Report

[Laser cut and engrave] Laser Cut Wooden Our Tree of Love Romantic Table Decor — Project made with xTool M1 Ultra machine for Valentine's Day.

Laser Cut Wooden 'Our Tree of Love' Romantic Valentines's Day Table Decor

Instruction

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Application scenario

Laser processing (45min)

Machine & module

xTool M1 Ultra

10W

Material used

2mm Plywood

817

Information

      For this Valentine’s Day, I created a freestanding tree made from 2 mm plywood, symbolising a love that has grown strong and steady over time.

The tree represents 30 years of marriage, with each heart-shaped flower standing for one year shared. Plywood was chosen intentionally for its strength, warmth, and natural grain - a material that reflects the character of long-term love: resilient, grounded, and shaped by time. The tree features a wide, weathered trunk and bare branches, leaving space for continued growth and future seasons.

This piece was laser cut and engraved using the xTool M1 Ultra, allowing for precision while still honouring the handmade process. It’s a reminder that love doesn’t arrive fully formed — it takes root, grows through change, and continues to reach outward.

This project was made by hand, with intention, for the person I’ve grown alongside — a small story of love, told through making.

Instruction

Step1

Creative Process: From Idea to Assembly

This project began with a simple idea: to create a symbolic object that represents long-term love through growth, time, and care. I wanted the making process to be just as considered as the final piece, and accessible enough that others could recreate or adapt it themselves.

Step2: Designing the tree silhouette (Canva)

Preview

Designing the tree silhouette (Canva)

I designed the main tree shape in Canva, building the silhouette from simple, rounded shapes to create an organic, asymmetrical form. Once I was happy with the overall balance of trunk and branches, I combined the shapes into a single silhouette and exported the design as an SVG vector file.

Step3: Preparing the file in xTool Creative Space

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Preparing the file in xTool Creative Space

The SVG was imported into xTool Creative Space. Once inside the software, I converted the shape to an outline (vector path) so it could be treated as a cut file, rather than an engraved fill.

To strengthen the structure of the tree, I duplicated the original tree file. On the second copy, I subtracted all elements except the trunk, creating a solid secondary trunk layer that could be laminated behind the main tree for added strength and depth.

Step4: Designing the base

Designing the base

To allow the tree to stand freely, I designed a simple base made from two oval shapes:

One full-size oval

One oval approximately 15 mm smaller

I placed a cross-shaped slot in the centre of each oval, sized to match the thickness of the plywood. Using subtract (boolean cut), I removed the cross shapes so the slots would be cut cleanly during lasering and allow the tree to slot securely into the base.

Step5: Creating the hearts

Creating the hearts

I then designed 30 individual heart shapes ( in 3 different sizes), one for each year. Each heart included:

A tiny hole at the top, sized for fine wire or string

A single engraved word representing aspects of long-term love

These hearts were set to engrave for the text and cut for the outline, allowing both processes to happen in one job.

Step6: Cutting & engraving

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Cutting & engraving

Once all elements were prepared, I set the tree, base, and hearts to their respective cut and engrave settings and ran the job on the xTool M1 Ultra using 2 mm plywood. This step combined precision cutting with subtle engraving, keeping the handmade feel intact.

Step7: Assembly

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Assembly

After cutting, the piece was assembled entirely by hand:

The layered tree sections were aligned and fixed together

The tree was slotted into the base

Each heart was attached individually using 0.2 mm wire, allowing them to hang lightly from the branches

This final step was intentionally slow and tactile — a way of physically marking time and care through the act of assembly.

Step8: Final note

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Final note

This project was designed to be adaptable. The materials, words, or number of hearts can all be changed to tell a different story, while the underlying structure remains the same. It’s a piece that invites making, adjusting, and continuing — like the love it represents.

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