Crafts

DIY Laser Engraved Mirrors with the xTool F2 Ultra UV Laser

July 29, 2026 by Bre Leave a Comment

Learn how I created vintage-inspired engraved mirrors with Dollar Tree mirrors and the xTool F2 Ultra UV laser.

I absolutely adore vintage etched mirrors, and I think it’s because of the gorgeous original mirrored medicine cabinet we had in my Chicago home.

The subtle charm of a little pattern in an unexpected place just made me so happy!

Of course, I don’t have the skills to replicate anything like a vintage etched mirror, but when I got the new xTool F2 Ultra UV laser machine, I knew I could create engraved mirrors inspired by my vintage medicine cabinet!

Learn more about the xTool F2 Ultra UV laser in my blog post review!

Thank you to xTool for gifting me the F2 Ultra UV. The project and opinions expressed in this blog post are all my own. Also, this post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

I spent a lot of time practicing laser engraving mirrors on small craft mirrors. I worked until I got the settings just right, and then I purchased these pretty Dollar Tree beveled mirrors for my project.

I found the floral artwork in Canva and uploaded it to the xTool Studio software.

Engraving mirrors on the xTool F2 Ultra UV

From there, here’s what I did.

Step one: insert the baseplate

Make sure to put the baseplate or riser in the bottom of the machine, or you’ll damage the inside of the machine as the laser breaks through the back colored coating of the mirror.

Step two: add black card stock or paper to the baseplate

Through trial and error, I figured out this important step. Set a piece of black paper or cardstock onto the baseplate before you put your mirror down.

If you don’t do this, you’ll have laser lines appear on the mirror because of the way the light reflects through the glass once that mirror backing is removed.

Step three: place the mirror face down into the machine

Place the mirror face down onto the black paper and baseplate. Then, click the “Refresh Background” icon to get the image of the mirror into your canvas in xTool Studio.

Once that’s done, click the “Auto Measure” button to get the correct thickness entered.

Step four: enter the engraving settings

As I mentioned earlier, I tested settings several times before completing this project. These are the settings that worked for me, but I recommend that you also test before completing your project. Every machine is different!

Setting: engrave
Dot Duration: 650
Power: 90%
DPI: 500
Pass: 1
Frequency: 40
Bitmap Mode: Jarvis

Step five: flip the image (if necessary)

If you’re engraving something like text or an image that needs to appear a certain way, make sure to mirror the image.

To do this, click on the image you’re engraving, and then click the “Reflect” button from the top toolbar. Choose “Reflect Horizontally” to flip it so that it appears the correct way in the mirror once engraved.

Step six: engrave the mirror

Now you’re ready to process the image and have the F2 Ultra UV work its magic.

These mirrors each took around six minutes to engrave.

When I pulled them out of the machine, I gave them a quick wipe-down on both sides, and the engraved images were perfect!

I dabbed on some silver and black paint along the beveled edges to make them look antique, and I can’t get over how beautiful they are!

The detail on the flowers is perfect.

These engraved mirrors truly look much higher-end than Dollar Tree!

I love how this project turned out, and I can’t wait to try even more advanced engraving and cutting projects with the xTool F2 Ultra UV!

My xTool F2 Ultra UV Review for Crafters and DIYers

July 21, 2026 by Bre Leave a Comment

A couple of years ago, I started working with laser engraving and cutting machines in my craft and DIY projects. I started with the xTool M1 and the Glowforge Aura machines – both of which have expanded my crafting abilities and given me an appreciation for the role technology can play in creating.

Because of that, I was excited to try out the new xTool F2 Ultra UV laser. Given the laser type (ultraviolet cold laser as opposed to diode) and other characteristics I’ll talk about later in this post, the F2 Ultra UV has even more power and project possibilities. I can’t wait to show you some of what it can do!

Thank you to xTool for giving me this xTool F2 Ultra UV laser for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed in this post are all my own. Also, this post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

What is it

The xTool F2 Ultra UV is a 5-watt laser machine that works with cold-processing technology to cut and engrave materials like wood, glass, metal, acrylic, and more.

Setting up the xTool F2 Ultra UV

The F2 Ultra UV arrived in one large box. Weighing in at around 50 pounds, it was too heavy for me to lift alone. My teenage son and I were able to get it inside the house and remove it and the included components from the box. And from there, we carried it into the basement where I planned to set it up.

Setup was incredibly easy. Much easier than I expected! I placed it onto a rolling cart, and I attached it to my original xTool air purifier (no longer sold) since I don’t have windows in the basement to ventilate out of.

If you’re using the xTool F2 Ultra UV inside, you must have either a window to run the exhaust tube out of, or you need to purchase an xTool air purifier.

Getting started

The F2 Ultra UV came with a quick start guide, so it was easy to get everything connected to my computer (you’ll need to download the free xTool Studio software if you don’t already have it).

From there, it walked me through calibrating the laser, which took just minutes, and then engraving the first project, which was a metal business card. It took seconds to engrave the business card, and I was so excited to have completed a project almost immediately after setting it up!

What makes it different

Technically speaking, the xTool F2 Ultra UV is a cold processing laser, which means it doesn’t use thermal energy (like the xTool M1 or other diode lasers do) to engrave or cut. Immediately, the biggest difference I noticed is NO CHARRING on wood projects as I experienced with my diode lasers. This was huge!

Another big difference is that this laser is so fine and precise that the level of detail it can create is incredible as compared to the diode lasers I also own.

And finally, and probably the most important to crafters and DIYers, is that the xTool F2 Ultra UV is compatible with many more materials than typical diode lasers, including clear glass and acrylic and even engraving inside of glass! (Yes, that’s worth an exclamation point!)

My early projects with the F2 Ultra UV

I already showed you that within minutes of setup, I was able to engrave a metal business card. That was the test project xTool has everyone complete, and I couldn’t wait to start testing the laser with a variety of other materials.

Wood keychain

Since it was World Cup time, my son and I made a wood keychain for him. I was astonished at how fast the laser engraved and cut this keychain. It took 37 seconds! I also noticed that it had hardly any smoke smell, unlike when I cut and engrave wood with my diode laser.

Slate coaster

Next we attempted a slate coaster of his favorite soccer team, Arsenal. This took us a few tries to get the settings correct, but we just kept re-engraving and eventually got it to show up.

I don’t think it’s perfect yet, but we’ll keep working!

Crystal LED keychain

Because I’m obsessed with my dog and wanted to see the fine detail capabilities of the xTool F2 Ultra UV, I decided to engrave his cute little face onto an LED crystal keychain. I uploaded his photo to xTool Studio and found settings in Atomm (the xTool community project platform).

I was amazed at how precise the photo transferred to the crystal! He has so much fur, and because it’s small and the crystal is clear, it’s hard to see the detail in this photograph.

Fine detail like this is hard to appreciate on a clear surface like this keychain, so I also engraved the same photo onto a wooden keychain to show you that clarity.

Like the other projects, this one took just minutes to complete.

Glass mirrors

Once I felt confident with some of these beginner projects, I decided to try my hand at something bigger. I found gold beveled mirrors at Dollar Tree and wanted to see what I could do with them.

I engraved floral designs into the backs of the mirrors so that they’re visible from the front, and I absolutely love how I was able to transform plain mirrors into vintage-inspired beauties!

You can read my tutorial for engraving mirrors in the linked blog post!

Inner glass engraving

One thing that is absolutely incredible about F2 Ultra UV is the ability to create amazing 3D images inside of glass cubes and spheres.

This requires changing out a lens inside of the F2 Ultra UV (the inner engraving lens IS included), and adding in a special riser plate within the machine (also included).

Inner engraving is the next thing I will try on this machine, though I haven’t done it yet. If you’re curious about what this type of engraving looks like, you can see many examples on Atomm, which is the xTool community project platform.

10 Things I Love About the xTool F2 Ultra UV

While I’m still learning all about this laser, based on these projects I’ve completed, I know enough to tell you what I think are the top ten things to love about this machine.

1. Fast processing time: I can’t get over how quickly this machine engraves and cuts as compared to my diode lasers.

2. Wide variety of compatible materials: I really don’t think there’s anything I can’t use in the F2 Ultra UV. The clear materials capability (with no additional prep work or modifications) is a game changer.

3. Minimal odor: Even when I cut wood in the F2 Ultra UV, there is hardly any odor.

4. Business opportunities: Seriously – check out this page on xTool’s website. It shows potential profits associated with various products you can make on the F2 Ultra UV, and it has me thinking I need to open an Etsy shop!

5. Inner engraving: I can’t say it enough, but this is crazy. I can’t believe I can engrave inside crystal and glass at home.

6. Level of detail: the precision is outstanding. Detail in photographs comes through astonishingly well on any surface. It’s actually hard to believe.

7. Small footprint: in the early days, laser machines were gigantic. This just takes up a small corner in my basement.

8. No subscription required to use the software: xTool Studio is totally free, and I really appreciate that! Glowforge charges a subscription for most of the features in their required software, and that’s really annoying.

9. Materials require limited, if any, prep: The cold processing nature of the F2 Ultra UV means that masking is not necessary. This saves time and material, and I love this feature.

10. Rotary attachment and conveyor open up the possibility of even more projects: The F2 Ultra UV even accommodates engraving of cylindrical objects (think drinking glasses) with the additional RA3 rotary attachment, and objects up to 200 x 500 mm (almost 8 inches x 20 inches) with the conveyor attachment.

Negatives of the xTool F2 Ultra UV

The positives of the xTool F2 Ultra UV are abundant, but there are just a few things that I think could make this machine even more attractive.

High cost

First is the cost. It is definitely an investment. However, if you will use it and not let it be a dust collector, it’s totally worth it. And, the xTool site shows you how quickly you can recoup your cost if you’re using the machine to create and sell products. So, while it is expensive, it could be totally worth it for you.

Lack of directions

The next negative is the lack of project-related directions. I recognize that this is sort of the nature of the beast because every project is different, materials used will be different, and even each machine will slightly differ from the others. However, I do think a general overview guide would be really helpful.

There is a beginner tutorial course on the xTool website, but I didn’t find it to be all that helpful. It really takes some time searching online to find what you need to learn how to do, plus some testing of your own to get settings just right. So, when trying out a new material, it’s a good idea to have extra of that material so you can play around with the settings.

Weight of machine

Finally, the last negative is that the xTool F2 Ultra UV is heavy (to me at least), and definitely not portable. So I do think a rolling cart, as I have, is helpful if you want to move it at all. And I would not expect to bring this to a craft fair, for example, to do engraving on the spot. This is definitely a set it in place and leave it there machine.

As you can tell, none of these is a dealbreaker, and there are far more positives than negatives, in my opinion.

***

For me, a person who crafts and is constantly doing DIY projects, the xTool F2 Ultra UV is a machine that has endless possibilities. I am really enjoying getting familiar with it and thinking of ways I can incorporate it into my repurposing and upcycling projects.

I am also seriously thinking about how I could use it to create another revenue stream for myself. I can really see that the potential is there to create a small business with the F2 Ultra UV at its core.

It’s a powerful machine that unlocks a whole other realm of creative possibilities, and because of that, I highly recommend it.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below! I’ll do my best to answer them for you.

DIY Wood Bead Bunny Wreath: A Dollar Tree Spring or Easter Door Hanger

March 17, 2025 by Bre 1 Comment

You can make the cutest DIY wood bead bunny wreath for your spring door decor. Let me show you how!

When wood bead hoops first appeared at Dollar Tree a few years ago, I purchased some without a plan. Typical me – lol.

I stashed them away and finally came up with the PERFECT idea for them: turning them into a DIY wood bead bunny wreath!

This simple spring door decor is perfect to leave up all the way through Easter! And, it’s a really quick project that’s easy on the wallet, too.

Here’s how you can make your own charming Easter bunny wreath.

DIY Wood Bunny Wreath Supplies

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

TWO wood bead wreaths (note: I purchased these in-store at Dollar Tree, but have linked for your online shopping convenience)
Floral wire
Wired ribbon
Needle-nose pliers

How to Make a Wooden Bead Bunny Door Hanger

You’re going to love how easy this Dollar Tree spring craft is!

Start by using the needle-nose pliers to take apart one of the wooden bead wreaths.

With that beaded wreath separated, fold it in half, and then bend both ends in toward the center of the beaded strand. This is how you make the bunny ears.

Use the needle-nose pliers to bend the end wire pieces outward. Then fasten those ends to the wood bead wreath that’s still together.

Cut a piece of floral wire and wrap it around the center of the ears to attach the ears to the wreath at that center point.

Check Out My Other Spring Door Decor Ideas!

DIY Mossy Basket Wreath

Spring Carrot Door Hanger

DIY Egg Tray Wreath

You can also make a loop with the ends of the wire so that you can hang the bunny wreath when it’s complete.

Now, make as simple or as elaborate a bow as you like!

I cut six pieces of wired ribbon and stacked them on top of one another. Then I twisted floral wire around the center of that stack and cut the ends to make a bow without loops.

Once the bow was complete, I wired it onto the wood bead bunny.

Super simple but super cute! I love it when I find a reason to use supplies I’ve been hoarding for so long.

Like this bunny wreath idea? I’d love for you to “pin it”!

Dollar Tree Flocked Bunnies: The Cutest 2026 Easter Decorations

March 11, 2025 by Bre 5 Comments

If you’re looking for budget-friendly Easter decoration ideas, here’s a cute way to use the Dollar Tree Plus flocked bunnies this spring.

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.

I went into Dollar Tree to buy birthday cards and I walked out with three flocked bunnies.

Not on the shopping list! 🙂

But these mossy-look bunnies in the Dollar Tree Plus section were so cute that I had to have them.

They come in three poses and measure 10 inches high, so they’re a perfect size for Easter tablescapes, spring centerpieces, Easter crafts, and just general spring decorating!

And at $5 each, the price is right. ($5 is the 2026 price. I purchased these in 2025 when the price was $3.)

You know I couldn’t leave them as-is, right?

I cut off their tags and raffia bows. Then I cut strips of floral fabric and attached those to the bunnies as prettier ribbons.

I also used Dollar Tree pearls in the center of each bow, which I fastened with straight pins.

I used the flocked bunnies on my dining room table as part of a larger Easter tablescape.

Check Out Some Other Dollar Tree Easter Crafts & Spring Decor Ideas

Egg Tray Wreath

DIY Bunny Planters

The wood tool tote was a thrift store find that I filled with my Grandma’s brass flower candlestick holders, moss, and faux eggs.

I also used some of my dishes, woven placemats, and baskets to add height and texture to this spring centerpiece.

The Dollar Tree bunnies are the perfect addition. Will you be hunting for them?

Dollar Tree Stackable Presents: Transform Them Into Beautiful Christmas Decor

November 11, 2024 by Bre 6 Comments

Get your hands on the Dollar Tree stackable presents and give them a makeover! Here’s how to transform these stacked gifts into beautiful Christmas decor.

In 2023, I transformed the viral Dollar Tree stacked pumpkins into a pretty pumpkin topiary. It has been one of my most popular crafts since then!

So, I was REALLY pumped to find that Dollar Tree introduced a whole new line of stackable holiday decor this year: a stackable snowman, a stacking Christmas tree, and stacked presents.

All are priced at $5, and the stacked snowman and stackable presents are my favorites! (I have seen some cute ideas for using the Christmas trees as kids’ toys / in kids’ activities, though.).

I was lucky enough to find two sets of the stacking presents, and of course, I had to give them a makeover!

I ran into some snags along the way, so you’ll want to read about that if you’re also looking to transform this Dollar Tree Christmas decor for yourself!

Dollar Tree Stackable Presents Makeover Supplies

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Stacked presents decor (note: while these are “Plus” items, they weren’t located in the Plus aisle of my store! So, look all around any Dollar Tree you visit because they could be anywhere! As of publication, they’re not available online.)
Dollar Tree tag ornament
Rustoleum Universal Metallic Spray Paint in Pure Gold
Plaid wired ribbon, 1.5″ wide
Glue Dots permanent dots
Cricut Joy machine and white permanent vinyl OR white dot stickers and white Christmas tree stickers
Scissors

Stacked Presents Makeover: How To

Just like last year’s stacked pumpkins, the stacked presents are totally plastic. They’re a little cheap-looking, to be honest.

The red paint on the “ribbon” portion of the gifts was sort of chipped or missing, and the colors of the present boxes were kind of “meh” in my opinion.

Spray Paint the Present Boxes

Because of that, I decided to paint them. I wanted to have each gift box be a different color: one gold, one green, and one off-white.

But . . . I quickly found out that my favorite spray paint, Rustoleum 2X (which works on plastic), absolutely did not work on these plastic stacking presents!

The green and off-white presents immediately looked AWFUL. The paint didn’t stick to them at all!

The present box I spray painted gold with a different spray paint, Rustoleum Universal Metallic Spray Paint, worked much better!

A couple of days later, I tried to spray over the green and off-white presents with the gold spray paint, but the paint immediately bubbled and cracked. It was not working!

So, I opened up the other set of stacking presents and sprayed two boxes from that set with the gold spray paint. (Note: the “bow” on top of the gift stack is removable, so I took that off for painting.)

Two coats of paint were all it took for good coverage. Unfortunately, the spray paint did run in places. It’s almost like the metallic flakes in it settled strangely in spots. BUT, I was able to cover those problems for the most part! (See more below!)

Attach Ribbon to the Stacked Presents

For the next part of the project, I attached real ribbon to the present boxes. I started with the bottom gift box and cut 1.5″ wide wired ribbon to the length needed to cover each section of plastic ribbon on the box.

I pressed Glue Dots permanent dots to the “ribbon” on the box, and then pressed the real ribbon onto that. I used Glue Dots instead of hot glue because hot glue and plastic don’t always play well together.

You could try a different type of glue, but it might be hard to hold the ribbon in place while the glue sets up or hardens. The Glue Dots gave an instant hold, which I liked for this project.

Once I had the base present finished, I attached ribbon to the other two present boxes. For the top box, I cut two very long pieces of ribbon and wrapped them over the top of the gift box.

Then I made a bow out of the same ribbon and hot-glued that to the overlapping ribbon on that top box.

Hang a Gift Tag From the Box

Next, I hung a Dollar Tree ornament that looks like a gift tag from the bow on the top of the box.

It’s the perfect size for this present stack decoration!

I Think You’ll Love This Other Dollar Tree Christmas Craft, Too!

Dollar Tree DIY Candy Cane Wreath

Add Details with Vinyl or Stickers

Because I wanted my stacked presents to be multiple colors, I didn’t love the solid gold look of my project.

So, I cut permanent vinyl with my Cricut Joy into dots and Christmas Trees. Then I stuck that onto the bottom gift box and the middle gift box to help them look like patterned wrapping paper.

I did not use transfer tape as I was worried that would rip off the spray paint from the presents. So, I just eyeballed the placement of each vinyl cutout and applied them like stickers.

Using these vinyl shapes was also a great way to hide the spray paint imperfections on these painted gift boxes!

DIY Stacked Presents Decoration

All in all, I’m pretty happy with how this stacked present decoration turned out. It’s definitely not perfect, but it’s not horrible either.

I originally thought I would use this outside, but it’s pretty lightweight and I’m worried it might blow away. So, it will stay inside. 🙂

Have you found these adorable stacked presents in your Dollar Tree store? How do you plan to decorate them?

DIY Photo Coasters: an Easy Tile Craft

October 17, 2024 by Bre Leave a Comment

These DIY photo coasters make a perfect personalized gift! They’re an easy tile craft that can be made for any occasion.

In this day of all photos living our our phones, printed pictures take on extra significance. And, this is especially true when the photos are presented in a way other than in a traditional picture frame.

Making these DIY photo coasters from inexpensive tiles is a wonderful way to make memories and see memories! These picture tile coasters are an easy craft and make an absolutely wonderful gift.

Let me show you how to make your own set of photo coasters!

Supplies Needed to Make DIY Photo Coasters

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Plain ceramic tiles
Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe Formula
Acrylic multi-surface paint in the color of your choice
1″ foam brushes
Photos printed on a laserjet or inkjet printer
Spray sealer
Scissors
Felt bumper pads
High-temp hot glue gun or multi-surface glue

How to Make Photo Coasters from Tiles

I put together these photo coasters as a DIY Father’s Day gift, so you’ll see that the pictures on these coasters are all of my husband and kids. But . . . this isn’t just a Father’s Day craft. You can make photo coasters for any occasion!

I happen to think these could make a great DIY Christmas gift, for example!

Step One: Prep the Tiles

Start by choosing ceramic tiles that are flat across the surface and measure approximately 4″ x 4″. Ceramic tiles will work great for this – not something like travertine or marble with divots and dimension.

Rinse off the tiles and let them dry.

Once dry, paint the unfinished edges of each tile with multi-surface acrylic paint. Use any color you like! Then, set the tiles aside to dry.

Step Two: Prep the Photos

Now it’s time to print out the photos of your choice! I recommend printing the pictures on an inkjet printer or a laser printer because the thin copy paper is easy to work with.

You can crop and resize photos before printing them in an online design program like Canva. (Or, you can print them out, trace the tile onto the photos, and cut them that way.)

Before you cut any photos, spray a light coat of sealer onto the photos. This is essential because otherwise your ink will run when you apply the Mod Podge in the next step.

Once the sealer has dried, cut the photos to size.

Step Three: Apply the Photos to the Tiles

Apply a thin, even coat of Mod Podge to the back of a photo that’s been cut to size, and then press it onto the face of a tile.

Carefully smooth out the photo so that it’s flat on the face of the tile. Be careful so that you don’t tear the photo while doing this!

Repeat the process with the other pictures and tiles, and let the photos dry on the tiles.

Once they’re dry, apply two to three thin coats of Mod Podge on top of the photos and all the way to the edges of each tile. (Let the Mod Podge dry in between coats!)

Set the coasters aside to dry.

Step Four: Apply Felt Bumpers to the Coasters

Once the coasters are totally dry, attach felt bumper pads on the back of each coaster, in all four corners, so that the tile doesn’t scratch any surfaces.

If you’re giving these sweet photo coasters as a gift, wrap them up with a bow and present them with the recipient’s favorite beverage!

Since I made these for Father’s Day, I had to give Dad’s Root Beer – obviously!

You May Like These Other Photo Craft Ideas, Too!

DIY Wood Block Photo Holders

DIY Picture Frame Flower Box

Handmade and sentimental gifts or projects are always appreciated! So take the time to make some photo coasters for someone you love today (even if they’re just for yourself)!