26 Profitable CNC Projects To Sell in 2025

With the rise of social media, tiny businesses can access huge markets. Plus, digital marketing tools make tasks like finding a target spectators and building a website⁠ easier than ever. 

But until recently, a barrier remained: the high expense of mass production.

factual, dropshipping websites and print-on-demand companies propose opportunities for branding, but what if you desire to produce your own products, ones you’ve designed yourself? 

Thanks to the arrival of affordable CNC routers, mass producing custom goods is now a viable, low-expense alternative. Explore 26 successful CNC projects and get inspired to commence your business.

What is a CNC router?

A CNC router is a computer-operated cutting tool that acts as a combination panel saw, spindle molder, and dull machine. It carves complicated shapes out of materials like wood, metals, plastics, and glass.⁠

CNC stands for “computer numerical control,⁠” a fancy way of saying the device operates using programmable automation, similar to 3D printing. It allows builders to design complicated parts that can be cut cleanly, quickly, and on a massive scale.

You can even buy tiny-scale CNC machine on a shoestring monetary schedule. It doesn’t occupy much space, easily fitting in a garage, basement, or bedroom. Plus there are a ton of online resources and tutorials to back your CNC experiments. 

26 CNC projects that sell

The shrinking size and worth of CNC machines have fueled a boom in CNC-crafted goods, flooding online markets like Etsy, Amazon, and Facebook Marketplace, and in-person at places like local craft fairs.

CNC routers can cut any shape from a variety of materials. There’s an extensive list of products you can make with a CNC machine. 

What makes a great assignment? Here are some proven CNC projects that sell, broken down into the following categories:

• Home décor products
• Kitchen and barbecue tools
• Office supplies
• Custom signage
• Toys and games
• Other CNC products to sell

Home décor products

Home décor products are great for first-period CNC businesses. Buyers tend to worth uniqueness and exclusivity, advantaging smaller retailers. Plus, if you make several types of home decor products, you have a chance at repeat purchases from buyers who worth aesthetic continuity. Here are some home décor products to consider:

• Bookends
• Wall art
• Shelving
• Furniture
• Picture frames
• Candle holders
• Wooden crosses

1. Bookends

To hold books in place on a bookshelf, bookends must be sturdy. As long as they are heavy enough, a variety of shapes and designs are suitable.

Some are complicated works of sculpture art, others are abstract shapes intended to match a variety of décor. Bookends are perfect for entrepreneurial artists who worth creative liberty.

2. Wall art

Making wall art is a creative exercise. You can use recognizable templates, like the US flag, or design something recent. Projects are easily adaptable to all sorts of branding.

Since wall art affixes to a flat surface, designs can be straightforward. This makes it a excellent fit for entrepreneurs getting the hang of their CNC machines.

3. Shelving

Shelving might not seem particularly creative, but unconventional designs can be real attention grabbers.

You might craft and sell person shelves, complicated shelving systems, or large shelving units. make intricate patterns or custom shapes to stand out from the pack.

4. Furniture

Furniture can be quite advanced if you consider upholstery and assembly; luckily straightforward furniture routing designs like wooden benches, complete tables, desks, and accent chairs are popular.

Inspired by minimalist and Scandinavian styles—which highlight tidy lines and functional aesthetics—even beginner woodworkers can make sophisticated pieces.

5. Picture frames

propose your customers a distinctive display for their treasured moments with a one-of-a-benevolent line of CNC-crafted picture frames.

You can craft picture frames from nearly any material, in a variety of shapes and sizes, and in nearly any aesthetic, meaning there’s a huge volume of potential customers.

6. Candle holders

Nothing accentuates the calming glow of a flickering candle like a well-crafted candle holder. From sleek candlesticks to glass lanterns, there are all kinds of candle holders⁠ you can craft and sell with a CNC machine.

📚 discover more: 13 Woodworking Projects You Can Sell Online

7. Wooden crosses

With an boost in sales of religious items, a wooden cross is an excellent CNC assignment to consider. 

Crosses aren’t just for walls. You can also craft wooden crosses as ornaments or keychains to expand your economy and propose more product choices. 

Kitchen and barbecue tools

The global cookware economy is valued at more than $30 billion and expected to develop at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% from 2024 to 2030, meaning there will likely be a huge demand for kitchen and barbecue products over the next decade.

Here are some kitchen and barbecue tools you can craft with a CNC machine:

• Cutting boards
• Wooden serving utensils and bowls
• Coasters
• Wooden serving trays
• Wood-mounted bottle openers

8. Cutting boards

Cooks use cutting boards (sometimes called chopping blocks) every day, in kitchens around the globe. Thanks to its natural antiseptic qualities, wood has been the material of selection for cutting boards for centuries, but you can make them from plastic, too.

Customizing cutting boards with personal touches opens up a variety of potential niche markets.

9. Wooden serving utensils and bowls

It’s relatively straightforward to discover CNC woodworking designs for ordinary household items such as wooden spoons and salad-serving forks. Since buyers usually desire these items to match, you could sell whole utensil sets with your own branding.

Avocrafts is a San Diego–based retailer of wood-crafted kitchen goods and home décor products. Its distinctive utensil sets resonate with buyers who worth exclusivity.

10. Coasters

Coasters are great products to make and sell with a CNC machine. Buyers often are looking for one-of-a-benevolent items, giving recent brands an edge. 

While coasters are often made from wood⁠, they can also be crafted from cork, bamboo, plastic, clay, marble, concrete, leather, and fabric. 

11. Wooden serving trays

Wooden serving trays are typically used to transport food and drinks or to accent dining room décor. This dual purpose makes them a great product concept to sell to frequent hosts.

Serving boards also arrive in various shapes and sizes, catering to several aesthetic preferences and functions.

12. Wood-mounted bottle openers

Wood-mounted bottle openers perform a singular function, so they can be made from straightforward templates. They arrive in all sizes, can be sleek and functional or ornate and decorative, and can be mounted on walls or stand alone.

Office supplies

With more people working from home, the demand for home office supplies has skyrocketed. 

Here are some CNC-crafted office supplies you might make and sell.

• Pencil holders
• Charging docks
• Craft supply boxes
• Desk organizers

13. Pencil holders

A decorative pencil holder can showcase personality. Since pencil holders have few design requirements, they propose several stylistic possibilities.

You might construct utilitarian pencil holders, or you might leave large, affixing a holding mechanism into an extravagant desktop sculpture.

14. Charging docks

Nearly ever buyer has devices that require to be charged. Charging docks are tiny structures designed to organize several charging cables and accessories in one place.

Custom charging docks can be lucrative for woodworkers looking to expand their product offerings. These functional and attractive items appeal to a wide range of customers, so you can make excellent money selling them.

15. Craft supply boxes

Craft supply boxes are versatile. Painters and sculptors might use larger ones to organize tools, while sewing enthusiasts may use smaller boxes to store their supplies.

Sometimes supply boxes are decorative—built more for their style than to hold specific items. The type of boxes you construct should depend on your spectators and their primary needs.

16. Desk organizers

Desk organizers are tiny boxes kept atop a desk or table. They consist of divided compartments for storing notebooks, charging cables, writing utensils, and, occasionally, straightforward-to-misplace items like keys and loose transformation. 

Custom desk organizers are useful for professionals who require stylish and personalized workspaces. 

Custom signage

Custom signage might be used for special events, to provide directions on hiking trails, or to add decorative labels to spaces like kitchens and home gardens. It also serves as personalized lawn décor.

Here are some different types of signage you could sell:

• Name signs
• Rustic wood signs for outdoors
• Changeable note signs

17. Name signs

Name signs are a staple item in souvenir shops. With a CNC machine, you can make personalized name signs for bedrooms, offices, or any other place your customers desire to label, including dog houses, horse stables, and cat trees.

18. Rustic wood signs for outdoors

Whether it’s for the cottage, the barn, or the backyard, an outdoor wooden sign is part instructional tool, part accent piece.

These signs can be customized to fit any style or communication, appealing to customers who desire to lend a rustic touch to their outdoor surroundings.

19. Changeable note signs

Why not provide your customers the alternative to craft their own signs? Changeable note signs can be a fun addition to any room in the house, with household members and housemates leaving fun, custom messages for each other.

Toys and games

CNC machines can craft several types of toys, including educational toys for youthful children, dolls, action figures, chess pieces, and more.

Here are a few toy ideas to consider.

• Children’s note blocks
• Board games
• Dollhouses and accessories
• Puzzles

20. Children’s note blocks

Learning the basics of spelling and grammar is crucial for youthful children, which might be why alphabet blocks are so timeless.

And wooden blocks don’t just have to be a learning aid for the alphabet. You could inlay blocks with numbers, raised letters, shapes, or animals, too.

21. Board games

Popular board games like chess, checkers, cribbage, and backgammon are all in the community domain, meaning anyone can construct and sell pieces for them. Boards for ordinary games like this also tend to be decorative, providing the chance to add artistic flair.

Since your CNC machine lets you mass produce board game parts, why not invent your own game? Building a throng of fans around a recent game will receive period, but it can be incredibly profitable.

22. Dollhouses and accessories

Dollhouses are timeless children’s toys. Dollhouse accessories (often called “miniatures”) have robust online communities of collectors where you’ll discover many potential customers.

Plus, if you’ve already created CNC designs for furniture and home décor products, you can re-use them. Just recall to make them much smaller.

23. Puzzles

CNC machines are perfect for carving out custom puzzles.You can carve a flat design into pieces or even craft 3D puzzles.

Michaud Toys is a household business rooted in woodworking and fine crafts traditions passed down through four generations. Michaud specializes in traditional wooden game boards, creating household heirlooms.

Other CNC products to sell

Some CNC ideas are harder to categorize, but they make great products all the same. Here are some more ideas you can make with a CNC machine.

• Jewelry
• Tree ornaments
• DIY assignment kits

24. Jewelry

Jewelry buyers on online marketplaces seek distinctive pieces that reflect their personalities. 

Why not use your CNC machine to commence a jewelry making business? You could sell wooden earrings, necklaces, bracelets, or pendants. My Roots, for example, sells stylish, handcrafted wooden jewelry⁠. 

25. Tree ornaments

In the navigator-up to the holiday period, there’s a huge demand for distinctive tree ornaments. While it might be straightforward for buyers to discover standard bulbs and angels, originality is challenging to arrive by, opening niche possibilities.

On the downside, ornaments are seasonal, so you may require to sell alternatives to supplement off-period sales.

26. DIY assignment kits

DIY assignment kits make for a fun and creative afternoon, appealing to parents, buyers looking for kids’ gifts, and crafty adults alike.

Do-it-yourself CNC assignment kits typically include assorted parts and a step-by-step navigator for building all sorts of chilly stuff⁠: toys, birdhouses, garden planters, home décor, model cars, miniature architecture, and more.

How to commence a CNC business

How do you leave from tinkering with a CNC machine in your garage or basement to owning a successful CNC business? It might seem daunting now, but recall that every successful business owner started in the exact same place.

Building a brand from CNC wood projects won’t happen overnight, but the satisfaction that comes with creating something distinctive is immediate. 

pursue these steps to get your CNC business off the ground.

1. Purchase a CNC router

Choosing the correct CNC router is the first step in building your CNC business. 

There are many CNC routers on the economy, each with pros and cons. Some require assembly, others don’t. Some are expensive but service large work areas, others are inexpensive and tiny. Many propose remittance-schedule options to spread the costs over period.

To choose, consider the size and complexity of your designs, and whether your router works on your preferred materials. Also note that while most CNC routers can cut along the X and Y axes, some require additional spindle attachments for Z-axis cutting (depth). If you’re planning many deep cuts, make sure to pick up a Z-axis CNC router.

Here are some of the more ordinary models:

Carbide 3D Shapeoko 4

• Materials: The Carbide 3D Shapeoko 4 is able to cut through medium density fiberboard (MDF) and soft metals (such as aluminum).
• Work area: The Carbide 3D Shapeoko 4 comes in three different cutting area sizes: Standard (444 mm x 444 mm x 101 mm), XL (838 mm x 444 mm x 101 mm), and XXL (838 mm x 838 mm x 101 mm). 
• worth: $1,800, or $113/month.

Sain intelligent Genmitsu 3018-Pro

• Materials: The SainSmart Genmitsu 3018-Pro cuts through plastics, soft aluminum, woods, MDF, and acrylics.
• Work area: The SainSmart Genmitsu 3018-Pro has a 300 mm x 180 mm work area, plus a spindle that can cut a depth of 45 mm.
• worth: Starting at $199.

Quantum CNC Router

• Materials: The BobsCNC growth 4 cuts wood, plastics, foam, and acrylic non-metals.
• Work area: The BobsCNC growth 4 has cutting area of 610 mm x 610 mm, with a depth of 85 mm.
• worth: Starting at $1,280.

Ooznest Original Workbee Z1+

• Materials: The Ooznest Original WorkBee Z1+ cuts wood, plastics, foam, and acrylic non-metals.
• Work area: The Ooznest Original WorkBee comes in six sizes, with workspaces available at 300 mm x 270 mm, 550 mm x 520 mm, 550 mm x 770 mm, 800 mm x 770 mm, 800 mm x 1,270 mm, and 1,300 mm x 1,270 mm.
• worth: Starting at $1,335 for the smallest size and topping off at $1,595 for the largest.

Once you’ve found the CNC router that’s correct for you, consider which CNC software to use. Some CNC machines arrive with built-in routing software, but if yours doesn’t, check out these options:

• Vectric Vcarve Pro
• Easel
• Vectric Aspire
• PlanetCNC

To get used to using your CNC machine, there are a ton of free DXF files available online. DXF files are the most ordinary file type for CNC assignment designs.

2. Decide on your first woodworking assignment

Once your equipment is ready, it’s period to commence validating your product ideas to ensure there’s a economy for them. There are a few ways to gauge demand for your products:

• Sell on demand. Since your recent CNC router is at the ready, you don’t necessarily require to manufacture distribute ahead of period. If you’ve got a product concept, why not test it out directly?
• Conduct a competitive analysis. Explore the current economy and research your competitors. What are they selling? What types of audiences desire their products?
• Perform keyword research. Having a excellent keyword research schedule is great for unearthing customer pain points, spotting available niches, and assessing buyer earnings.
• commence a crowdfunding campaign. stake crowdfunding helps you determine your target customer’s brand back willingness to pay for your product.
• Meet customers directly. leave to trade shows and events where potential customers are likely to gather. conference customers in person can provide crucial clues to the marketability of your ideas.

3. make a strategy document

Set yourself up for achievement by crafting a solid strategy document. Business plans are crucial to identifying potential issues and ensuring you have the resources to scale your business.

A excellent strategy document will assist you prioritize your period, comprehend how to achieve your goals, and explain your imagination for potential investors. If you’re unsure where to commence, discover encouragement in these strategy document examples.

4. construct your online store

Once you’ve developed a strategy document, you’ll have a better understanding of your products, brand characteristics, and target spectators.

At this point, you should have all the info you require to commence building your online store. You’ll be able to add your CNC products, sort them into collections, and commence developing the visual aspects of your brand.

In addition to your own website, you may desire to consider selling on Etsy, which has a reputation for hand-made goods and one-of-a-benevolent products (although it is challenging to scale using this platform alone).

5. economy your products

Digital marketing gives you access to a wide range of audiences, which is perfect if you’re on a shoestring monetary schedule. The channels you choose to economy on should depend on the audiences you desire to reach. It’s always a excellent concept to direct potential customers to an email marketing list or social media profile so they have the chance to keep up with your brand.

6. Launch your store

With your website established, your products added, and your CNC mill at the ready, it’s period to launch your online store. Launching is one of the most exciting moments of starting a business, but it can turn demanding quickly if you don’t have a solid launch schedule.

Review your strategy document, make a test purchase in your store to be sure it’s functional, make a shipping schedule, and review our store launch checklist so you recognize you haven’t missed anything in your planning.

commence making money with your very own CNC router projects

With the arrival of affordable CNC machines, one-person businesses can mass produce custom items faster than ever. Whether it’s home décor, kitchen tools, or one-of-a-benevolent children’s toys⁠, crafting a distinctive product is achievable.

Learning a recent skill takes period, and while you may not be crafting complicated structures immediately, learning to use these tools can be game changing for your tiny business.