I’ve been in the laser engraving world for nearly half a decade, having spent most of that time teaching others how to use their machines. In that time I’ve come across a few projects that are both beginner-friendly and great sellers for me. Here are five incredibly easy (yet awesome) laser engraving projects that cost me less than $10 (and some cost less than $1).
Luggage tag
Everyone travels
Whether you’re looking to make a gift, new product for your business, or need one personally, there comes a time in everyone’s life when they need a luggage tag. I recently took a trip for a new business I’m launching and had to fly for the first time in a few years—I needed a luggage tag as I didn’t already have one.
Thankfully, I picked up a luggage tag in my last order from one of my suppliers just to try out, and it turned out fantastic. Whatever luggage tag you decide to laser, just make sure it’s laser-safe. Not everything you find on Amazon will be safe to laser, so I typically stick to getting my luggage tags from either MakerFlo or Lancaster Laser Supply.
Either supplier you use, you’ll be spending less than $5 on the luggage tag, and you can easily sell it for $10 to $12. Using my xTool P3, the above pictured luggage tag took probably two or three minutes to engrave, though a galvo laser would do the same job in under a minute, easily.
A customized luggage tag is low-effort, high-reward, because it looks great, is super functional, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Custom keychain
An easy way to tell your keys apart
I have both engraved pre-made keychains and made my own keychains from scratch, and both results are just as awesome. For making keychains from scratch, you really just need the material the keychain will be made from (my favorite is TruFlat or acrylic) and a keyring.
I typically get this 100-piece kit on Amazon for under $10, which lets me make 50 keychains that have both a keyring and lobster claw on them. That makes the keychain cost just the cost of material (which is normally a few cents) plus $0.18 for the keychain hardware itself.
If you want something even simpler, then buying a bulk bag of keychains that are already made is the ticket. I kept these bulk keychains on hand for whenever I needed something super fast for a client or as a gift for a friend. They’re wooden, look good, and are dirt cheap at $0.40 all-in for the keychain.
Either option engraves (or cuts and engraves) relatively quickly, so if you need a quick win product (or gift), then a custom keychain is hard to beat.
Wood or acrylic earrings
Custom earrings? Say no more
Earrings are a fantastic way to express yourself, especially when they can be made completely custom. I’ve made quite a few different laser earrings in the past, and they’ve all turned out great. Really, the only thing you need is either earring studs or hooks plus your laser with some thinner material.
I normally use 1/8-inch material, like acrylic or TruFlat, and that works great for me. Thinner is better as it’s lighter, but you really can’t go much thicker than 1/8-inch because then it gets too thick to reasonably stay put.
Earrings cost next to nothing to make. Most pairs can be made for under $1 all-in, with some pairs costing under $0.50 to make. I like to call earrings my “scrap buster” because most earrings are made from very little material and can be fit into scrap pretty easily, making them one of the most low-cost projects you can make with your laser.
Stainless steel necklace
Personalized jewelry never goes out of style
If you need an easy, personal, and high-quality project on your laser (that doesn’t cost a bunch of cash), a stainless steel necklace is the ticket. You’ll really need a fiber, IR, or UV laser to do metal marking properly, though, so do keep that in mind.
If you have one of those lasers available to use, then find yourself a supplier like Monarch Pine jewelry. Full disclosure: I’ve known Katie (the owner of Monarch Pine) for years, I love the products, and I used the company before I ever met her. The stainless steel jewelry is high-quality, yet affordable.
My favorite piece of jewelry from Monarch Pine is the horizontal bar necklace, which costs just $3 and takes under a minute to engrave most of the time. These make great pieces for sale or as gifts, or even just to keep for yourself. Simply put a name on the necklace, and you instantly have a showstopper of a gift—and it hardly cost you any money or time.
Hammer or tape measure
Father’s Day is coming up
If you have a Harbor Freight or Home Depot close by, then you need to swing by and grab either the PITTSBURGH 25-foot tape measure for $5, or the Stanley wooden claw hammer for $7.
I’ve actually sold quite a few of both of these. With the tape measure, you just need to take an engraving, then cut a circle out of plywood, and glue it onto the center circle for a personalized look. Pair the tape measure with a wooden handled hammer that you engrave with a name or phrase, and you have the perfect gift for anyone in your life who is handy.
The hammers only take about three minutes to engrave, while the tape measures take about five minutes to engrave and cut the circle.
Both of these projects are low-cost, low-effort, but high-reward when it comes to either selling or gifting. It’s hard to go wrong with a personalized tape measure or a hammer!
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- Brand
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xTool
- Laser Power
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80W
The xTool P3 80W CO2 laser engraver is the perfect beginner laser for any small business or hobbyist. It features a quad-camera system that makes material and graphic alignment super simple, runs on the easy-to-use xTool Studio software, and handles both cutting and engraving jobs with ease.
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- Brand
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xTool
- Laser Power
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10W blue light diode, 2W IR
The xTool F1 dual source laser engraver is a great portable system for beginners and pros alike. It has a 10W blue light diode laser, which works well on materials such as cork, wood, leather, and more. There’s also a 2W IR laser that’s perfect for marking metals and slate.
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- Brand
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Creality
- Laser Power
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20W
The Creality Falcon A1 Pro 20W laser engraver/cutter is perfect for those just starting out in the laser space. It offers a pre-assembled design so you can be lasering within minutes of unboxing. The 20W blue light diode laser is powerful enough to easily cut 1/8-inch materials, and detailed enough for fine engravings. Plus, the optional 2W IR module means this machine can mark metal with ease, too.
Laser engraving and cutting projects don’t have to be expensive
As someone who has been a teacher in the laser space for nearly half a decade, I’ve heard a lot of people talk about how laser projects are expensive—and some definitely are. I’ve worked on projects in my laser that cost hundreds of dollars, but I’ve also worked on projects that cost pennies.
If you’re looking for some budget-friendly projects to do, the above ideas are a perfect place to start. Earrings make for great scrap buster projects, hammers and tape measures are great year-round projects, and you really can’t go wrong with a stainless steel necklace. These are some of my personal go-to projects, and I think you’ll like them just as much as I do.
