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DIY Custom Acrylic Plant Tags/Charms Using xTool P2

Plants don’t stand a chance with me. I don’t just have a brown thumb. I am the Grim Reaper of all things vegetation. Plant leaves tremble when I walk down the aisles of the gardening section. The clearance plants, barely holding on to their last root? They give up the ghost as soon as I pluck them off the shelf.

So it’s ironic that this latest project with the xTool is creating custom acrylic plant tags.

These plant tags seemed appropriate

Two transparent plant markers on a wooden surface. One reads "Grow dang it!" and the other reads "PLEASE, DON'T DIE!" The words 'The Lichen Den Studio' and a logo are visible in the lower-right corner.

Luckily for me, plants aren’t the only potential use for these creations. Grab a drink and let’s dig into all the hows of making, gifting, and decorating with these cute little tags/charms.

But first, some legalese for your reading pleasure:

This post is sponsored by xTool. While they provided the machine and some of the products for this project, all opinions are my own. Follow this affiliate link to see all of their amazing laser engraving and cutting machines and materials!

AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES AT NO COST TO YOU. YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.

Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

Cleaning & Prepping

The projects in this post are made with acrylic because basswood and plywood don’t hold up well to moisture. To get started, we need to remove the film from the top layer of acrylic. Unless of course you’ve already tested and have the perfect settings that will engrave through the cover material. I didn’t, and this is what happened.

A stamped card with various phrases including "Lookin' SHARP," "Rootin' for you!," "I DID NOT PLANT THIS FOR YOU," "Survivor," "Grew dang it!," and "The Vixen's Den Studio" logo in the corner.

Pro Tip: In case you missed this post, don’t skip the materials test grid when working with a new material or process.

Since then, I’ve been using dish soap to “mask” the acrylic and protect it from flashing. It’s inexpensive, and it works like a charm! Dish soap is also super easy to use and you don’t have to worry about heat getting trapped under bubbles and burning, which can happen with transfer tape if it isn’t pressed down firmly enough.

A hand using a plastic card is smoothing paper onto a glass surface. A logo in the corner reads "The Vixen's Den Studio.

Once the protective film is removed from the top of the acrylic sheet, just spread a thin layer of liquid dish soap on with a brush (or your hands) and let it dry.

While the soap is drying, pick out your design!

Finding Fun Designs in Creative Fabrica

There is always the option of creating a unique custom design from scratch. But I’m still learning this machine and the design process as it relates to cutting, so I like to start with one of the many beautiful designs available at Creative Fabrica.

Screenshot of a Creative Fabrica webpage displaying "Butterfly Cupcake Toppers, 7 Designs SVG." The page includes options to download, item description, and user reviews.

After I download the design, all that I have to do is unzip the file. Then I open XCS and import the SVG file. I can easily resize, rotate, and add to the design within XCS.

If you are looking for a lot of special fonts, however, then you may want to use Affinity or Canva to tweak the design. Then you can download the final version as an SVG and open it in XCS for processing.

Setting up Each Design for Minimal Waste

One of the extra steps that I like to take is to line up the designs so that I don’t have as much material waste. This does take a little bit of time at first, but then once I save it the design is ready to reuse quickly the next time.

Screenshot of a design software interface displaying text on red shaped tags. The screen shows a grid, settings toolbar, and the option to start processing in the bottom right corner.

The P2 laser is so precise that the designs can be within millimeters of one another and cut cleanly!

Once the design is ready, press start in XCS and the start button on the P2. Then watch the magic happen!

A top-down view of a laser engraver machine in operation, with the label "XTOOL" visible on the device. The machine is engraving a shiny, flat surface. A logo is present at the bottom right corner.

Post-Processing Cleaning

Once the engraving and cutting process is complete, the dish soap also makes it super easy to clean all of the dust out of those tiny crevices. Just rinse it off in the sink and give it a gentle scrub with a soft brush.

A green toothbrush lies in a soapy sink under running water, alongside a few small translucent objects with text that are being cleaned. The Vixen's Den Guide logo is visible in the bottom right corner.

Adding Definition with Paint

If you’re looking for something more than the etched glass look, then you can easily add definition and fancy colors with acrylic paint. Before you wash off the soap, just paint into the engravings and let it dry. You can then decide if you want to take the extra step to seal it with a spray of clear coat.

Once the paint and/or clear coat dry, then wash off the dish soap or peel off the protective paper or masking paper.

Pro Tip: This is one of those situations where it may be easier to achieve the desired result by masking with transfer paper.

Acrylic Plant Tags for Special Occasions

These plant ornaments were a hit at our make-your-own-teacup-succulent-garden event!

Three white teacups filled with succulents, moss, and decorative bows are arranged on wooden slabs. One teacup has a heart-shaped sign that reads "Happy Mother's Day.

But they can be so much more!

Remember when I turned a dresser into a buffet? A plant tag has the same magical ability to become a cupcake topper. Multiply its size by 3 or 4 and you have a full-size cake topper!

A birthday cake topped with colorful dinosaur decorations and a green "3" sits on a table with party items and people in the background. The cake has the name "Izzy" on an oval plaque.

But it doesn’t stop there! Not only are these little tags adorable plant ornaments and cupcake toppers but they could be used as favors, gift embellishments, or decorations. It’s all a matter of scale and the possibilities are endless!

Here are a few examples to help jumpstart your creativity:

Mother’s Day – gift charm/embellishment

Wedding – favor

Birthday – tabletop decor

Dinner Party – charcuterie board

Every Day – plant tag/ornament

Final Thoughts

I hope this post has your brain buzzing with all the possibilities! The xTool P2 made it so easy to create these beautiful plant tags/cupcake toppers/decorations/favors/gift embellishments! The level of detail is incredible!

A hand holds a clear, decorative butterfly-shaped object with intricate cutouts. Below, a logo reads "The Vixen's Den Studio.

I can’t wait to get started on some more complex layered designs next! Let me know in the comments below, what will you make with your P2?

Ready to dive into the creative world of xTool laser engraving and cutting? Click below to start your xTool journey. At checkout, enter code AFFMTRS15 to receive 15% off of select materials!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Until next time, have a beautiful and blessed day!

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Don’t forget to sign up so you hear all about the next misadventure! Until then, you may also like this Beginner’s Guide to Setting up the P2 or this post about Finding the Right Power and Speed Settings.


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