Guides · Christmas

15 laser cut Christmas gift ideas you can make and sell

The laser gifts people remember are personal: a name, a place, a date. Every idea below has a generator, so you can go from idea to a cut-ready file in a few minutes.

Start with ornaments →

Ornaments

1. Name ornaments in bulb, star, stocking or snowflake shapes. How to make them.
2. Hometown map ornaments, layered. How to make them.
3. Family and pet ornaments with everyone’s names. Gift generator.
4. Date wheel ornaments that turn to show a couple’s milestones. How to make them.

For the home

1. Name tile family signs, word game style. How to make one.
2. Star maps of the night sky on a special date. Star map generator.
3. Street map wall art of a first home or a wedding venue. Street map generator.
4. Christmas village houses with lit windows. House generator.
5. Photo engravings on wood or slate. Photo engraving.

Small gifts and stocking stuffers

1. Name keychains, layered or engraved. Keychain generator.
2. Jigsaw puzzles from a photo or from any design you made. Puzzle generator.
3. Soundwave art of a voice message. Soundwave generator.
4. Gift boxes sized to the gift. Box generator.
5. Coasters with a design or a monogram. Gift generator.
6. Matching gift tags with the recipient’s name in the same font as the gift. Packaging generator.

Make a batch of orders

Christmas orders arrive as a list of names, so set up the work as a batch rather than one file per order.

1. Paste the names. In the Gifts studio, paste a list of names or load a CSV, and it makes one design per line, laid out on your sheet.
2. Fit more on each sheet. Send mixed parts to the SVG nesting tool to pack them onto your sheet size.
3. Cut one test first. Run a test card on a new batch of material before cutting the whole order.
4. Present it. Make gift card holders, hang tags and inserts with the packaging generator.
5. Price it. The price calculator covers material, machine time, packaging and an Etsy price that allows for Etsy’s fees.

Choosing materials

• Ornaments, tags and keychains: 3 mm birch plywood is the usual starting point. See the wood guide for plywood, MDF and hardwoods.
• Edge-lit signs: clear acrylic. The acrylic guide explains cast versus extruded and why blue diode lasers can’t cut clear acrylic.
• Photo gifts and coasters: wood or slate. Slate engraves light, so photos need inverting.
• Leather patches and keychains: only laser-safe leather. The leather guide lists which types to avoid.

Tips for the season

• List in October. Christmas searches start early, and shipping cut-offs come fast.
• Offer personalisation on every listing.
• Bundle an ornament with a gift tag, or a map with a star map of the same date.
• Price for your time with the laser price calculator.
• Set a last order date. Check your carrier’s published holiday shipping deadlines and close personalised orders a few days before them, so you have time to cut, finish and pack.

Questions

Can I sell what I make?

Yes. Products you make from your exports are yours to sell. Designs from the design library are cleared for products you sell; see the terms for the details.

Do I need design software?

No. Each generator runs in the browser and exports a file for LightBurn, xTool Creative Space, Glowforge or a GRBL machine. The file formats guide explains which format to pick.

Which idea should I start with?

Name ornaments. They are small, quick to cut, use little material and are easy to personalise in a batch, which makes them a good way to test your workflow before larger pieces like map wall art. For ideas beyond Christmas, see 40 laser engraving ideas.