Pet memorial grave marker

I made it at TechShop

Materials needed:
 

4" Ceramic tile (dark color, black works best)
Redi-mix concrete
Water
Cellophane (Scotch) tape
Photograph of your pet or generic clip art

Tools needed:
 

Laser engraver
8" square cake pan
Tarp
Plastic pail
Plastic drinking cup
Razor blade

 

Step 1: Preparing the image

While it is certainly acceptable to create a memorial marker using only text, a more visual and thoughful tribute is to include a photograph of your pet.

You must start with a photograph that has high contrast. Then using your favorite graphics program:

1. Trim or adjust the aspect ratio to make the image square.
2. Airbrush/mask/trim the image, to isolate the portion you want to etch, with a black background.
3. If it is not already, convert the image to greyscale. This will help visualize what the laser will produce.
4. Increase the contrast as much as possible, without distorting the image too much. You may also try increasing or decreasing the lightness as well.
5. Add any text in white.
6. Convert the entire image to be a negative. It will look odd, but remember that the laser will etch everying you have in black, and leave everything in white untouched.

Comments

[TNHOTTIE025]

Your pet grave marker is beautiful! Thank you for sharing your instructions on how to make it. My daughter's cat passed away 3 days ago and I would love to be able to make one of these for his grave but I do not have a laser engraver and when i looked for one online I saw they were quite expensive. Would it be possible to use a dremel engraving tool instead of the laser engraver or do you know where a laser engraver tool can be purchased at for a good price? THANKS!!!

[lime3D]

I don't think a dremel would work very well on the tile, and you would need to be quite an artist too. And yes, laser engravers are expensive, that's why I have a TechShop membership.

[Kitana Kellaway]

Ow my god I feel your pain if i where to lose my dog I would cry my heart out

[HMice]

I feel your pain. I wish I could make on of these but I have no access to a laser engraver, and my pet mice died recently.... ;(

[lime3D]

If you are interested, I could make you the ceramic tiles. If you are interested, I could figure out how much it would be.

[HMice]

Maybe, I don't have much money though...

[Lectric Wizard]

Great idea ! Did you have to use anything to keep the concrete from sticking to the pan ?

[lime3D]

Not at all.

[IRISHIZ]

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL