Looking for inspiring CNC furniture plans and project ideas?
Every DIY enthusiast knows building your own furniture makes for the most rewarding homemade adventures. In this article, I’ve curated a collection of my favorite CNC furniture projects (along with free STL files) so you can fill your home with some stunning pieces.
From sleek modern designs to rustic classics, these CNC projects offer a perfect blend of creativity and functionality.
So let’s take a look at some of the coolest downloadable CNC furniture plans that you can make at home on your cheap CNC machine or DIY CNC router for either personal use or to start your own CNC business!
CNC Chairs
When it comes to furniture, chairs are often the first thing to come to mind. Chairs come in a variety of forms, and naturally there are CNC designs for a lot of them.
We use chairs every day, both at home and at work, and it’s important that they’re both sturdy and comfortable. CNC plywood chairs are simple to make and are a very good use for any spare material you may have lying around.
Now, if you do plan to use plywood in your first CNC furniture project, do read our guide to laser cutting plywood for essential information to ensure project success.
The One-Day Chair
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: oomlout
- Price: Free
The result of a time-killing experiment, the one-day chair is as simple as it gets when it comes to CNC furniture.
While this CNC design is as basic as it gets, the designers themselves recommend tweaking yours to ensure a stable and balanced finished project.
The one-day chair has been altered over time, but remains a rudimentary CNC plan for anyone to create as-is or use as a base for more creative furniture projects. It’s not very time-consuming, and approachable for beginners who are just starting to get comfortable with the CNC process.
It’s also worth noting that this project is available on Thingiverse, a website home to plenty of free downloads for both CNC machining and 3D printing projects from makers all over the world. Most are STL files, but they can be converted to DXF format if you know how.
The Layer Chair — Great CNC Chair You Can Make
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: Fab8
- Price: Free
Another simple CNC design, the layer chair is closer to a stool than a standard Alex chair, and makes for a great patio decoration or a nice chair for a breakfast bar.
Nevertheless, this simple but appealing piece of CNC furniture includes clear-cut instructions and is open to alterations in size and structure to suit your needs. It may not impress your fellow local makers at the next craft fair, but it’s a really simple design that any CNC machine owner can tackle.
The layer chair makes for a great patio decoration or a nice chair for a breakfast bar.
CNC Rocking Chairs — Beautiful CNC furniture
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: CustomLaserCutFiles
- Price: $1.50
Rocking chairs are some of the more challenging CNC furniture plans, but don’t let that discourage you. These endlessly popular works are comfortable, cozy, and immensely satisfying to complete.
Rocking chairs come in all shapes and sizes, from the original design we all know, to clever shapes that make for very eye-catching pieces.
Sofa Armrests – No More Spills
- Example: Etsy
- Designer: PUFFYO
- Price: $59.99
Not all CNC furniture plans are all large models and full sets, some are practical additions to existing furniture. Using CNC carvers, you can make some really special items using different types of additions and ideas to turn any project into your own custom build.
CNC armrests are mini-tables that are made to slot easily on the end of sofas to act as safe and sturdy holders for drinks, books, tablets, and more.
CNC sofa armrests are a must for anyone who likes to relax on the sofa without having to reach for the coffee table every time they need to take sip of their drink or change the channel.
The CNC designs for these arm rests come in many creative forms. From armrests with cup holders and slots for tablets, to included bookshelves and other miscellaneous storage.
Hard wood can be used to make these armrests in fixed shapes to fit over the sofa, or they can be made as flexible trays that fold over any surface to make a mini-table. With these CNC designs, you can be rid of the catastrophes of accidental spillage.
Modular Shelves
- Download: DXFDownloads
- Designer: Work Crafts
- Price: Free
Modular shelves are simple shelf designs that fit into any home décor. All makers of all skill levels will have no trouble using their CNC machine to cut and assemble these easy files courtesy of a designer who wanted to add some extra storage space that goes comfortably in any room.
Like many projects, you can alter the dimensions to suit the space you plan on filling.
Material thickness is only relevant here if you plan on holding a lot of books or heavy objects. Otherwise, these shelves can be made with just about any material.
CNC Tables – Simple but beautiful once finished
- Download Example: Instructables
- Designer: Various
- Price: Variable
Making furniture is a great opportunity to stretch your creative wings, but using CNC machines to make tables is where you can really exercise your imagination.
From coffee to dining, tables come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. With just a little bit of wood, you can make a nice little sofa-side surface, or, with some good materials and some elbow grease, you can create a dining room masterpiece.
Our personal favorite is this CNC designed Zen garden end table above. This comes courtesy of Instructables, a comprehensive and reliable source for DIY instructions we recommend bookmarking and visiting in the future for CNC furniture plans and more.
There’s also this wall mounted desk that can be a very handy way to make your workspace a little roomier.
There are also many plans for children’s tea party tables and work desks for youngsters to do their homework or read their favorite books.
Whether creating something as simple as a CNC plywood stand, or going for a work of art, coffee table CNC plans can be found all over the internet and can be tweaked and modified for any room and any taste!
CNC Dining Sets – Cooking Up New Designs
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: FastShapes
- Price: $9.99
There’s something to be said for making your own CNC furniture collections. With careful planning, entire matching sets make any room look great.
Dining tables in particular can be made in a variety of styles, but for those who really want to show off, there are also plans available for tables with fold-out butterfly leaves to accommodate more guests.
The link above is mainly for a set of carved legs for your new table, but there’s plenty of room for expansion and creativity too. This includes adding your own carved moldings or altered dimensions. Just be sure to use wood with appropriate material thickness so your precious dinner doesn’t go crashing down.
CNC Furniture Storage – Drawers for your Drawers
Organized storage space is important for anyone who likes to keep their home neat and tidy. Whether it’s a toy box or a chest of drawers, it’s always nice to know that everything has a place.
CNC Bedroom Drawers
- Download: ATFab
- Designer: Unknown
- Price: Free
This CNC design for bedroom drawers is a great looking addition to any bedroom. The instructions are laid out clearly, and there’s always room to expand and experiment with different materials and sizes.
Workstation Cart
- Download: Evil Mad Scientist
- Designer: Windell Oskay
- Price: Free
If you’re reading this, you’re likely a CNC fan, and therefore have a workspace in which you create your marvels. For this purpose, the CNC workstation cart was created.
Effectively drawers on wheels with an added desk space on top, this cart is a great piece of CNC furniture to keep your workstation neat. The drawers are sturdy and well made, and can house all the tools, screws, and other bits and pieces that might otherwise clutter up your workspace or simply get lost.
CNC Beds – Resting Easy
All CNC furniture needs to be stable, but none more so than beds. While safety is always an important factor, beds need to be secure so they don’t move or make noise to ensure a restful night’s sleep. CNC machines may be precise, but there’s still room for human error, so care is needed.
Bunk or murphy, twin or king, we all have a bed that calls our names when the time comes. Bed frames make up a large part of our bedroom décor, and are always the most welcoming part of our evenings.
Twin Bed — A very ambitious, yet rewarding CNC furniture project
- Instructions: Instructables
- Designer: JeremySCook
- Price: Free
These easy CNC furniture plans with room for engraving is a great choice as a gift for any child who’s in need of a new bed frame. It has even been designed with enough room for optional engraving, so you can add your own elaborate carvings to make this a really cutom build.
Twin beds are quite basic and less cumbersome than most due to their smaller size, making them ideal as a starting point if you’re new to making CNC furniture but don’t want any new chairs or tables.
Depending on your skill and confidence, bed frames can be as simple as any CNC router project, or you can take some engineering prowess and make yourself a foldout bed, a bunk with a desk underneath, or a bed with a handy drawer in the frame to store spare linens or clothes.
Cribs and Cradles
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: LaserCutPatterns
- Price: $5.59
CNC cribs are a must if you’re a new parent, or want to surprise one with a thoughtful homemade gift.
Like the rocking chair cradle above, these designs come in a variety of creative styles. There are cradles with built-in mobiles, and some with cute patterns to make them more special.
Toddler Bunk Bed
- Instructions: Instructables
- Designer: Travis Daniel Bow
- Price: Free
CNC plywood furniture can be more than just stools and shelves. It takes only five panels to make a safe and cozy toddler bed with a play or storage area underneath.
The idea behind this elevated CNC design was to allow for storage as well as make diaper changing easy. The bed is big enough for a toddler who’s outgrown their crib, but can also accommodate kids a while into elementary school.
CNC Furniture For Pets
Not all CNC furniture plans are reserved for humans, and many people have turned to making CNC plywood designs to accommodate their furred and feathered friends.
CNC Bird Cage
- Download Example: Etsy
- Designer: ProVector
- Price: $3.11
Whether decorative or lived in, bird cages are a common sight in many a rustic home.
Standard bird cage designs are available as CNC plans, but there are also more extravagant designs out there that make for some truly artistic masterpieces.
CNC Pet Beds
- Download: Etsy
- Designer: TheCustomShopBrazil
- Price: $5.00
Who doesn’t like to relax knowing that their fuzzy little companions are sleeping soundly? The only way to add to that satisfaction is to know that they’re resting well in a bed you made yourself.
CNC furniture for pets include simple beds for dogs or cats of any size, and they can be engraved with your pet’s name or, if you’re feeling a little more creative, a likeness of its intended occupant.
Taking it a step further, CNC plans for small houses for your pets are also very cool to make and even cooler to look at.
Of course, there’s nothing to be done if they prefer the floor over your efforts, but at least a pet bed always looks cozy.
CNC machines have not only made its mark in the furniture industry, read about those other industries here: What industries are CNC routers used in?
How deep can a CNC router cut depends on many factors, click the link to find out more.