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✨ Supplies
⇢ Wood Shadow Box Frames
⇢ Wood Stain
⇢ Sawtooth Picture Hanger Hooks
⇢ Gorilla Clear Grip Contact Adhesive
⇢ Acrylic – 💚 Save 10% with code: LASERLADY

✨ File Downloads for these Projects
⇢ Cat Shadow Box SVG (Creative Fabrica)

I’ve been running my laser business since 2014, so you betcha I’ve had a few successful products since then! I’m going to show you what those are, tell you why they were such a success and how you can easily come up with your own top sellers using the same methods!

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Product 1 – Shadow Boxes

At the start of the year, I brought back my laser made signs and home décor like items. Initially, I just wanted to be making something other than my usual laser cut jewelry, and have a bit of a creative outlet with one of a kind thingies.

I found these wooden shadow boxes, filled them with laser cut bits and they are by far out ranking pretty much everything else I make in this category.

So, let me show you how I make them.

First, I go on Creative Fabrica, and look for shadow boxes.

If that’s not your jam you can go wherever you like to get some cool svgs or make your own designs!

This one is hecken cool.

I download this and upload it into my svg editor. I use CorelDraw primarily, but you can do all this with Inkscape, Illustrator, whichever works for you.

There are a ton of layers, but I just want this to be 4 layers max, so I see which ones to scrap and see which ones I might be able to combine into a one color piece.

Once that is settled, it’s on to the laser cutting time. While that is cutting out, I prepare the wood box with a bit of sanding and painting or staining. Sometimes I’ll paint the background in there. Night scenes seems to sell really well.

Since I use a lot of mirror acrylics, I just glue everything together with this Gorilla Contact Cement. These came with hooks on the back already, so I just put my little wood sticker on the back and it’s done!

I sell these for $35-40 and I sell the crap out of them at in person shows.

Product 2 – Cosplay Jewelry

Now, I recognize that this might now be everyone’s cup of tea in the “products department.” But, there is a good reason why these types of products sell well. This Jubilee Cosplay Jewelry Set in particular has made me almost $15,000 on etsy alone.

But, why? I’ll tell you why.

It filled a gap in a super specific, yet growing niche. I’ve been going to conventions since 2006. A lot of my friends are cosplayers, so I have a bit of insight into their world. Plus, in the beginning of my business, I would set up a table at comic cons to sell my other stuff and people kept asking me to make them super specific designs.

They’d already done the research and found nothing suited their needs, so I was able to to swoop in and save the day.

The moral of this adventure is, if people are asking you to make something it might just become your next big seller.

Product 3 – Toilet Paper Earrings

These earring literally helped me put a down payment on my house. Here’s the story.

The year was 2020 and while the world was turning itself inside out, we were depleted one of our most overlooked necessities – Toilet Paper. TP. Toilet Roll. Butt Wipes. Tushy Tissue. Whatever you want to call it, it was completely out of stock, unless you wanted to buy 3 rolls for $30 on eBay. Diabolical.

So, while we were all waiting for our bidet kits to arrive in the mail, I thought, “I can make some toilet paper. No one can use it, but it’ll be hilarious.”

And hilarious it was.

There were times I was selling 20 pairs of these a day. BUT! No, not that but… BUT! Just as quick as these exploded in sales, the sales dried up. TP got back in stock and the world ever so slowly got back to business.

So, how does this help you? Ask yourself this – what’s going on right now? It doesn’t need to be a pandemic. It can even just be news or a trend in your particular interests. People my age seem to be trying to relive their past, so what could you make for 80s kids?

Or what’s relevant with reality tv shows? Any funny phrases or sayings going around? Any new sports jokes?

Or, what’s something everyone else is making that you can make in your own style? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to Target and looked at their jewelry and thought I could make something so much better.

Inspiration can come from anything.

Product 4 – Custom Orders

To be 100% honest, I hate doing custom orders. Now, I don’t mean custom orders like changing a color of a pre-established design or engraving a name on a thing. For example, that Jubilee set started out as a custom order and that ended up making quite a profit.

I still bring on custom orders here and there, but I am very picky about the ones I do. So, I go through these questions before I take one on:

After that, I message the person with how much the design will be be and how long it will take. Just know, you can opt out at any time if they start getting unreasonable. On most custom designs, especially ones that will not be made into an ongoing design, I am sure to charge things like:

I be sure to tell the customer these charges to make sure they are serious about it. I’m serious about my time, so the less it’s wasted, the better. If they are on board, then I make them a custom listing and I require 100% payment up front before any work is done. No half now, half later. I’ve been burned enough times. If the customer isn’t down for that, then it wasn’t a great fit and we’re both probably better off.

I’m sure some of you might think my custom prices are high, but if you are doing business to business, those prices are super receptive. Lately, most custom orders I’ve done is for random sports teams and schools… places with an accounts payable department.

I’m doing less and less custom orders nowadays, but if you are just starting out or am lacking some design inspiration, let your customers be your muse!

Product 5 – Personalized Items

This is totally different than the custom orders. What I mean by personalized is a product you already offer, but has your customers personalization on it. Not only did I utilize this in a product I’m about to show you, but it’s what makes lasers so awesome.

Personalized products are so easy to sell because it fills the necessary “need” your customers must have to want your product.

These are filling the need for great presents that are special for only one person on the entire planet. That makes your products much more appealing and the biggest bonus as to why these are the TOP types of products is that when your customer has a part in the production, they like it twice as much.

There was a study called “The Ikea Effect” which was a study on why people held a higher value to things they created themselves. Research shows that this increased valuation occurs because labor, especially successful labor, leads to a greater sense of ownership and connection to the product. Essentially, people tend to overvalue things they’ve had a hand in making, even if objectively comparable items are available at a lower price or higher quality.

So if you can have your customer participate in the creation of your product, you’ll have a bunch of happy customers.

And, if they are the type of people who loves giving out those personalized style gift, you’re going to have a lot of repeat business. Which, if I remember from my business school days, that is good.

All you really need to do is set up a template and you’re set! Have the initial design ready to go. For these Valentine’s Day heart pendants, I just make a copy, type in the message, and laser it out. It’s just one layer of acrylic with a touch of paint, so the production is fast and easy.

It’s not hard to think outside of the usual thing everyone else is making. All you need to do is think of the things you are into. Sometimes the more obscure or rare, the more value it will have. Everything is worth a try!

If you are still struggling with coming up with products, check out this list of 100 Laser Product Ideas, then check out this guide so you stop sabotaging yourself and start making the money you deserve.

Happy Crafting!

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