With the right laser cutter software and some creativity, laser engraving turns out impressive and cool results for personal decoration or even to sell online. Some of the best projects for laser cutters are even functional additions to any home.
The average laser cutter will let you cut and engrave anything you can imagine onto wood, leather, and even paper – while more powerful laser cutters can cut harder materials like metal.
But with all that choice, it can be tricky to know where to start!
In this guide, I’ll share my favorite laser engraving and cutting ideas to give you some inspiration. We’ll cover projects from customizing useful household goods to making pretty decorations – and everything in between!
Don’t forget that all the projects we’ll look at and link to are just examples of the kinds of things you can make with your laser cutter. So don’t be afraid to let your imagination run wild!
Coasters
Coasters are a great start for anyone who wants to start small with their DIY wood laser cutter ideas. I myself have homemade coasters with laser engraved Steven Universe characters that I break out whenever I have guests. They are excellent conversation starters and make something as simple as a table setting personal and fun.
Coasters are very simple as beginner laser cutter projects; they’re easy to create either from scratch, or by using any designs or images found online. Below we’ll look at just a few examples.
Simple Coaster
- Download: Samcraft
- Designer: N/A
- Price: $5.00
Coasters are one of those projects that can be as simple or as complicated as you like. In that vein, I’m starting this list with a very basic, and therefore very easy, laser cut coaster example that is not only great for beginners to get started with, but is also ripe for customization with any laser engraved pattern or design you like!
Tropical Leaf Coasters
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: Laserengravegr
- Price: $3.25
Laser engraving coasters are one thing, but laser cut coasters are a really cool way to make some creative table settings. These tropical leaf coasters are an excellent example of how you can use laser cutting to make some fantastic coasters without much effort.
Floppy Disc Coasters
- Download: Vectors Art
- Designer: vectorsart008
- Price: Free
Just about any shape can be a coaster as long as you make it small enough. These laser cut and engraved floppy disc coasters may confuse any Gen Zs in your life, but they’re a blast from the past that make a great laser cutting project for any tech fan to enjoy.
Bookmarks
Not unlike coasters, bookmarks require very few materials and are limitless in potential.
Personalized bookmarks are a fun laser cutting project themselves, but avid readers will find a lot of fun in making a new bookmark for each book. Making great gifts for bookworm friends or letting you make your journey through prose a lot more personal, laser cutting your own bookmarks is a simple undertaking that’s well worth the time.
Bookmark Bundle
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: STLaserDesignArt
- Price: $1.83
This bookmark bundle shows just how many kinds of bookmark designs you can make with your laser cutter. From simple patterns to heart designs, they make great bookmarks by themselves but also act as templates so you can easily design your own.
The love rose is my personal favorite because of its simple but endearing shape, and it’s a great use of negative space to make something really special.
Reading Phrase Bookmarks
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: JacksonBlueDesigns
- Price: $4.90
There are a lot of phrases associated with reading and literature, which is why these bookmarks are engraved with very familiar phrases like ‘once upon a time’ to really get you in the mood to dive in (or back in) to your story. There are even a few motivational sayings you’d find on the wall of any bookshop or library to really give you that need to read.
Paper Bookmarks
- Instructions: Epilog Laser
- Designer: N/A
- Price: Free
If you’re still looking for inspiration for your laser cut bookmarks, you’ll be happy to know that Epilog Laser has an instructional page on how to make multi-layer paper bookmarks with your laser cutter. The moon and stars is a favorite of mine, but there are plenty of other bookmark design examples if it’s not to your taste.
This page shows just how simple making elegant and memorable bookmarks can be, and makes for a great educational page for beginners or those of you looking to get any little ones in your life interested in laser cutting and engraving.
Laser Cut Chess Sets
Homemade chess sets are a very popular project for many people who like to create. As a plastic, glass, or wood laser cutter project, simple chess sets can be made to look as cool as you like.
While the board is simple enough to design yourself, the pieces add an extra challenge if designed from scratch. While there are sets out there with more simplistic pieces, there are some interesting designs out there you can download today.
Portable Chess Set
- Instructions: Instructables
- Designer: N/A
- Price: Free
This portable chess set, courtesy of Instructables, is perfect for chess players on the go. The laser cut pieces fit snuggly into the board which doubles as a storage box. Your guide in this particular case has a firm belief that all projects should be made your own in some way, and so has given just enough details to get you off the ground while also giving you the freedom to add any touches or design tweaks to laser cut something that’s entirely yours.
Acrylic Chess Set
- Instructions: Epilog Laser
- Designer: N/A
- Price: Free
It’s easy to forget that laser cutters can cut acrylic too. This not only gives you a whole new medium to work with, but also new colors and design options too. The example in this design is the standard black and white, but you don’t have to go down that route if you don’t want to, why not make it red and black? Or even blue and green?
Personalization is key, so using these instructions as a basic guideline is a great way to make a chess set unique to you.
Wooden Chess Set
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: Craftytunestudio
- Price: $4.37
This combination laser cut and engraved chess set is a fun semi-2D design made from simple plywood. It’s lightweight and has a cool silhouette look that fans of traditional chess will find unique and fun. You’re bound to enjoy both making and playing this laser cut chess set, just as long as you don’t mind the knights facing sideways (that takes a little getting used to).
Custom Rubber Stamps
Rubber stamps are not only a great and efficient way to make any paperwork official, they also make excellent commemorations for special events. Custom rubber stamps featuring the names of newlyweds is always a lovely gesture, and they make excellent gifts for a close friend or family member who’s just passed the bar.
The stamps don’t even need to be rubber. Wood works too!
Customizable Stamps
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: TheClockworkBird
- Price: $6.72
This design for custom stamps comes in 4 different shapes depending on your preference. Their basic shapes make them ideal for beginners who want a custom stamp for work, home, or as a gift. They’re also easy to personalize with any text or images you like, so even newcomers will have no problem making something simple but unique.
Large Stamp
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: ModernMakerStamps
- Price: $36.00
If you want to dream a little bigger, this custom stamp is a great example of a laser cut rubber stamp that can be personalized to include just about any design. Text, custom logos, and even favorite images can be added to this more elaborate and somewhat fancy design that anyone can easily make or even just order straight from the designer.
Laser Engraved Wine Glasses
There’s a certain elegance to drinking out of a wine glass, especially when celebrating a special occasion like a wedding or anniversary. So what better way to say cheers with your loved ones than with laser engraved wine tumblers made to suit the people or occasions we’re toasting to?
Name Wine Tumblers
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: ENGRAVITY
- Price: $8.75+
Wine doesn’t always have to come in a stemmed glass. Laser engraved wine tumblers are an equally classy (not to mention harder to knock over) way to enjoy your favorite vino. Engraving them with names as shown here is perfect for any occasion, though the first that comes to my mind is for bridesmaids and groomsmen as a memento of their friends’ special day.
Holiday Wine Tumblers
- Download: Epilog Laser
- Designer: Unknown
- Price: Free
The holidays are a special time when we make wonderful memories with our close friends and family. These laser engraved wine tumblers commemorate the annual celebrations with familiar, detailed designs to wish everyone a happy festive season.
The files included are free and can be changed and customized to your liking. They also work well as a template for any other glass engraving project you’re planning, taking away the difficult first steps to make the project accessible even for beginners.
Laser Cut Wine Glass Charm
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: Irena
- Price: $2.02
The only downside to personalizing wine glasses is the awkwardness that comes from drinking from a glass that doesn’t have your name on it or accidentally wishing someone a Merry Christmas in July. So if you’d rather keep your glasses plain but still want to make them special, I recommend these laser cut wine glass charms.
They’re excellent for weddings, birthdays, or any other classy shindig that you want to remember forever. When you’re all done, they make great mantlepiece decorations to always remind you of that special day.
Journals
Journals are among the most personal things we can own. They house our thoughts, feelings, memories, and even secrets, and so they can be the dearest and most private possessions. So what better way to make them even more personal (and make sure someone doesn’t read yours by mistake) than by laser engraving leather journals to make them more unique to you than ever?
Engraved Leather Journal
- Download: Epilog Laser
- Designer: Unknown
- Price: Free
Epilog Laser has a lot of great projects and files ready for download. One of my personal favorites is this design made for leather journals. They can be easily modified to feature your name or a favorite saying alongside the included images.
Of course, you could always start from scratch and use these as a basis, but that all depends on how confident you are in your design skills.
Instructables Journal Ideas
- Instructions: Instructables
- Designer: Unknown
- Price: Free
If you want to really let your imagination run wild, you can instead check out the detailed instructions for laser engraving your leather journal on Instructables, which even includes instructions on binding the journal if you’re making it entirely from scratch.
Custom Photo Journal
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: HRLeathercrafts
- Price: $36.00
For more inspiration for laser engraving journals, you can check out the link above which can be made to include both words and a detailed picture featuring someone or something dear enough to your heart that you want to see them every time you go to write your thoughts and feelings.
Engrave Your Phone
We carry our phones everywhere with us and, let’s be honest, we all spend a little more time looking at them than we probably should. But hey, as a screentime fan, I understand the draw of personalizing phone cases and even getting custom ones.
You can always buy a phone case, sure, but laser engraving your own is a great way to personalize the device that goes everywhere you do.
Simple Personalized Phone Case
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: MINMAXCO
- Price: $8.00+
Leather phone cases have seen a rise in popularity ever since people started combining their phones with their wallets. And because plenty of laser cutters and engravers can easily handle leather, it makes sense that designers like the one above have taken to laser engraving phone cases.
The simple take only uses the cell owner’s name, but of course you can add whatever you like including a favorite phrase or image to keep in your pocket.
Laser Engraving a Phone Case
- Instructions: Instructables
- Designer: Unknown
- Price: Free
Creating laser engraving files for a phone case is a simple project. Once you’ve got the design you like, you just need to reshape it to suit your phone’s size. As long as you make sure you take your phone’s camera position into account, you can laser engrave just about anything onto your phone.
If you still need a little help, the Instructables link above has plenty of resources and info to help you get your phone looking great.
Lamps
Laser engraving lends itself well to plenty of home décor items and fixtures, but perhaps none moreso than lamps. Light sources are important for any home, and lamps can turn any space into a cozy reading nook or just a nice place to relax in the evening after a long day.
Laser engraved and cut lamps can make any simple fixture a work of art, and even be done creatively to make some cool lighting effects.
Heart, Ribbon, and Rose
- Download: Laser Templates
- Designer: Unknown
- Price: $5.00
Laser Templates has, as the name implies, a library of available templates and stencils for laser cutting and engraving. This heart, ribbon, and rose cut is an easy mesh that you just need to add LEDs too to make a lovely lamp that stands out well as either a main light source or just a light-up decoration. It also shows how any laser cut mesh, if put on a stand, can act as a charming LED lamp.
If you’re a fan of this design, I highly recommend checking out the other templates in their collection.
Picture Lamp
- Purchase: Etsy
- Designer: mygiftlamp
- Price: $45.00
This picture lamp isn’t available as a file download, but I’ve included it in this list as an inspirational piece. Combining a photo with a lamp is a great way to keep a treasured memory in the front of your mind.
By laser engraving a photograph onto a transparent material, you simply need to have a light-up stand to put it on and presto! A light-up photograph to read by or just chill to.
Laser Cut Wooden Lamp
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: VectorPortArt
- Price: $3.69
For something a little simpler but no less special, laser cutting wooden lamps is an excellent way to turn some leftover wood into a beautiful addition to any home. I’ve chosen the Scandinavian Pine Cone as an example here, but that’s just one of many awesome designs you can cut and engrave for your home.
Silhouette Vases
Silhouette vases are a nice way to personalize your flowers’ homes with basic outlines of animals, things, or any other kind of shape you like. They’re easy to design, as you only need to have a silhouette of what you need with no intricate detailing, and then you simply engrave it onto glass like with the wine tumblers above.
Animal Silhouette Vases
- Purchase: Amazon
- Designer: Soulfly
- Price: $37.00
Again, rather than the files being for download, this entry is to give you an idea of the kind of silhouette vase you can make. The giraffe pattern is pretty cute, but you can choose any kind of silhouette you like (personally I like foxes, but that’s just me).
The shape in this example is also great for beginners, as it’s easier for a laser engraver to be accurate on flat surfaces, making the boxy shape more ideal.
Literal Vase Silhouettes
- Instructions: Maker Design Lab
- Designer: Unknown
- Price: Free
For a fun and literal take on a silhouette vase, the instructions above are for making a vase that’s a silhouette of itself. They look really nice with flowers in them, and are sure to catch the eye of any visitor you show them to.
Invitations and Covers
Invitations to special occasions are always worth keeping. I know I’ve got a couple of wedding invitations on my fridge from years ago. Keeping those memories alive is important to a lot of people, so laser engraving your own invitations and even their envelopes is a great way to make them more special, especially since laser engravers can cut paper.
Not to mention it’s a lot cheaper than getting it done professionally.
Enchanted Gate
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: VelvetInviations
- Price: $4.00
Invitations need to be memorable and even magical, which is why this enchanted gate laser cut wedding invitation cover is perfect for capturing the magic of that special day. It’s a beautiful and creative way to invite your close friends and family to an occasion, and won’t be soon forgotten by any lucky recipient.
Tree Invitation
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: Exodus31Designs
- Price: $7.00
Another great example of a laser cut invitation is this tree. The silhouette is lovely and can even be customized to more resemble the couple in question should you choose. It’s actually a project I’ve talked about before here on CNCSourced, so you can definitely tell that I’m a big fan.
For more design ideas, you can check out the lovely collection available from sites like Adorn Invitations to get your creative juices flowing.
Puzzles
Laser cutting a puzzle is as simple as engraving whatever image you like on a wooden surface, and then cutting the picture into interlocking pieces to make a delightful jigsaw of anything you like.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some cool ideas for laser cut puzzles out there, some are 2D, some 3D, but all of them are fun. So why not try making your own?
Dragon Puzzle
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: ArtofdrawingTR
- Price: $2.60
Who doesn’t love dragons? From Pete’s to Alduin, they’re one of the coolest mythical creatures around. That’s why I’ve started this segment with this awesome laser cut dragon puzzle available as files from Etsy.
Butterfly Puzzle
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: DraftsmanDrawing
- Price: $2.70
Of all the 3D puzzles of animals I’ve found in my travels, none have stood out for me quite as much as this butterfly puzzle. As a lover of them (and moths too, we don’t judge), I had to include it here. The detailing is exquisite and makes a great addition to anyone’s game shelf as a fun little puzzle to tinker with and enjoy as a statuette when it’s completed.
Globe Puzzle Jewelry Box
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: wedesignDreams
- Price: $3.09
The only thing more satisfying than completing a puzzle is being able to use it afterwards. This 3D puzzle of a globe is surprisingly imaginative, and is designed to act as a jewelry box once completed. As a puzzle, it’s not exactly the most safe place to store valuables, but it’s a really cool idea nonetheless.
Cutting Boards
Standard cutting boards are a useful kitchen tool. They protect our countertops and even act as serving platters if you’ve got one that’s fancy enough. While we will get to kitchen utensils later, we thought laser engraved cutting boards deserved their own spot amongst the best things to make with your laser engraver.
Charcuterie Board
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: WroughtDesigns
- Price: $5.00
Whether a center dish at a barbecue, or some after dinner nosh, charcuterie boards are a nice treat for sharing a savory snack. These files for a laser engraved charcuterie board include visual representations of some of the things you’d expect to find on a sharing platter, and makes for a fun and somehow classy way to liven up your dining experience.
Guide to Beef
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: NishchkaMakes
- Price: $8.00
Meat lovers rejoice! This Guide to Beef laser engraved cutting board is every barbecue lover’s dream, and shows off the different cuts of cow so you can serve up your beef in style. Whether you’re char grilling or flipping burgers, this cutting board is ideal for any host who wants to impress. The beef guide is the kind of thing you’d find on a restaurant wall, which gives it a sort of professional feel that avid cooks will love.
Laser Cut Cutting Board Bundle
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: SvgTemplatesForLaser
- Price: $5.90
There are so many shapes of cutting boards you can make and engrave with your laser cutter, and this super cheap bundle of 80 different cutting board files is sure to have a few examples you’ll love to have in your kitchen. From ducks to leaves to water droplets, there’s something for anyone. Even if you’re not after a new laser cut cutting board yourself, it’s a great deal for anyone with a laser cutting business looking to add to their stock.
Cooking Utensils
Laser cutting and engraving is a great way to spice up the heart of any home, the kitchen. If you love to cook, you’ll know how great it feels to have utensils made just for you. Like any craftsperson, chefs – professional or not – know the true value of having utensils and tools that are purely yours.
Rolling Pins
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: Sugary Home
- Price: $16.19+
Sugary Home has a range of laser cut and engraves kitchen utensils. One of the most fun examples is this goat-engraved rolling pin, and shows just how creative you can get when laser cutting and engraving your own kitchen utensils. While I’m not entirely sure why they went with goats, it’s still a fun design that should act as an example of what you can do.
Kitchen Conversion Refrigerator Magnet
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: SerindipiTeeDesigns
- Price: $15.00
If you follow online recipes, you’ll know the frustration of seeing a measurement you don’t recognize and needing to pull out your phone to find the conversion. Well sometimes the best solution is a more of a low-tech one, as these laser cut and engraves refrigerator magnets prove.
They have translations between different recipe measurements for easy referencing and much less guesswork. They even have specific definitions for ‘pinch’ and ‘dash’!
Laser Cut Kitchen Drawers
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: fcauwe
- Price: Free
Organization is the key to easy cooking. Having your ingredients on hand or at least easy to find is the best way to streamline your culinary pursuits regardless of what recipe you’re following.
These laser cut and engraved kitchen drawers are perfect for those of you with limited storage space or just need a little help keeping all your bits and pieces together. Of course, you can engrave whatever you like onto the drawers depending on what you’re storing, from fruits and vegetables to spices and condiments or even tea bags.
Coffee Pod Holders
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: EngravedStoryAndGift
- Price: $6.72
Nespresso and other pod coffee machines have become more of a household staple these days than the luxury they were ten years ago. Because it’s cheaper to buy the pods in bulk, many coffee machine owners have holders in their kitchens to store them.
And this is where homemade coffee pod holders come in. As laser cutting projects, they’re useful, versatile, and can be made to look like just about anything. The one above is a great example of the kind of coffee pod holder you can make with a laser cutter, you just have to make sure the actual holders are the right size for the kinds of pods your using.
