From blank to burnt (in the best way)

There’s something deeply satisfying about taking a perfectly innocent piece of wood… and burning a hippo into it.

Enter: my newest obsession—the xTool S1 laser cutter.

I’d love to say I approached this new machine calmly and methodically, but the reality was closer to equal parts excitement, curiosity, and “what happens if I just try this?” energy. The good news is: the S1 is surprisingly forgiving. The better news is: it turns out I really like setting things on fire (in a controlled, creative, entirely intentional way).

What even is a laser cutter?

If you’ve never used one before, a laser cutter uses a highly focused beam of light to cut or engrave materials like wood, acrylic, leather, and more. Think precision meets creativity—with a slightly dramatic flair.

In my case, it means I can take simple blanks and turn them into something custom, personal, and (hopefully) worth showing off.

Personalised Christmas gifts

first projects: keyrings, but make them cute

Naturally, I started with something small and low-stakes: wooden keyrings.

This little hippo feels like a full-circle moment for terribly crafty—clean lines, a bit of personality, and just enough charm to make people smile. The engraving detail from the S1 is crisp in a way that’s hard to achieve with other similarly priced laser tools.

And then, of course, branding had to happen. There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing your own logo etched into a physical object. It makes everything feel just a little more real.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/a36f23_456482866c724065b3a7f9269030e82c/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

what’s next?

Now that I’ve dipped my toes in (and possibly jumped straight into the deep end), I have a growing list of things I want to try:

layered designs

acrylic projects

personalised gifts

and probably something overly ambitious that I will pretend I planned all along

The S1 has opened up a whole new category of making for me—one that sits somewhere between precision engineering and creative play.

final thoughts (for now)

There’s a particular kind of joy in turning a blank surface into something uniquely yours. The laser cutter just happens to do it with a bit more drama—and a lot more accuracy—than most tools. Safe to say, this won’t be the last you see of slightly singed wood on this page.