Introduction: Crafting Custom Laser – Engraved Ornaments With Glowforge

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The holiday season, birthdays, or housewarmings often prompt a search for meaningful gifts — something more personal than store-bought, something that captures a memory. This year, I decided to transform photographs of friends, family, and special places into handmade wooden ornaments. Using the combination of AI-generated outlines and laser cutting, I was able to bring intangible memories into tangible form.

These ornaments aren’t just decorations — they’re stories. A house where we hang out in college (“Pumptown 2026”), a photo of my boyfriend and I sharing a laugh, a stylized emblem of a ski trip destination (“Vail, CO”). Each piece becomes a keepsake.

Moreover, this project connects directly to key themes from our course: digital fabrication, iterative prototyping, and human-centered design. Designing and producing these ornaments allowed me to prototype, iterate, and refine — with a real-world output that friends and family could hold and appreciate.

My hope is that by publishing this, others will follow the same path, experiment with their own memories, and create meaningful objects.

Supplies

Materials

  1. Medium- to dark-toned wood sheets suitable for laser cutting (e.g. 1/8" plywood or hardwood)
  2. Ribbon, twine, or string for hanging ornaments

Tools

  1. A laser cutter (I used a Glowforge)
  2. A computer with internet access
  3. Access to an AI image tool (like ChatGPT) for converting photos or prompts into outline PNGs
  4. Design files: PNG outlines + ornament templates
  5. Tweezers or fingernails (for peeling masking)
  6. Optional: fine-grit sandpaper for smoothing edges

Step 1: Generate Artwork Outline Using AI

Choose your source image or prompt.

  1. You can use a photograph (e.g., family picture, house, pet), or simply describe a concept, such as: “Grateful Dead logo with ski goggles and crossed skis, circle border, text ‘Vail, CO’.”

Upload the image or type the prompt into ChatGPT.

  1. Request: “Please convert this image (or prompt) into a clean black-and-white outline and export as a PNG, suitable for laser engraving.”

Refine the output via iteration.

  1. If the first version is too detailed or noisy, ask ChatGPT to simplify:
  2. “Remove background clutter.”
  3. “Thicken major lines for better engraving contrast.”
  4. “Simplify fine facial details.”
  5. This iterative refinement mirrors prototyping methodology — quick cycles of design, evaluation, and redesign.

Download the final PNG outline.

Step 2: Set Up Your Ornament Template in Glowforge

  1. Open the Glowforge web portal and create a new design.
  2. Add a circle shape to define the ornament outline.
  3. I chose 4-inch — a comfortable size for a Christmas tree.
  4. Duplicate the circle for as many ornaments as you plan to make.
  5. Add a small hole at the top of each circle for hanging (about 0.15–0.2 inches in diameter).

Now you have a base—an empty ornament “cookie cutter.”

Step 3: Upload Artwork & Arrange Layout

  1. Click “Upload from file” and select your PNG outline(s).
  2. Resize and position the artwork within each circle.
  3. Centering often works best. Leave a small margin so engraving doesn’t hit the cut line.
  4. Optional: Add text labels (e.g., “PUMPTOWN 2026,” “VAIL, CO,” or names/phrases).
  5. Set the right laser operations:
  6. Circles (ornament boundaries) → CUT
  7. Artwork outlines / Text → ENGRAVE

This preparation step combines concepts of layout design and pre-production planning, crucial in digital fabrication to minimize material waste and ensure clean results.

Step 4: Engrave, Cut, and Clean Up

  1. Choose your material in the Glowforge interface.
  2. Select exactly the wood sheet type you loaded (e.g., “Hard Maple – 1/8 in”). This ensures correct laser settings.
  3. Place the wood sheet in the Glowforge, aligning it properly.
  4. Ensure surface is flat, no dust or debris.
  5. Click “Print” — the machine will first engrave, then cut.
  6. Once the job finishes, carefully remove the cut pieces.
  7. Use fingernails or tweezers to peel off any sticker/masking residue.
  8. If desired, lightly sand edges for a smoother finish.
  9. Thread string or ribbon through the small hole and tie securely.

Be careful during removal — wood can be fragile, especially thin pieces. This step reflects practical lessons in safe machine operation, material handling, and post-processing cleaning.

Attachments

Step 5: Gift, Share, and Collect Feedback

  1. Gift the ornaments or hang them on a tree or wall.
  2. Gifting to friends/family or sharing with classmates invites feedback.
  3. Document responses.
  4. Ask recipients for reactions: What does the ornament evoke? Does the engraving clearly show? Is the size appropriate?
  5. Keep copies of comments or messages — this serves as community feedback and proof of engagement.
  6. Reflect on improvements.
  7. Did some outlines engrave too faint? Maybe lines needed to be thicker.
  8. Did wood choice affect clarity? Maybe darker or more uniform grain would work better next time.
  9. Consider adding a coat of varnish or a protective finish for durability.

This step aligns with human-centered design: real people interact with your artifact, giving insight into usability and emotional value.

Step 6: Reflection: My Learnings & Impact

Completing this project taught me far more than just how to use a laser cutter — it deepened my understanding of design, iteration, and storytelling through physical artifacts.

1. Iterative prototyping matters — especially with AI.

The first outline from ChatGPT was often too detailed or cluttered. Simplifying it required several rounds of prompts. This process echoed our course’s emphasis on rapid iteration: design → test → refine. By the fourth version, the lines were crisp and engraving-friendly. Without iteration, results would have been messy or unrecognizable.

2. Material choice dramatically affects outcome.

Light woods sometimes lacked contrast; engraved lines appeared faint. When I switched to a medium-dark hardwood, the engravings popped. Grain consistency also mattered — busy wood grain interfered with fine lines. I learned to preview how wood tone and texture influence the final aesthetic, a form of material awareness important in digital fabrication.

3. The importance of workflow discipline.

A misconfiguration — like forgetting to set CUT for outlines, or engraving instead of cutting — can ruin a piece. Also, careful placement of artwork within circles kept engraving safe and visually balanced. This discipline reflects real-world practices in manufacturing and product design.

4. Objects with stories have emotional weight.

When I gave one ornament (the “Pumptown 2026” house) to a friend who lived there, she was visibly moved. Another ornament featuring two friends hugging sparked laughter and nostalgia. Feedback like “This means more than any store-bought ornament” confirmed that the artifacts held emotional resonance. That kind of human-centered impact can’t be replicated by mass-produced items.

5. Community engagement and traction are real.

I shared my process with classmates and posted photos in our class forum. Several peers asked for advice, borrowed my outline prompts, and began designing their own ornaments. I tracked at least six peer-created ornaments within a week, and three friends strongly considered gifting theirs to relatives. This rapid ripple effect demonstrates peer engagement, replicability, and real-world traction beyond individual work.

Step 7: Conclusion

This ornament-making project sits at the crossroads of technology, creativity, and human connection. By combining AI-assisted design with hands-on laser cutting, I turned photographs and memories into handcrafted keepsakes. The workflow — from prompt to polished ornament — embodies the core ideals of digital fabrication, iterative design, and human-centered storytelling.

If you’re looking for a small project that delivers both technical experience and emotional impact, I hope this guide inspires you to create your own. With minimal tools, an idea, and a bit of patience, you can make something that lasts — an ornament, a memory, a tiny piece of someone’s story.

Happy crafting!