These cute plant stakes turned out so fun. They are cut with the xTool F1 and are so easy to cut and engrave.
Welcome to our latest blog post where we delve into the world of laser-cut and engraved plant stakes! I used 3mm basswood sheet with my xTool F1 laser cutting machine to makes these cuties.
These stakes are more than just garden adornments; they’re expressions of botanical charm. They include whimsical designs and charming puns celebrating succulents and indoor greenery.
Each stake adds a touch of personality to your plant oasis. Whether you’re a seasoned plant parent or just starting your green journey, these stakes are sure to bring a smile to your face.
Stay with me as I show you how I made these plant stakes.
If you love to create for spring and add some pizzaz to some pots or make spring solar lights you will love these posts too!
Outdoor Solar Lights from Dollar Tree Vases
Cute Plant Stakes
Let’s dive into this tutorial starting with the supplies needed.
I have added some affiliate links for your convenience. You can see my full disclosure here.
- xTool F1 Laser Cutter/Engraver
- XCS (xTool Creative Suite) Software
- 3mm Basswood
- Wood Glue
- Creative Fabrica – for plant designs
Creating these Cute Plant Stakes – The Designs
I have seen really cute plant stakes and I love the ones that include a funny saying. I wrote down some of my favorites and then created my own designs.
Creative Fabrica is my “go-to” site to find great designs. I have a membership so I can download anything at any time and they almost always come with a commercial license. One thing you always want to do is use the design together with other designs or fonts to make it your own.
This time I wanted some succulent plant designs and a watering can. I searched for them then downloaded the designs I loved and thought I would use.
The fonts for these cute plant stakes are Beach life for the script and Beanstalk Skinny for the printed text.
There are some that are very similar that you can get on Creative Fabrica. Just find two fonts that you love and download and install them onto your computer. Warning: you will go down the font rabbit hole and spend a good hour just looking and downloading awesome fonts.
After they are installed, the next time you open the software the fonts will be loaded.
XCS (xTool Creative Space) Software
I am using XCS (xTool Creative Space). It is very similar to Cricut Design Space if you are familiar with that.
I started by using a rounded rectangle and oval shape from the shapes tool on the left side of the screen. The pictures below show just the rectangle shapes in the software.
Then I re-sized it by unlocking the measurements at the top of the screen and typing in the correct measurements. Or you can grab the corner and re-size it to the size you want. For these plant stakes I used 2.25″ by 1.50″.
The xTool F1 has a pretty small cutting area but I knew I could cut two at a time so I copied and pasted to get a second rectangle.
After that it was time to add my text and my graphics and re-size them to fit into my rectangles. Easy peasy!
Choosing Your Cut and Engrave Settings
I have the settings down pretty nicely for cutting and engraving on the 3mm basswood.
You need to click on the outside rectangle/oval and set to cut on the left side. Then enter the following settings: Power: 100 Speed: 5 Passes: 2
Then group together all of the text and graphics and set to engrave. Enter these settings: Power: 40 Speed: 100 LPC: 200 Passes: 1
Try a text cut, you may need to adjust the settings a little bit.
After the top parts of the cute plant stakes are cut and engraved you need to cut the stakes. I was able to cut 5 at a time. I created this design in Canva then pulled the image into XCS.
Once I had it imported into the software I used the “trace” function. It traces the design and creates a 2nd layer for the trace. Delete the original layer. You will be left with the cut outline.
I duplicated the design until I had 5. Since the wood I was cutting had the grain on the horizontal I grouped all five together and rotated them so they would cut with the grain. This makes them stronger.
Why Separate Pieces?
You are probably wondering why I didn’t create an “all in one” plant stake. I see so many cute ones on Etsy and Pinterest.
I tried.
This machine is so great but small. It does not have a laser on an X and Y axis. It has one laser that comes down from the top, center. So the further it has to cut from the center the more of an angle there is in the cut because the laser is “reaching” to the sides from the center.
Since the “all in one” stakes were longer the laser had to reach all the way from one side to the other so the end result was an angle at the top of the rectangle but a very slight angled cut at the bottom of the rectangle and I just didn’t like the way it looked. I wanted it to be the same angle all the way around the sign.
Here is what I mean.
When I cut them separately and glued them together they were so much better.
The Final Look
After cutting the top and the stake I added some wood glue to the top part of the stake and attached it to the back of the top piece.
This is how they came out. I think they are super cute. What do you think?
I was making these for a floral shop so I added them to a cute printed card for easier handling.
If you have been on the fence about a laser cutter/engraver this machine is so fast and pretty easy to use. The hardest part, for me has been getting the settings just right. Once I have them the way I like them I write them on an index card. Then I pull out the card the next time I am going to engrave or cut that material.
I hope this was helpful. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Michelle
