Shape Your Own Christmas Spirit: CNC Desktop Tree Project for the Workshop
Ho Ho Ho! The Maker Store team wishes you a very Merry Christmas!
Today we’re sharing a festive build straight from the workshop: a CNC-cut wooden desktop Christmas tree complete with custom laser-cut ornaments. This project combines CAD, CNC machining, laser cutting, and a whole lot of holiday spirit!
Downloads:
Step 1: Designing the Tree and Ornaments
Every great build starts with a solid design. Our goal? Create a clean, modern desktop Christmas tree about 400 mm tall—sturdy, easy to cut on the CNC, and with built-in hooks on every branch so we can hang ornaments for years to come.
We sketched the outline in CAD, extruded the model, added details, and made sure all interlocking features aligned perfectly. Once the tree looked just right, we assembled it digitally to confirm the fit before laying the parts flat to plan material usage.
After final checks, we exported the parts as STEP files and generated the CNC toolpaths.
Meanwhile, we also designed four ornaments to hang on the tree: a bell, bauble, candy cane, and snowflake. These were exported as DXF files from Inventor and imported into Light Burn to finalize laser-cut settings.
Step 2: CNC-Cutting the Tree & Laser Cutting the Ornaments
Machine Control: ioSender, LightBurn
Machines Used:
- CNC Router Kits
- CO₂ Laser Cutter
End Mills:
- 2 Flute Carbide End Mills – Down Cut 6.0mm #100
- 2 Flute End Mills – Compression 17 CEL 6mm HSK #104
- V – Router Bits 90° x 6mm x 10mm #187
- 2 Flute End Mills – Compression 20 CEL 3.175mm SHK #222
Materials:
- 20 mm Pinewood Board (Tree)
- 5 mm Clear Acrylic (Ornaments)
With toolpaths ready, we started cutting the two main tree halves on the CNC Router Kits. This was a fairly involved cut—multiple tool changes, detailed geometry, and precision milling on both faces of the pinewood.
Total cutting time: ~1 hour.
While the Router worked its magic, we set the CO₂ laser to work on the ornaments. Acrylic cuts beautifully, so all four designs were done in about 8 minutes.
Step 3: Post Processing
Once everything was cut, it was time to make it shine!
Tree Post-Processing:
- Snipped off tabs
- Hand-sanded all edges for a clean, smooth finish
Ornament Post-Processing:
The ornaments needed a bit more love:
- Sandblasting each piece for a frosted, diffused finish
- Hand-painting each ornament in classic Christmas colours—waiting for each layer to dry before applying the next
It took some time, but the results were worth it!
Step 4: Assembling Everything
With all parts ready, we slotted the two tree pieces together for a perfect fit. A bit of string on each ornament turned acrylic cut-outs into hangable decorations, and soon our festive mini-tree came to life.
And there you have it—a desktop Christmas tree made with CNC precision, laser-cut ornaments, and enough holiday cheer to brighten any maker’s desk.
