A city skyline project you can make your own

Turn a city skyline into a CNC project.

Make a city sign, silhouette, or inlay for your wall or desk. Browse real Easel projects for ideas, or choose a city and view in the City Skyline app to create a design sized to your material.

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Finished cherry board with an engraved Chicago skyline, photographed on a workbench Chicago Skylineby Jeff Talbot Tennessee-shaped board with a dark Nashville skyline inlay set into lighter wood State with Skyline Inlayby Emory Buckner Black Paris skyline silhouette with the Eiffel Tower on a pale wood board, photographed in a workshop Paris Skyline Projectby Andrew Petzold
3 real city skyline projects to explore
5 practical tips before you cut

Start with a real city and a view

Choose a skyline, then make it yours

The City Skyline app starts with a city and a vantage point, then builds the skyline to fit your material. The app can show building names and heights beside landmark towers, add the city name below the skyline, or give the design more depth with a second building layer. In views that support them, traced outlines and perspective give the skyline another look.

The gallery examples show how the same idea can become a carved sign, a wood inlay, or a free-standing silhouette. Open a project to see the maker’s notes and preview the Easel design before you make a copy.

Choose a thin line or a v-carve inlay

A dark wood plaque design with a pale Chicago skyline and CHICAGO lettering

Real projects from the Easel gallery

Chicago, Nashville, Paris, and more

These published Easel projects show a carved city sign, a skyline inlay, and a bold silhouette. Open a project to inspect its design, then make a copy to adapt it for your own material and machine.

Make a skyline from a real city view

Choose one of the 27 cities or add your own

Open Apps in Easel’s toolbar and choose City Skyline, or find it under Featured in the App Library. Pick a city and a real vantage point, then choose a filled silhouette or line art. Add another building layer where available, and turn on landmark names, heights, or the city name if you want them on the design. The preview updates before you import it. After import, select the skyline and choose Edit City Skyline to reopen the same settings. The app sizes the design to your material. Easel recommends a V-bit to keep thin spires and small labels sharp; V-carving is included with Easel Pro. See the City Skyline app details.
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City Skyline app with Chicago and From the lake selected, silhouette and a second layer enabled, landmark names and heights shown, and the city name turned on
Chicago from the lake in the City Skyline app. The preview shows labeled landmarks, a second building layer, and the city name.

Before you cut

Plan the details before you carve

Pick a view with the right landmarks

Choose the city view that has the buildings you want to recognize. A familiar tower or waterfront profile gives the silhouette a clear focal point.

Check the design at your material size

Set the stock size before you import or resize the skyline. Leave room for clamps and keep the outside edge clear of the machine's work-area limits.

Choose a style for the details

A filled silhouette makes broad shapes; line art follows the roofline in a single stroke. Add labels only when they stay readable at the finished size.

Use a suitable bit for narrow features

Easel recommends a V-bit for thin spires and small labels. Simulate the toolpath and check narrow gaps against your actual bit before carving.

Test the wood and finish on scrap

Cut a small sample from the same stock to check detail, grain, and finish. Thin spires and tight corners are easier to evaluate before you commit the full sign.

CNC project ideas

Make a skyline from a city you love

Choose a city view, adjust the skyline to your material, and prepare the carve in Easel. Start a free Pro trial if your design calls for V-carving.

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