Shopping for the geek in your life is weirdly hard. They already own the Funko. They preordered the collector’s edition months ago. And if you buy them merch from the wrong season, they’ll smile politely and you’ll both know.

So here’s a different plan: make something.

Not a wobbly craft-fair project. We’re talking gifts that look like they came from a boutique Etsy shop, built around the fandoms your friends actually care about. A lot of makers use desktop laser engravers for this kind of thing. More on that at the end.

Here are nine ideas to steal.

diy fandom gifts for holiday

1. A custom D&D dice tray

Every tabletop group has that one player whose dice keep rolling off the table. A wooden dice tray with their character’s name, class sigil or party crest on the base fixes that and earns you a permanent spot in campaign lore. Add a felt lining and a matching dice box if you’re feeling ambitious.

2. Campaign-themed GM screen panels

Game masters spend hours on their worlds and rarely get anything to show for it. Engrave a map of their homebrew continent or the party’s guild emblem onto wood panels and hinge them into a screen. It’s the kind of gift that gets photographed at the next session.

3. Display plaques for collectibles

Statues and high-end figures look better with a proper nameplate. A small engraved plaque, whether wood, acrylic or brushed metal, with the character name and series turns a shelf into a display. Bonus points if you match the font from the show’s title card.

4. Cosplay armor details and props

Cosplayers live and die by the details. Engraved runes on a leather bracer, etched patterns on foam armor or a stamped insignia on a prop badge can take a costume from “pretty good” to “wait, where did you buy that?” Check with your cosplayer first, though. They usually have very specific reference images.

5. Personalized controller and console art

Engraved wooden or acrylic controller stands, a custom faceplate design or a “player one” charging dock with their gamertag on it. They’ll actually use it, and it sits on the desk where they see it every day.

6. Book nooks and fandom bookends

For the fantasy reader, a pair of bookends shaped like a castle gate or a dragon silhouette is a strong gift. So is a small “book nook” diorama that slides between novels. Laser-cut wood layers stack up into surprisingly detailed scenes.

7. Engraved tankards and tumblers

Stainless tumblers and glass mugs engraved with a house sigil, a guild crest or a favorite in-universe tavern name work for almost any fandom. It also works for the friend who claims they’re “not really into” anything but has rewatched the same series four times.

8. Pins, patches and keychains for the whole crew

Got a gaming group, a con squad or a watch-party crew? Make a set of matching acrylic keychains or wooden pins with an inside joke only your group gets. Cheap per piece, and much harder to forget than a group chat message.

9. A shadow box for convention memories

Badges, lanyards, ticket stubs and autograph cards tend to end up in a drawer. A shadow box with an engraved title, like the con name and year, gives them a proper home. It’s a great gift for the friend who never misses a convention.

Okay, but how do people actually make this stuff?

Most of these projects need one main tool. Desktop laser engravers can cut and engrave wood, acrylic, leather, cardboard and some metals. You design the art on a laptop, hit start and watch the machine trace it out. A few years ago that meant industrial gear. Now there are machines built specifically for hobbyists that fit on a desk.

If you’re thinking about picking one up, either as a gift for a maker friend or for yourself, the options can be overwhelming. Diode vs fiber, wattage, enclosed vs open frame, software. It’s a lot. This beginner-friendly breakdown of how to choose your first laser engraver walks through what each of those choices actually means for the projects you want to make.

A few quick tips before you dive in:

  • Start with wood and acrylic. They’re forgiving, cheap and great for most of the ideas above.
  • Respect the IP. Making a one-off gift for a friend is one thing. Selling unlicensed fandom logos is another. If you start getting orders, stick to original designs or properly licensed art.
  • Ventilation matters. Laser engraving produces smoke and fumes, so plan your workspace before you plan your first project.
  • Leave time to test. Run a practice piece before engraving the final gift, especially on anything you can’t replace.

The best gifts are the specific ones

What makes a handmade fandom gift land is the detail you picked: their character’s name, or the joke from that disastrous campaign in 2023. Store-bought merch rarely gets that specific.

Get started early, though. The holidays sneak up fast, and so does that last-minute “can you make one for me too?”