← Made by hand From the studio
Laser engraving Personal details and precise cuts, made for gifts and useful objects.
Find a project photo 44 entries · 12 need About text LE001 · Lyra's monthly milestones LE002 · First-day pencils for Lincoln LE003 · Laser-cut balsa box LE004 · Hairapy with Mechelle salon sign LE005 · Layered birth announcements LE006 · Personalized drink tumblers LE007 · Paper gift tags LE008 · Engraved wood-slice coasters LE009 · Engraved stone LE010 · Decorative wooden basket LE011 · Laser engraving LE012 · Laser engraving LE013 · Laser engraving LE014 · Laser engraving LE015 · Personalized game set LE016 · Holiday treat boards LE017 · Puzzle-piece growth charts LE018 · Garden plant markers LE019 · Trace’s Cup LE020 · Laser-engraved food experiments LE021 · Lyra’s tooth box LE022 · Personalized bamboo toothbrushes LE023 · Don’t touch my coffee LE024 · Golf-themed Christmas tumblers LE025 · A thank-you for Misty LE026 · Personalized Christmas ornaments LE027 · Unexpected coasters LE028 · A gift for our hosts in Greece LE029 · Minnesota gifts for our trip leaders LE030 · New Zealand friendship coasters LE031 · Cornhole Club fundraiser drinkware LE032 · Steve’s croquet mallet LE033 · Ski scene on a handmade chair LE034 · First-year photo tile coasters LE035 · Family pizzeria pizza stones LE036 · Who cut the cheese? LE037 · My first laser engraver 3D23 · First-day signs LE129 · Engraved design study LE130 · Engraved design study LE131 · Engraved design study LE132 · Engraved design study LE133 · Engraved design study LE134 · Engraved design study Image 1 of 3 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Lyra's monthly milestones Why I made a series of month-age emblems to celebrate our granddaughter Lyra's first year. Each disc marks a different month and can be included in a photograph of her at that age.
How I laser-engraved the month labels onto round wooden discs, then stained them. I believe the wood was white oak.
Process The same simple design carries through the series, changing the month on each disc so the photographs become a record of Lyra growing up.
Laser engraving About this piece
First-day pencils for Lincoln Why I wanted to give my grandson Lincoln a fun, encouraging gift for his first day of school.
How I laser-engraved each pencil with his name and a different motivational thought.
Process I put the finished pencils back into their original packaging as a little joke, then gave him the set for the start of school. The gift was well received.
Laser engraving About this piece
Laser-cut balsa box Why This was one of my first experiments with making a three-dimensional object on the laser cutter. I wanted to see if I could turn flat balsa wood into a box with a working lid.
How I laser-cut the panels and an openwork design for the lid, then assembled the box with a hinge.
Process Cutting the separate pieces and bringing them together showed me how a laser cutter could do more than engrave a surface: it could help build a functional object.
Image 1 of 4 · Click for the next image.Separate project stories
Hairapy with Mechelle salon sign Why I made a new sign for my daughter’s hair salon to display in the space.
How I laser-engraved the salon design, paying particular attention to the fine teeth of the comb and the brush details. I covered the surface with painter’s tape before engraving to make cleanup easier.
Process I planned to fill the engraved areas with acrylic paint, but the blue painter’s tape gave the sunburst an unexpected look I liked. The engraving sealed the tape in place, so I left it as part of the finished sign.
Image 1 of 6 · Click for the next image.One story for this series
Layered birth announcements Why I made these announcements to celebrate the births of children in our family and among our neighbors.
How Each piece records the baby's name, parents, birth time, and measurements. I laser-cut and engraved layers of maple or oak plywood, using stain on some pieces to bring out the design.
Process Stacking the cut layers gives each announcement its three-dimensional shape. It was fun to make a personal keepsake for each new arrival.
Image 1 of 3 · Click for the next image.One story for this series
Personalized drink tumblers Why I wanted to make inexpensive drink tumblers personal and fun for family and friends.
How I bought low-cost tumblers at Dollar Tree and laser-engraved each with a name and a playful drink reference: Terry likes tea, Paula likes Pinot, Deeon has a drink, and Mia has her mug.
Process I arranged each name so its first letter also begins the drink word, turning a simple cup into a personalized design.
Paper gift tags About this piece
Paper gift tags Why I wanted to make gift tags that felt personal for family and friends.
How I created a series of paper tags with different names and designs, then used the laser engraver to mark and cut them.
Process For the tree design shown here, I cut the leaves through the paper. It was a fun way to use the laser for both decoration and delicate cutouts.
Image 1 of 5 · Click the image for the next view.One story for this series
Engraved wood-slice coasters Why I made a series of coasters for friends, choosing a different saying or picture for each person.
How I cut a tree limb into rounds and laser-engraved the designs onto the wood slices.
Process The natural grain and bark give every coaster its own shape and texture, while the engraving makes each one personal.
Image 1 of 2 · Click for the next image.Image 1 of 8 — Click for the next image.For review
Decorative wooden basket Why Pending
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Process Pending
Image 1 of 7 · Click the image for the next view.For review
Laser engraving Why Pending
How Pending
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Image 1 of 6 · Click the image for the next view.For review
Laser engraving Why Pending
How Pending
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Laser engraving For review
Laser engraving Why Pending
How Pending
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Laser engraving Why Pending
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Image 1 of 4 · Click the image for the next view.One story for this set
Personalized game set Why I wanted to turn a low-cost game I purchased into a personal gift for a friend's daughter.
How I laser-engraved her name and designs for a peg puzzle and tic-tac-toe, using the front and back of the wooden pieces.
Process I also engraved the rules for both games on the backs, so the gift explains how to play as well as carrying her name.
Image 1 of 3 · Click for the next image.One story for this series
Holiday treat boards Why I made these boards as personalized gifts so children could set out treats for Santa and the Easter Bunny.
How I started with inexpensive bamboo cutting boards from Dollar Tree and laser-engraved places for cookies, milk, carrots, and other holiday treats.
Process Changing the wording and names made each board personal without needing an expensive blank. It was a simple, fun gift to make.
Image 1 of 13 · Click the image for the next view.One story for this series
Puzzle-piece growth charts Why I helped design these charts so families can mark a child's height each year and keep a physical record of growing up. The sayings and pictures make each chart a loving keepsake, too.
How The laser-cut sections connect like puzzle pieces and measure from one to six feet. The rabbit version follows a carrot-loving bunny; other versions have their own artwork and messages. Separate arrows mark birthdays from age one through eighteen, plus the heights of Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa for comparison.
Process The puzzle format lets the chart fit in a small box for shipping and makes it easier to assemble. The difficult part was aligning the joints and engraved scale so the foot marks stayed as accurate as I could make them across all the sections.
Image 1 of 4 · Click the image for the next view.One story for this series
Garden plant markers Why Growing plants inspired me to make markers that were more personal than ordinary garden labels.
How I laser-cut the plant names into the shape of each wooden stake, trying different woods and stains for different people and gardens.
Process I also made a 3D-printed series. The wood and printed versions offer different choices depending on the plants and the conditions where the markers will be used.
Image 1 of 2 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Trace’s Cup Why I brought a portable laser engraver to an extended-family gathering and turned it into a hands-on workshop for the children and adults. About 25 to 30 relatives were there.
How Everyone could bring a mug, cup, or glass to personalize. The engraver's rotary attachment let us work around curved surfaces. Trace designed the eagle and distressed flag shown on his cup, and I helped him prepare it for engraving.
Process The children chose their own designs, learned how laser engraving works, and watched their ideas become finished pieces. Trace's cup is one example of that shared experience.
Image 1 of 3 · Click the image for the next view.One story for this series
Laser-engraved food experiments Why At our summer family camp, I wanted to show the kids that the laser could personalize more than pencils, keychains, mugs, and cups.
How Because the laser leaves a burned mark, I tried designs on bread and even chicken nuggets.
Process Watching familiar food take an engraved image made for a funny, memorable demonstration of what the machine can do.
Lyra’s tooth box About this piece
Lyra’s tooth box Why I made this little tooth box for our granddaughter Lyra to celebrate a childhood milestone: losing her baby teeth.
How I laser-engraved her name and a storybook fairy-and-tooth design on the wooden lid.
Process Each lost tooth can go in the box under her pillow, or stay there as a keepsake of her growing up.
Personalized bamboo toothbrushes About this piece
Personalized bamboo toothbrushes Why I wanted to make brushing teeth more personal and fun for children.
How I bought a large batch of soft-bristle bamboo toothbrushes and laser-engraved them with names for different kids.
Process I enjoyed making the series so much that I gave a set to my dentist, too.
Image 1 of 2 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Don’t touch my coffee Why I made this playful coffee mug for my son-in-law, combining a hands-off-my-coffee warning with a joke about Google Maps.
How I laser-engraved the saying and a map-pin graphic onto the red mug.
Process The result was a personalized gift meant to get a laugh each time he reaches for his coffee.
Golf-themed Christmas tumblers About this piece
Golf-themed Christmas tumblers Why I wanted to make personalized Christmas gifts for a group of golfers.
How I created golf-themed designs, including the one shown here, and laser-engraved them on a series of commercial tumblers.
Process I made about 24 tumblers. They came out well and were given as Christmas gifts.
Image 1 of 2 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
A thank-you for Misty Why A shipping company merged two deliveries, and my expensive camera ended up at a distribution warehouse. Although the packages were damaged, Misty took the time to find me and send my camera on, free of charge. I wanted to thank her for that kindness.
How I personalized a large tumbler with her name and engraved thank you in about 23 languages around its full circumference.
Process The 360-degree design made the message visible from every side: a gift for someone I had never met, but whose care made a real difference.
Image 1 of 8 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Personalized Christmas ornaments Why I made a series of Christmas ornaments for different families, personalizing each one with names or a seasonal saying. I made about three dozen in all.
How I experimented with laser engraving directly onto fragile glass ornaments, then added small multicolor lights inside them.
Process The lights made the engraved designs glow and flash at night, combining a family Christmas gift with an experiment in engraving and lighting.
Image 1 of 2 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Unexpected coasters Why These coasters were an unexpected result of another design project. I was cutting patterns for that piece and noticed that the leftover shapes looked good on their own.
How The laser-cut remnants formed intricate, round designs. I kept them rather than treating them as waste.
Process They became coasters, even though that was never the plan. I enjoy how a useful new piece can emerge from the parts left behind.
Image 1 of 4 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
A gift for our hosts in Greece Why On a trip to Greece, we were invited to dinner with a family we had never met through a visit arranged as part of our travels. We wanted to bring them a personal thank-you gift that spoke to friendship, love, and connection.
How I salvaged a piece of Greek olive wood that had made its way to the U.S. and turned it into a charcuterie board. I engraved it with English and Greek words and made a companion plaque explaining the meaning behind the gift. The hard olive wood was new to me, so I had to learn how to get the engraving depth and contrast right.
Process The board made a return trip to Greece with us. Our hosts chose to display it instead of using it, making the words and the story behind them the lasting part of the gift.
Image 1 of 5 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Minnesota gifts for our trip leaders Why When we travel with an organized group, we meet our trip leaders only after arriving. We then spend 12 to 17 days together, and I like to thank them with a gift made especially for them.
How I laser-engrave a tumbler or mug with their name and a few fun facts about Minnesota. Many leaders may not know where our state is within the United States, so the design gives them a small introduction to where we come from.
Process The gift is a personal thank-you for the time they spend guiding us, and it gives us something to share about home.
Image 1 of 3 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
New Zealand friendship coasters Why On our New Zealand trip, we wanted a gift for the family who hosted us for dinner, even though we would not meet them until that evening. We also made a similar set for our trip leader.
How I laser-engraved slate coasters with familiar New Zealand landscapes, a compass rose, and messages in English and te reo Maori.
Process The compass points to both the journey that brought us together and the paths we take through life. The coasters were a small way to thank our hosts and trip leader for sharing part of that journey with us.
Image 1 of 5 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Cornhole Club fundraiser drinkware Why I made this series of mugs and tumblers to raise funds for the Venture Out Cornhole Club, a social club I enjoy being part of.
How I used several colors and variations of the club logo, laser-engraving each mug or tumbler to make the collection feel personal and recognizable.
Process We sold about 60. The blank drinkware cost roughly $5 to $8 apiece, and we offered the finished pieces for about $35 each, making this a successful way to get the fundraiser started.
Image 1 of 2 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Steve’s croquet mallet Why As part of my Venture Out social-club logo series, I designed an identity for the Croquet Club, which had not had a logo of its own. I wanted to put that design on a club member’s mallet and personalize it for Steve.
How I laser-engraved the Croquet Club logo on the aluminum face of the mallet and Steve’s name on the other side.
Process This was my first time engraving aluminum. Learning how it responded to the laser was interesting, and the finished mallet came out well.
Image 1 of 2 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Ski scene on a handmade chair Why A fellow Cornhole Club member built a chair in the wood shop and asked me to engrave a ski scene on its back, with designs visible from both sides.
How I prepared the skier and mountain artwork for the wooden chair back. Because my laser engraver had a small working area, the full design could not be engraved in one pass.
Process I divided the artwork into sections and carefully aligned each pass. It took pattern planning, measurements, and a bit of mathematics to make the separate engravings read as one scene.
Image 1 of 5 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
First-year photo tile coasters Why I wanted to celebrate a baby’s first 12 months with a set of photo coasters, one for each monthly milestone.
How I used plain white ceramic bathroom tiles, which cost about 8 to 12 cents each. After applying a titanium dioxide coating, I used the laser to transfer each photograph onto the tile surface.
Process The laser’s heat and the coating produced a dark image that resisted scratching. It was an interesting experiment in turning inexpensive tiles into a lasting record of the baby’s first year.
Image 1 of 2 · Click the image for the next view.About this piece
Family pizzeria pizza stones Why I wanted to make Christmas gifts for several families that felt personal and a little playful.
How I laser-engraved a series of pizza stones with each family’s name, giving them tongue-in-cheek pizzeria names of their own.
Process The finished stones became useful gifts and a fun way to celebrate each family at Christmas.
Who cut the cheese? About this piece
Who cut the cheese? Why I made this cheese and salami board for my sister as a playful gift for sharing food at a party.
How I laser-engraved the board with the tongue-in-cheek question, “Who cut the cheese?” and personalized it for her.
Process The joke turns an everyday serving board into a conversation piece and a fun way to celebrate together.
My first laser engraver About this piece
My first laser engraver Why This open-bed X-Y machine was my first laser engraver. I learned the craft on it and used it for many of my early projects.
How As I moved to a more advanced enclosed laser, I gave this machine to a friend so they could learn. They eventually upgraded too, then passed it on to another friend.
Process Its journey became a repeat of my own: learn on it, make things, and give someone else the same chance to begin.
Image 1 of 2 · Click for the next view. About this piece
First-day signs Why I made this series of first-day signs so families could mark the start of school, soccer, dance, and other new activities with a personalized photo.
How I combined a laser-engraved design with space for a child’s name and details written in erasable marker, making each sign reusable.
Process I made about eight or nine on request. The same board could celebrate a different first day simply by updating what was written on it.
3D printing AI work Branding and logos Bread Community projects Floor projects Glass arts Laser engraving Painting Photography Pottery Quilt squares Upholstery Wood turning New photos for review LE129 LE129 · Engraved design study Laser engraving
Engraved design study Story to come.
LE130 LE130 · Engraved design study Laser engraving
Engraved design study Story to come.
LE131 LE131 · Engraved design study Laser engraving
Engraved design study Story to come.
LE132 LE132 · Engraved design study Laser engraving
Engraved design study Story to come.
LE133 LE133 · Engraved design study Laser engraving
Engraved design study Story to come.
LE134 LE134 · Engraved design study Laser engraving
Engraved design study Story to come.
