Cutting clean basics with the Shape Generator

Difficulty: easy. Time: 5-10 minutes. Methods: laser cutting or 3D printing.

Half of laser work is just needing a clean basic shape at an exact size: a hexagon coaster blank, a star ornament, a bone-shaped pet tag, a circle with a hanger hole. Drawing these in design software means fiddling with snapping and math. This tool gives you a parametric shape library where everything is exact by construction.

Beyond the geometric primitives (Polygon with 3-12 sides, Circle, Square, Star with adjustable points), there is a full novelty set: Heart, Arrow, Bell, Bone, Carrot, Cookie, Drop, Egg, Flower, Ghost, House, Balloon, Cloud, Pen, Pin, Ribbon, Tag, Tree (pine or deciduous), and Wrench. Every shape can be stretched, rounded, resized, given a hanger hole, and exported flat or as 3D geometry.

Open the Shape Generator

What You'll Need

Laser: laser-grade plywood or acrylic scraps; shape blanks are the ultimate scrap-buster
3D printing: any FDM printer and filament for cookie cutters, tags, and ornaments
Ribbon, cord, or rings if you are using the hanger hole

Step 1 - Pick and shape

Open the Shape Generator and pick a shape from the selector. For Polygon, set the Number of Sides (hexagons and octagons make instant coasters); for Star, set the Number of Points. Use Corner Radius to soften sharp vertices, which also makes cut shapes friendlier to handle and 3D prints stronger at the tips.

Step 2 - Size and detail

Shape Size sets the finished dimension in your units; Horizontal Stretch and Vertical Stretch turn circles into ovals and squares into rectangles without distorting line quality.
Hanger Hole Size adds a properly placed hole at the top for ornaments, tags, and charms; set it to fit your ribbon or ring.
Outline Width adds a concentric outline, handy for two-tone layered shapes or score-line borders.

Step 3 - Export

Download SVG for the laser, or STL/3MF with your chosen extrusion depth for 3D printing.

Choose Your Build Method

Cut blanks and ornaments

Import the SVG and gang up multiples; basic shapes nest tightly and cut in seconds each.
Cut the hanger hole with the same pass as the outline; it is part of the path.
For coaster sets, cut hexagons from 3 mm plywood and seal with a couple of coats of spray lacquer.
Use the outline feature as a score line to guide hand-painting inside a border.
Stack two sizes of the same shape in contrasting materials for instant layered ornaments.

Make It Yours

Hexagon coaster set with a family monogram engraved in the center of each.
Ghost and pumpkin-orange circle garland for Halloween, strung through hanger holes.
Cloud shapes with raindrop Drops hanging below on thread for a nursery mobile.
Stretch a star vertically for a tree topper that reads taller from across the room.
House shapes as a realtor's closing gift tags: engrave the address and date.
Tag shape plus hanger hole, cut in batches, is the fastest gift tag production line there is.
Use Bone shapes as engraving blanks for a dog treat jar label or pet memorial charm.

Open the Shape Generator

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