For wedding centerpieces, I created etched glass centerpieces with each table name.

To make your own, you'll need:
- Glass vases
- Illustrator/design software
- Laser cutter
- Rotary laser cutter (optional)

Like all the rest of our wedding decorations, I made these at Techshop.

Step 1: Etching the Glass

Etching the glass on a laser cutter is pretty straightforward if you follow the correct settings. There are some helpful tips here: http://www.epiloglaser.com/downloads/whitepapers/...

In addition, I found the etch quality improved when I put a wet paper towel on top of the section about to be etched.

If you're etching a flat piece of glass, it's no different than standard laser etching. For rounded glass, the Epilog Laser has a rotary tool. It's useful, but the rotary tool is unpredictable so it's best to use a piece of glass that can be etched anywhere on the surface.

Step 2: Presentation

We used an assortment of glass vases so things didn't feel so uniform and the etchings were all of similar style.

In the bottom of each glass vase, we added small pebbles (borrowed from a beach which we returned after the wedding) and votive candles.