This is a free laser cut hanging lamp shade template for a modern rectangular pendant body, drawn for 3 mm sheet material. The shade is built from four decorative side panels, a top square plate with a central cord opening, and a lower square holding frame that helps set the panels in place. The panels carry a tree and branch cutwork pattern, and the files are supplied for laser cutting workflows in DXF, SVG, CDR, DWG, and PDF.
Assembled, the body stands about 27.1 cm tall with an overall diameter of about 17.1 cm, giving it the scale of a full hanging pendant shade. The tree, branch, and leaf shapes are cut through the side panels rather than engraved, so the pattern remains visible even in plain sheet material. With a suitable LED bulb inside the body, the branch cutouts can create a patterned glow, while the panels still work as a natural-looking surface when the lamp is switched off.
Laser Cut Hanging Lamp Shade Design and Panel Assembly
Beyond the branch pattern, we wanted the lamp body to avoid the look of a closed, finger-jointed box. Many rectangular laser cut lamp shades use edge-to-edge finger joints, and those joints leave a visible line of interlocking tabs running down every corner. On this shade the four side panels are not joined that way. Instead the panels are set by the top square plate and the lower holding frame, working with an inner slot-and-support arrangement, so the corners are positioned without stitching the panels together with fingers.
That choice changes how the finished body looks and lights. The corners carry small deliberate openings rather than a continuous seam, so the body reads lighter and more modern instead of like a sealed enclosure. The same openings give the light a second path out through the corner gaps, so the glow can wrap around the edges instead of stopping at a hard joint line. The top plate has a decorative square spiral around the cord opening, and its small upper openings mean the shade is not visually closed at the top.
Cutting Notes for 3 mm Sheet Material
The slots and notches are drawn at 3 mm nominal, so the fit depends on the sheet you actually run. Real 3 mm stock varies with manufacturer, humidity, and finish, and your own laser kerf removes a thin band along each cut, so the seating fit is something you set, not something the file decides for you. A short slot test on a scrap before cutting the full set is the safest way to confirm your panels seat the way you want.
A few practical notes before cutting:
- Drawn for 3 mm sheet material
- Suitable materials can include wood sheet, plywood, MDF, or acrylic
- Slots and notches are drawn at 3 mm nominal
- Measure the actual sheet thickness with calipers before cutting
- Run a small slot test to check your own kerf and fit
- Use suitable LED lighting hardware, and account for heat and electrical safety in your own build
File details:
- Project type: 3D laser cut hanging lamp shade
- Body: modern rectangular pendant shade
- Main parts: 4 side panels, top square plate with cord opening, lower square holding frame
- Material thickness: drawn for 3 mm sheet material
- PDF: 1:1 drawing/reference sheet
- Design style: tree, branch, and leaf cutwork with open corners
- Formats: DXF, SVG, CDR, DWG, PDF
- Use: decorative pendant lighting with suitable LED hardware
Download the Laser Cut Lamp Shade Files
All five formats come together in a single ZIP. Open the format that matches your software, run a quick slot test against your actual 3 mm sheet, then cut the full set and assemble the panels with the top plate and lower frame. Download the files below, and see the download page for the package contents.
The dimensions of this hanging lamp shade:
- Lamp Height: 27.1 cm (10.67 inches)
- Diameter: 17.1 cm (6.73 inches)
- Thickness: 3 mm (0.12 inches)
