Somebody who owns a CNC router has an unfair advantage in December. Everyone else is choosing between a scarf and a gift card. You can put a piece of carved wood in someone's hands that they will hang on a wall and keep for thirty years, and it cost you a board, an evening, and a file.
The catch is choosing the right design for the right person, and starting early enough that it is dry and finished before the day. This guide handles both. It is sorted by who you are giving to, not by what we happen to sell, and every pick comes with the wood that suits it, the size it wants to be, and an honest idea of how long it takes on the machine.
One thing worth knowing about how the list was built. The most searched word on this site all year, by a distance, is fishing, in six different spellings. After that: wedding gift, cottage, bear, duck, horse, celtic, tray. That is not us guessing what people want to give. That is what people came here looking for. The sections follow it.
Who are you giving to?
- How to read each pick
- The angler
- The cabin, the lodge and the hunting camp
- Gifts of faith
- Weddings, anniversaries and new families
- Horse people and the western house
- Celtic, Norse and the mythically inclined
- The host: serving trays that get used
- Pet lovers, and the ones who lost one
- The patriot, in a 250th anniversary year
- The Christmas calendar: when to start
- Presenting it so it lands
- Questions people ask
How to read each pick
Every design below is a bas-relief STL file: a real 3D model with genuine depth, not a V-carve or an engraving. You buy the file once, it downloads instantly, and it carves on any CNC router that runs 3D toolpaths. Most also print on a 3D printer and several engrave on a laser as depth maps. Commercial use is included, so if the gift is such a hit that three friends want one, you can sell them.
For each pick you will see:
- Wood. What the design looks best in, and what to avoid. If you are new to this, the species table in our finishing guide explains why.
- Size. The size the design wants to be to hold its detail. Go smaller and fine features disappear under the bit. How to scale an STL without losing detail covers the maths.
- Machine time. A ballpark for a 1/8 inch tapered ball nose finishing pass at a sensible stepover, on a hobby machine. Your feeds, your machine and your patience will move it. Add a roughing pass and it drops sharply.
Prices shown are for the file itself and are correct at the time of publishing.
The angler
Fishermen are the easiest people on earth to buy for and the hardest to buy well for, because they already own every gadget. A carved trout is something they do not have and will not buy for themselves. It goes in the den, the boat house, or above the fly-tying bench, and it starts a conversation with every other angler who walks in.
Leaping Rainbow Trout STL with Mountain River and Fly Angler
The one to start with. A rainbow trout clearing the water with a mountain river and a fly angler behind it, so the piece tells a whole story rather than showing a fish. It is the most complete fishing scene we make.
- Wood: cherry or walnut. The water and sky read beautifully in a wood with some figure.
- Size: 14 to 18 inches wide. The angler in the background needs the room.
- Machine time: 5 to 8 hours finish pass at 16 inches.
- File: Leaping Rainbow Trout STL with Mountain River and Fly Angler, $7.99
Brown Trout, Fly Reel and Mayfly Riverbed Relief STL
For the fly fisherman specifically. A brown trout, a fly reel and a mayfly on a riverbed, which is exactly the kind of detail a fly angler notices and a spin fisherman does not. This is the gift that says you know the difference.
- Wood: maple for the crispest reel detail, cherry for warmth.
- Size: 12 to 16 inches. The reel's spokes are the test of your bit.
- Machine time: 4 to 6 hours.
- File: Brown Trout, Fly Reel and Mayfly Riverbed Relief STL, $6.39
Buck, Ducks and Trout Sportsman Scene Bas-Relief STL
When they hunt as well as fish. Buck, ducks and trout in one sportsman's panel, so you are not choosing which hobby to honour. This one sells steadily all year and spikes in November for a reason.
- Wood: walnut. Three subjects in one panel want a wood that stays quiet behind them.
- Size: 16 to 20 inches. It is a busy scene and it needs the space.
- Machine time: 6 to 9 hours.
- File: Buck, Ducks and Trout Sportsman Scene Bas-Relief STL, $7.19
There are over a hundred more in the fish and fly fishing collection, including single species for the person who only ever talks about salmon.
The cabin, the lodge and the hunting camp
Cabin gifts are about atmosphere. The piece has to look like it has always been there, which means warm wood, a wildlife subject and a finish with real depth in the shadows. Nothing glossy, nothing pale.
Whitetail Buck and Forest Scene Bas-Relief STL Carving
Our most-carved design of the past twelve months, and it is not close. A whitetail buck with a full forest scene behind him. If you only carve one gift this year and the recipient has ever owned a flannel shirt, this is it.
- Wood: walnut, without question. Cherry second.
- Size: 16 to 24 inches. The antlers need room to breathe.
- Machine time: 7 to 12 hours at 20 inches. Worth every one of them.
- File: Whitetail Buck and Forest Scene Bas-Relief STL Carving, $11.99
Bald Eagle Mountain Scene Bas-Relief STL with Soaring Eagle
An eagle in flight over mountains. It is the second most-carved design in the catalogue and it belongs in exactly two places: a lodge wall and a veteran's home. It does both jobs without saying a word.
- Wood: cherry. The feathers catch light beautifully in it.
- Size: 16 to 22 inches wide.
- Machine time: 6 to 10 hours.
- File: Bald Eagle Mountain Scene Bas-Relief STL with Soaring Eagle, $10.39
Grizzly Bear and Pine Forest Bas-Relief STL Wall Art
"Bear" is one of the most searched words on this site, and this grizzly against pine is why. It has weight. It suits a bigger wall and a bigger personality.
- Wood: walnut or dark-stained cherry. This design wants to be dark.
- Size: 14 to 20 inches.
- Machine time: 5 to 9 hours.
- File: Grizzly Bear and Pine Forest Bas-Relief STL Wall Art, $9.59
Howling Wolf and Full Moon Bas-Relief STL for CNC Carving
For the one who would rather be alone in the woods. A wolf howling at a full moon, with feathers in the design that give it a slightly spiritual edge. It is a favourite for a teenager's room as much as a cabin.
- Wood: maple, if you want the moon to glow pale against a dark glaze.
- Size: 12 to 18 inches.
- Machine time: 4 to 7 hours.
- File: Howling Wolf and Full Moon Bas-Relief STL for CNC Carving, $7.19
The hunting lodge collection and the wildlife wall art collection hold the rest: elk, moose, bison, owls, ducks in flight.
Gifts of faith
These are the pieces people write to us about most. A carved devotional image is a different kind of gift from everything else on this page: it is given at a confirmation, a wedding, a bereavement, or simply because someone's faith matters to them and you wanted to honour it. Take the finishing seriously. These deserve the full glaze-and-wax treatment in the finishing guide, because the shadows are what give a face its expression.
Face of Christ and Crucifixion Bas-Relief STL with Crown of Thorns
The face of Christ with the crown of thorns and a cross worked into the grain. The most carved devotional piece we make, and the one that gets the most emotional messages from the people who receive it. A face is the hardest thing to carve well, so give it depth and a fine bit.
- Wood: cherry or basswood (sealed). Avoid open-grained oak on any face; the pores fight the features.
- Size: 12 to 18 inches. Do not go under 12: the eyes need at least 8 mm of depth to read.
- Machine time: 5 to 9 hours with a 1/16 inch finishing bit on the face.
- File: Face of Christ and Crucifixion Bas-Relief STL with Crown of Thorns, $16.00
Jesus Reaching Hand and Storm on the Sea Bas-Relief STL
Christ's hand reaching down through a storm at sea. It is the piece for someone going through something, and it says so without a caption. Many people give it after an illness or a loss.
- Wood: walnut. The dark water is the point.
- Size: 14 to 20 inches.
- Machine time: 6 to 9 hours.
- File: Jesus Reaching Hand and Storm on the Sea Bas-Relief STL, $16.00
The Last Supper Bas-Relief STL, Jesus and Apostles Wood Carving
The dining room piece. Thirteen figures at a table is a serious carve and a serious gift, the kind that gets passed down. Give it width and it will reward you.
- Wood: cherry, and glaze it properly so every figure separates from the next.
- Size: 24 to 36 inches wide. It is a wide composition and it suffers below 24.
- Machine time: 10 to 18 hours. Plan a weekend.
- File: The Last Supper Bas-Relief STL, Jesus and Apostles Wood Carving, $16.00
The religious and Christian collection also holds Our Lady, the saints, praying hands, and the crucifixion scene.
Weddings, anniversaries and new families
"Wedding gift" is the second most searched phrase on this site, and the designs people choose are almost never hearts. They are families: a pair of animals with their young, a scene that says this is a home now. Those pieces work for a wedding, a fifth anniversary (wood, traditionally) and a first baby without changing a thing.
Owl Family on a Branch Bas-Relief STL for CNC Carving
Two adult owls and their owlets on a branch. It is the most given wedding piece we know of, and the feather texture is a joy under a raking light.
- Wood: cherry or maple. The feathers want a fine, even grain.
- Size: 12 to 16 inches.
- Machine time: 4 to 7 hours.
- File: Owl Family on a Branch Bas-Relief STL for CNC Carving, $10.39
Deer Family in the Mountains 3D Relief STL Carving
Stag, doe and fawn in the mountains. For the couple who would rather be outdoors, or the new parents who want something for the nursery that is not pastel.
- Wood: walnut for a cabin, maple for a nursery.
- Size: 14 to 18 inches.
- Machine time: 5 to 8 hours.
- File: Deer Family in the Mountains 3D Relief STL Carving, $7.19
Butterfly Heart Bas-Relief STL for CNC, Laser and 3D Print
When a heart is right. A heart made of butterflies and flowers, small enough to carve in an evening and to hang in a hallway. It also prints and lasers, which makes it the one on this page you can make on almost anything.
- Wood: anything close-grained. Basswood if you want to paint it.
- Size: 8 to 12 inches.
- Machine time: 2 to 3 hours.
- File: Butterfly Heart Bas-Relief STL for CNC, Laser and 3D Print, $5.20
Adding names and a date. The quickest way is a V-carved line of text on the flat border below the relief, cut as a separate toolpath after the 3D pass. Keep it to one line, a plain serif, and letters no smaller than 10 mm. It turns a design into their design. More couples' pieces are in the love and valentine collection.
Horse people and the western house
Horse owners are a tribe, and they recognise each other by the details. A carving with the tack wrong is worse than no carving. These two get it right.
Four Ranch Horses Over a Weathered Fence Relief STL
Four horses looking over a weathered fence. It is the barn office piece, the tack room piece, the gift for the person whose truck smells of hay.
- Wood: white oak, unusually. The open grain suits the weathered fence and the horses are large enough to survive it. Otherwise cherry.
- Size: 18 to 24 inches wide.
- Machine time: 6 to 10 hours.
- File: Four Ranch Horses Over a Weathered Fence Relief STL, $7.99
Cowgirl Leading Her Horse Down the Trail Bas-Relief STL
A cowgirl leading her horse down a trail. Quieter than most western pieces, and it is the one women who ride choose for themselves.
- Wood: cherry.
- Size: 12 to 16 inches.
- Machine time: 4 to 6 hours.
- File: Cowgirl Leading Her Horse Down the Trail Bas-Relief STL, $6.39
More in the cowboy and western collection.
Celtic, Norse and the mythically inclined
Knotwork is the natural language of relief carving. It was carved into wood and stone a thousand years before anyone had a router, and a modern CNC cuts it more cleanly than most hands ever could. It is also the safest gift on this page for someone whose taste you are unsure of, because knotwork offends nobody and looks expensive everywhere.
Yggdrasil Tree of Life Bas-Relief STL with Celtic Knot Border
The world tree inside a Celtic knot border, a rooted circle that works as a spiritual piece, a housewarming piece, or simply a beautiful round of wood on a wall.
- Wood: walnut or dark cherry. The border knot needs contrast.
- Size: 12 to 18 inches round.
- Machine time: 4 to 7 hours.
- File: Yggdrasil Tree of Life Bas-Relief STL with Celtic Knot Border, $7.99
Viking Triquetra Sword and Crossed Axes Bas-Relief STL
Sword, crossed axes and a triquetra. For the one who has watched every season of the show and knows the difference between a seax and a sword. It looks superb in a dark glaze with the high points buffed back.
- Wood: ash or oak, for once. The open grain suits the subject.
- Size: 12 to 16 inches.
- Machine time: 3 to 5 hours.
- File: Viking Triquetra Sword and Crossed Axes Bas-Relief STL, $6.39
The host: serving trays that get used
A wall panel is admired. A tray is used. If the person you are buying for hosts, a carved serving tray with compartments for cheese, nuts and dried fruit will be on their table every holiday from now on, and it will have your name attached to it every time someone asks where it came from.
One rule for trays: finish them for food. That means food-grade mineral oil or a mineral oil and beeswax blend, not the glaze and varnish you would use on a panel. The food-safe section of the finishing guide has the full method. Keep decorative glaze to the outer border and out of the wells.
Highland Cow Serving Tray STL with Snack Compartments
The Highland cow, with snack compartments. It is the tray people photograph. We made a short film about carving one, if you want to see how it comes together: it is on the product page.
- Wood: hard maple or cherry. Nothing open-grained near food.
- Size: 14 to 18 inches long, from a board at least 30 mm thick.
- Machine time: 4 to 6 hours including the pocketed wells.
- File: Highland Cow Serving Tray STL with Snack Compartments, $10.39
Octopus Serving Tray with Eight Tentacle Wells STL Relief
Eight tentacles, eight wells. It is a coastal house's tray and a conversation piece anywhere else. The suckers are a lovely detail under oil.
- Wood: maple.
- Size: 14 to 18 inches across.
- Machine time: 4 to 6 hours.
- File: Octopus Serving Tray with Eight Tentacle Wells STL Relief, $10.39
Hummingbird Serving Tray STL File for CNC Router
The gentle one. A hummingbird and flowers, for a mother, a grandmother, or the friend whose garden is the thing she loves most.
- Wood: cherry, which darkens to a lovely tone with years of oiling.
- Size: 12 to 16 inches.
- Machine time: 3 to 5 hours.
- File: Hummingbird Serving Tray STL File for CNC Router, $10.39
Pet lovers, and the ones who lost one
Two very different gifts live here, and it matters which one you are giving.
Hidden Cat Face Paw Print Bas-Relief STL Carving
A paw print with a cat's face hidden inside it. It takes people a second to see, and then they cannot unsee it. Light, quick, and a genuine delight for anyone owned by a cat.
- Wood: anything. Basswood painted is fun here.
- Size: 8 to 10 inches.
- Machine time: 1 to 2 hours.
- File: Hidden Cat Face Paw Print Bas-Relief STL Carving, $6.39
Human Hand Cradling a Dog's Paw Bas-Relief STL
A human hand cradling a dog's paw. This is a memorial piece, and it is one of the most meaningful things you can make for someone. Carve it with the dog's name in the border and give it a few weeks after the loss, not the same week. People keep these forever.
- Wood: cherry or walnut, finished with care.
- Size: 10 to 14 inches.
- Machine time: 3 to 5 hours.
- File: Human Hand Cradling a Dog's Paw Bas-Relief STL, $7.19
The pet lover collection and the memorial and tribute collection have breeds, horses and more.
The patriot, in a 250th anniversary year
2026 is the United States' 250th birthday, which makes this the year a patriotic carving stops being a generic gift and becomes a dated one, in the good sense. Something carved for the semiquincentennial will be looked at differently in twenty years.
USA 250th Anniversary Eagle & Liberty Bell Relief Plaque
Eagle and Liberty Bell with the 1776 to 2026 dates. Made for exactly this year.
- Wood: cherry, or walnut with the lettering picked out pale.
- Size: 14 to 20 inches.
- Machine time: 5 to 8 hours.
- File: USA 250th Anniversary Eagle & Liberty Bell Relief Plaque, $12.00
Bald Eagle Head Bas-Relief STL with Wood Grain Detail
An eagle's head with the wood grain worked through the feathers. For a veteran, a first responder, or anyone who flies a flag on the porch. It is dignified rather than loud.
- Wood: cherry.
- Size: 12 to 16 inches.
- Machine time: 4 to 6 hours.
- File: Bald Eagle Head Bas-Relief STL with Wood Grain Detail, $6.39
See the bald eagle and patriotic collection for flags, memorials and service pieces.
The Christmas calendar: when to start
The reason carved gifts arrive late is never the carving. It is the finishing. Oil needs days to cure, glaze needs a day before anything goes over it, and wax wants a day to harden before the piece goes in a box. Work backwards from the day it needs to be wrapped:
| Days before giving | What happens |
|---|---|
| 14 to 10 | Buy the file, pick the board, cut a test tile on the same board with the same bit. Test your finish schedule on the tile. |
| 10 to 7 | Carve. Roughing pass, finishing pass, overnight if it is a big one. |
| 7 to 6 | Fuzz off, sand the high points, raise the grain, seal. |
| 6 to 5 | Glaze and wipe back. Leave it a full day. |
| 5 to 2 | Oil or wiping varnish, thin coats a day apart. Clear the puddles each time. |
| 2 to 1 | Wax, buff, fit the hanger. Let it sit upright overnight. |
| 0 | Box it. |
So the last comfortable day to start a single Christmas gift is around December 10. If you are making several, the machine time stacks and the finishing runs in parallel, so start by November 20 and you will finish relaxed. Start on December 18 and you will be giving someone a tacky panel and an apology.
If you are new to the whole process, ten beginner projects is the right first read, and what makes a good bas-relief file explains why some designs carve in three hours and others take nine.
Presenting it so it lands
You have spent nine hours on this. Do not hand it over in a supermarket bag.
- A plain kraft box with tissue. Nothing beats it. The wood is the colour; everything around it should be quiet.
- A card that explains it. Wood species, where the board came from if it has a story, the design's name, and that you carved it. People treasure the object more when they understand it.
- Fit the hanger. A sawtooth hanger or a keyhole slot on the back, already fitted, means it is on their wall that evening rather than leaning against a skirting board until March.
- Oil the back too. An unfinished back takes up moisture unevenly and the panel cups. A wipe of the same oil is all it needs.
- Sign it. Your initials and the year, burned or carved small on the back. In thirty years somebody will look for them.
Questions people ask
Can I add a name or a date?
Yes, and you should. V-carve a single line of text on the flat border as a separate toolpath after the relief is cut. Keep it plain and no smaller than 10 mm tall.
Which wood if I can only buy one board?
Cherry. It carves cleanly, it holds detail, it takes oil beautifully, and it darkens with age so the gift gets better every year.
How big should a gift panel be?
Between 12 and 20 inches for most designs. Under 12 and fine detail starts to vanish under the bit; over 24 and it becomes furniture. Each pick above gives its own range.
How long does it really take?
Carving: three to twelve hours on the machine depending on the design and your stepover. Finishing: five to seven days, mostly waiting. The waiting is the part people forget.
Is a carved tray safe for food?
Finished with food-grade mineral oil or an oil and beeswax blend, yes, for dry foods: cheese, crackers, nuts, fruit. Keep raw meat and knife work on a plain flat board.
Can I sell the ones I make?
Yes. Every file includes commercial use for the physical pieces you carve. The one thing you cannot do is sell or share the file itself.
What if the design I want is not here?
There are over 1,500 in the full catalogue, and if it still is not there, ask for it on the design board. Subscriber requests regularly become real files.
A carved gift says something a bought one cannot: that you thought about this person for nine hours while a machine hummed, and then for another week while the oil cured. Choose the design for the person, give it the finish it deserves, and start before December 10.
Jolly, DigitalChiselCo