a name or year, hung from a twine loop. Several come from one sheet.
Layered Walnut and Maple Snowflake Ornaments: two layers, a light maple snowflake glued onto a dark walnut disc, about 3” across and 1/4” thick, with room for a name or year engraved on the back.
Before you engrave a batch, laser engraving wood ornaments covers testing settings on scrap from the same sheet and running the engrave, score and cut jobs in order.
For the table and the mantel
Laser-Cut Christmas Village: three tab-and-slot houses and two small trees cut from 1/8” Baltic birch plywood, each house about 3” to 4” wide and up to 5 1/2” tall. Each house lifts off over a small battery LED light so the windows glow. For battery LED lights only, never candles. Wood can catch fire. Keep button-cell batteries away from children. Decoration, not a toy. Keep small parts away from young children.
Laser-Engraved Coaster Set with Holder: four engraved round coasters, about 4” across, that stack in a small tab-and-slot holder, all from 1/4” Baltic birch plywood. For cups, not food. Seal with a water-resistant finish.
Small gifts to wear
Laser-Cut Wood Earrings: three pairs of geometric earrings (an open teardrop, a split diamond and a fan with scored lines), each about 1” wide and 1 1/2” long, cut from 1/8” solid walnut and hung on ear hooks.
If you have a CNC instead
- V-Carved Name Sign: a poplar name sign about 12” by 6” with V-carved, paint-filled lettering, cut from a 1x8.
- CNC Cribbage Board: a two-player walnut long board about 20 1/2” long, with the peg holes drilled from an SVG file.
- CNC Phone and Tablet Stand: two red oak side profiles and a crossbar that slot together with cross-laps, cut from one 1x8.
CNC: clamp the work, keep hands clear while it runs, and never leave it running; friction can start a fire. See laser and CNC shop safety.
Selling a few
Once the pieces are cut, how to finish small wood gifts covers sanding and finishing them in a batch.
If you plan to sell some, see Christmas gift projects to make (and maybe sell).
Looking for more ideas? Browse all our build ideas.
Choosing a laser? Read our diode or CO2 laser guide.
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