Glowforge: How to Make a 'First Christmas' Bauble

Download the free templates in preparation for your special project.

Download the PDF template here

Download the PDF template here

Switch on the Glowforge and place the acrylic sheet on the cutting bed with the QR code facing up.

Close the machine lid.

Ensure your device is connected to the machine, and open the Glowforge web app.

Click ‘create a new design’, then ‘upload a file’, and open the downloaded file named ‘Glowforge Baby's First Christmas Snowflake Decoration - Acrylic Snowflake.pdf’

Then press print. When the print time is displayed, press the button on the printer – this should be pulsing blue. Wait for the machine to finish cutting out the snowflakes, you will be notified of its completion on your device.

Then remove the sheet and the pieces from the cutting bed.

Use the masking tape to cover an area of the plywood sheet big enough to cut out your decoration – this helps protect the surface from burn marks when cutting out the ring shape.

Then place the sheet on the cutting bed and close the machine lid.

Click on the blue plus symbol in the middle of the top bar, and select ‘upload’. Open the file named ‘Glowforge Baby's First Christmas Snowflake Decoration - Wooden Frame.pdf’.

Click on the ‘T’ symbol in the control bar, and add the text ‘BABY’S’ or the baby’s name. Match the settings to those shown in the image. Then do the same for the text ‘FIRST CHRISTMAS’ and the year.

Position both lots of text on the frame to ensure the curve of the text fits the curve of the frame.

Tip: Ensure the frame is positioned on the area of the plywood covered in masking tape.

Click on ‘unknown’ in the top left of the web app window. Search for, and set the material to, 'medium maple plywood'.

Ensure the frame is set to 'cut', the text layers are set to 'engrave', and the snowflakes are set to 'ignore'. Repeat step 5 to cut out the frame.

Use pieces of the black tape to help peel the protective film off both sides of the acrylic and masking tape off the plywood.

Ensure all small pieces have been removed from the letters.

Use contact adhesive to glue both two snowflakes together. This can be done by applying the adhesive along the two slots, waiting until the adhesive goes tacky, and then slotting the two pieces together and holding.

You can use an old brush to apply the glue to be more precise.

In the case that you get contact adhesive on any of your surfaces, use acetone/nail varnish remover to clean it off before it hardens.

Now it's time to assemble the decoration!

Tie a length of the silver ribbon to the top of the frame. Then tie the white thread to the snowflake, and then to the hole on the inside edge of the frame. It helps to hang the decoration on something to do this, so you can ensure the snowflake is hanging at the right height to fit in the frame.