22 Crafty Uses for a Laser Engraver and Cutter

The internet has a wealth of information. At AP Lazer, we are particularly interested in one topic more than others. You guessed it – lasers. And even better: what unique and exciting things people are doing with them. We’ve compiled a list of 20 super creative and inspirational uses (in no particular order) for your laser cutting and engraving machine. Most of these were found on Pinterest, which is a great resource for inspiration. If you aren’t following us yet, you should; we are pinning more and more these days. Follow our boards. Without further adieu, here are 20 crafty uses for a laser engraver and cutter.

1. Wooden Keychain Holder

Oksis on Etsy has loads of different wall mounted key holders, but this is our favorite. With the clever little saying and the ultra-simplified see/hear/speak no evil monkeys, this is a simple, high-impact design that showcases both laser cutting and laser engraving wood capabilities. (And overall a great use of plywood.)

2. Keychain Bottle Opener

While we’re on keys, let’s go to HangerDesignCenter on Etsy and look at these stainless steel, laser engraved metal bottle-opening groomsmen gifts. Once again, very simple design. While you’re at it, you could etch some corkscrews or wine glasses for the ladies.

3. Wine Glasses

This isn’t necessarily an innovative idea, but daydreemdesigns has a particularly pretty set of laser engraved wine glasses. We admire not only the intricacy but also the way the feathers wrap around with the curvature of the glass. This technique can be done with a rotary device, which allows one to engrave cylindrical objects. It’s always more impressive when a design works with the form of the object on which it’s been placed.

4. Wine, Whiskey Barrels And Barrel Furniture

Wine barrel engraving is a unique service that appeals to many businesses and consumers. Motor City Barrels specializes in making barrel furniture and engraving it.

For B2B clients, such as wineries, vineyards, and restaurants, custom-engraved wine barrels add a touch of elegance and brand distinction to their offerings. Engraved barrels can feature logos, unique event details, or personalized messages, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of their establishments and creating memorable customer experiences. On the B2C side, individual customers seeking unique gifts or home décor items are drawn to the charm of personalized wine barrels. These engraved barrels make exceptional wedding gifts, anniversary presents, or centerpiece decorations for wine enthusiasts. By offering wine barrel engraving, your business can cater to a diverse clientele, providing high-quality, customized products that stand out in commercial and personal settings.

If you’re curious about how a wine barrel can be intricately laser engraved, we invite you to watch this fascinating demonstration on Motorhead Garage. Click the link to see the process in action and discover the precision and artistry involved: Motorhead Garage Video.

5. Coasters

Coasters are a staple, and these from grafcreations on Etsy are geometric and intricate and all-around awesome. You could do a pattern, mandala, saying, or initials; the possibilities are endless. These are made by laser engraving acrylic but remember: with your AP Lazer you can utilize many materials such as wood, glass, tile, stone, and some metals, too. Since we are from the good ol’ “Mitten State” we couldn’t help but include these neat ones made of leather from MLPcustoms.

6. Acrylic Wax Seal Matrix

Also made from laser engraved acrylic is this wax seal maker, also known as a matrix. No, no one really uses wax seals for their postage anymore, and haven’t since the modern postal service was put into place. However, they are still used for crafting, weddings, and making sure that the postman knows that their letter is special.

7. Wood Rolling Pin

Now here is an item from BoonHomeware’s Etsy shop, which everyone here is equally excited about. This is a great example of silly crafty things that can be accomplished with a laser engraver. This laser engraved wood rolling pin is perfect for when you need to crank out 200 Christmas cookies to take to all the parties, send to all the relatives, and still have some left for Santa.

8. Glass Spice Jars

Since we are in the kitchen, let’s take a look at these laser engraved glass spice jars, they are proof that anything in your everyday life can be laser etched or engraved or cut. If it needs a label, etch it. If it needs personalization, engrave it.

9. Park Benches

Laser-engraved park benches are rapidly becoming a popular market segment, offering both functionality and personalization that attract interest from public and private sectors alike. These benches are perfect for municipalities, parks, and community organizations seeking to enhance public spaces with unique, durable, and aesthetically pleasing seating options. Engraved with donor names, memorials, logos, or custom designs, they serve as lasting tributes, adding a personal touch to any environment. Businesses and private individuals can also use these benches for corporate branding, sponsorships, or personal dedications in gardens and outdoor areas. The versatility and customization options make laser-engraved park benches highly sought-after, providing a meaningful way to beautify and personalize outdoor spaces.

10. Beer Cap Shadow Box

Or really a shadow box for any small item collection; beer caps, wine corks, coins all dated 1973, whatever you can think of. And you could etch in word art like this one, or a design, or whatever makes sense for the collection. This shadow box features laser engraved glass and was created by cheaphumidors on Etsy.

11. Wood Cut Puzzles

There are so many different ideas for wood puzzles. This one from rkslasercreationsUSA would be great for schools. Wood puzzles range from simple preschool shapes to incredibly complex. For a school with a laser machine, it would be incredibly easy to make 50 of these from wood of acrylic in just an afternoon.

12. Acrylic Controller Ornaments

What do people put on trees, their rearview mirror, and nearly anything that needs a little personalization? Ornaments. People are crazy for things that show off their interests, so for some people these are the perfect gift. These fancy little laser cut acrylic ornaments are available from useyourdidgits on Etsy, and even if they aren’t your style, you have to admit they are a great example of laser cut and engraved acrylic ornaments.

13. Paper Artwork

Paper artwork may or may not be making an appearance in our showroom very soon. Everything from color choice to the way they use the negative space makes these laser cut paper wall posters well deserving of their spot on this list. Thanks, CuriousDoodles for the inspiration.

14. Dog Collar

Fido should not be left out of this laser engraving fun. He has all of those silly tags jingling and jangling around his neck, so wouldn’t it be kinder to engrave at least some of the information directly into the collar? Yes, the answer is yes. To top it off, he’ll look super classy. Check out this fancy laser engraved metal dog collars from MaritynDog on Etsy.

15. Laptop Stand

People are making some pretty cool things by cutting and assembling cut-out puzzle type pieces. This laser cut acrylic lap top stand is a great example of this technique. You are only limited by your imagination and, if you like puzzles, that’s a bonus.

16. Felt Rug

Don’t forget that you can use your laser on textiles, too. Take a look at this super-modern laser cut felt rug (which retails for $600), featured on notonthehighdtreet.com. If you don’t like your rugs holey, you could always engrave the felt instead.

17. Pillows

These are also extremely modern, with the neutral two-tones and geometric cutouts. Laser cut leather pillows would be incredibly easy to do with a laser cutter and some leather or felt. Purchase them for a whopping $412 at LuxeDECOR, or make them yourself with your own laser cutting machine.

18. Rubber Stamp

This laser cut rubber stamp is a handy thing to have around. So much better than writing your address on all those wedding invites or less exciting: bills. And laser cutting your own unique stamp is so much better than paying the $40+ dollars for a run of the mill standard stamp. We love the elegant design on this rubber stamp from SayaBellStamps.

19. Wooden Signage

Gone are the days where sign painters had the market cornered. These laser cut and engraved wooden signs are crowd pleasers, and if wood doesn’t work with “the look,” then try metal or acrylic or a mammoth stone yard sign. These lasered wooden signs from Visual Mechanics really caught our eye.

20. Wedding Invitations

These are just the very tip of the wedding invite iceberg. First of all, there are loads of different ideas for laser cut wedding invitations, including one that we found that uses a wooden plank. There are also so many reasons to laser cut paper. Please find all of the reasons. Also, remember to be careful as paper can catch fire when you are cutting it with a laser. Check out our safety tips blog post to learn more.

21. Jewelry

There is so much laser cut jewelry. Ladies, check it out. Fellas, make it for your ladies. Warning: not suitable for any big anniversary or holiday. We particularly like these two laser cut jewelry pieces (no, we couldn’t choose). Check out more on our Pinterest page; we have a whole board dedicated to laser cut jewelry.

22. Business Cards

This is it, guys, the big one (had to save the best/biggest for last). Business cards! One thing that is used in every industry. No matter what material – wood, metal, or acrylic  – lasers are the way to make your business cards stand out from the crowd. No one is going to lose that in their washer, but if they do, these laser cut business cards come out of the rinse cycle looking just as great as they went in.