Laser engraving is a process where a laser mounted on a CNC rig burns a thin layer on the top surface of a material, discoloring it to create an etched pattern or design. The laser engraver uses 2D design files to guide the engraving, so all kinds of designs can be etched onto sheets of leather, wood, metal, and more.
As it happens, laser engraving is commonly used to create some pretty cool things, so here are some of our top laser-engraved gift ideas for your friends or family!
If you’re hooked on the concept of lasers burning things already, and you want in, check out our top laser engraver picks.
Phone Cases
Almost everyone and their dog has a smartphone these days, and as they become a bigger part of life, it becomes more imperative to protect them. That’s why laser-engraved phone cases are such a good gift idea: They’re almost universally useful.
Your best bet for finding laser-engraved phone cases are independent Etsy shops, that is, if you’re not equipped to make one yourself.
Example Projects
- Geometric Phone Case: These natural wood cases etched with geometric designs are crafted by Cutler Laser Engraving, and they look really modern and neat. These cases will provide excellent protection and a cozy sleeve to your silicon sandwich – you only need to make sure they have a size for your specific phone.
- Who made it? Cutly Laser Engraving
- Where to find it? Etsy
- DIY Phone Case: If you have access to a laser engraver, you also can try to make your own phone case using softer materials like leather or MDF wood. There are lots of tutorials on the internet, but here’s an especially cool one form Instructables. The author explains how to design, cut, and assemble all the pieces to make a customized phone case with a geometric pattern.
- Who made it? kenyer
- Where to find it? Instructables
Wooden Pins
Pins are very popular today for decorative or advertising purposes, but what if they could be laser engraved in wood, too? Compared to common metal pins, wooden pins look more natural, so they can be more suitable for certain causes or styles.
You’ll probably have to find a retailer to obtain wooden laser-engraved pins since they can be quite complex in the design and assembly department, which makes them unsuitable for DIY production.
Example Projects
- Classic Wooden Pins: The Wooden Pin is a company created by the designer Jake Mize, focused on producing such products with very high quality. Their products include wooden pins, stickers, and keychains – some of them are even hand-painted. This is no doubt one of the best stops if you’re looking for wooden pins.
- Who made it? Jake Mize
- Where to find it? thewoodenpin.com
- Colorful Wooden Pins: If you’re looking for a more colorful option, you can give these wooden pins a try. Made by the company Twinswood, they are premium wood accessories that maintain the natural color of the wood to give different tones to the pin. Despite their simplicity, they look simply beautiful.
- Who made it? Twinswood
- Where to find it? twinswood.com
Coasters
Another good gift option is coasters. Everyone loves to have their favorite drink on a laser-engraved coaster. They’re commonly made of leather or wood for durability, so there’s a certain rustic appeal to them.
There are fairly simple to produce on your own, but we took the initiative to compile a couple external sources which are producing noteworthy work.
Example Projects
- Simple Engraved Coasters: Maison Creations offers good quality and variety. This business was created by designer Vince Legentil and offers many types of laser-engraved wooden products, including personalized options. If you are willing to pay a slight premium, this is a great source of wooden laser-engraved coasters for many fandoms.
- Who made it? Vince Legenti
- Where to find it? maisoncreations.com
- Artistic Engraved Coasters: You can find numerous coaster designs on Etsy, but ProductPublic has some of the most beautiful ones. Just take a look at these American bison coasters or these landscape cedar coasters. These coasters are even lined with cork at the back so they won’t scratch your matching wooden coffee table.
- Who made it? Eric Siegel
- Where to find it? Etsy
Notebooks and Journals
Many people regularly use a journal to brainstorm or organize their life, so a custom journal could be a fitting complement to one’s everyday style. Laser-engraved journals typically have wood or leather covers since these materials are easy to engrave.
Since the journal market is huge, you’ll mainly find these specialized laser-engraved journals from niche sellers.
Example Projects
- Wooden Engraved Notebooks: These notebooks are designed and made by WoodPresentStudio. They have many engraved wooden covers with different paper colors to choose from, so there’s something for everyone.
- Who made it? WoodPresentStudio
- Where to find it? woodpresentstudio.com
- Leather Notebooks: Leather makes a perfect journal cover because it’s soft and durable, but also wears in a unique way over time. Tactile Craftworks is a leather-crafting company founded by Sara Heck and Anna Warren. They sell different products like travel mugs, wallets, and laser-engraved journals.
- Who made it? Sara Heck and Anna Warren
- Where to find it? tactilecraftworks.com
Table Top Games
Tabletop games are a good match for wood and laser engraving because a wooden board is just that much more nostalgic. But don’t you wish you didn’t have to feel for that last token under the couch every time you played? Luckily for you, we have just the thing…
Example Projects
- Wooden Boxes: These boxes made by Critit, a small company focused on creating handmade RPG gaming accessories, are game-themed and perfect for organizing your playing pieces. They’re available in many different finishes and are sure to brighten up your coffee table.
- Who made it? Dominic Marriot
- Where to find it? critit.co.uk
- Wooden Settlers: If you like Catan, the popular strategy game, you’ll love these high-quality wooden settlers made by Board Genius on Etsy. They have a simple but solid design and are compatible with all editions.
- Who made it? Ryan Rah, Amy Liu, Ethan Klein
- Where to find it? Etsy
Conclusion
Whether you decide to make these gifts yourself or buy one from an external source, your friends and family are sure to be delighted with these rustic gifts. If you couldn’t find the gift you wanted, and you’re set on doing it yourself, check out some resources to get you up to speed with laser engraving.
Happy making!
Feature image source: troteclaser.com
License: The text of "Laser-Engraved Gifts – 5 Great Ideas" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.