Custom Acrylic Coaster: Preserving My College House in a Keepsake

One of the most meaningful objects I’ve created during my time in college is a custom acrylic coaster featuring an outline of my house, the word “Bungalow!” (our house’s name), and the location of my college town: Lexington, VA. At first glance, it’s just a coaster. But for me, it’s a personal keepsake that captures memories of a place that defined my college years.

This post walks through the steps I took to make the coaster, from the first photograph to the final glued piece. Along the way, I’ll share the challenges I faced, how I solved them, and what I learned through the process.

The first step was simple but important: taking a picture of my college house. I wanted to capture it in a way that highlighted its personality and the features I remember most—like the front porch and the slope of the lawn.

I stood at an angle where the entire front was visible, including the yard. This gave me a strong base image that I could later turn into a sketch. For me, this step was about more than just technical setup. It was about preserving the memory of a place that has been central to my college experience

With the photo ready, I uploaded it to ChatGPT and asked: “Create an outline/cartoon of my house in black and white.”

The first version came back a little messy. The lines were too thin, and there were background details that made it feel cluttered. So I prompted ChatGPT again, this time asking it to make the lines thicker and remove unnecessary background elements. The second result was much better—clean, bold, and focused on the house itself.

This step was crucial because laser engraving works best with sharp, high-contrast outlines. A busy or faint design wouldn’t have shown up well on the acrylic. Once I was satisfied, I downloaded the final sketch to use in the next stage.

After downloading the sketch, I opened Glowforge, the laser printer software. This stage was all about combining the house outline with the layout of the coaster.

Here’s what I did:

1. Imported the sketch into Glowforge.
2. Created a square with rounded corners, exactly 4 x 4 inches.
3. Placed the sketch inside the square and sized it to fit comfortably.
4. Added text: “Bungalow!” at the top and “Lexington, VA” at the bottom.

The design had to be balanced so the text was easy to read without overwhelming the image. After a few adjustments, the composition looked right.

Next, I placed a sheet of clear acrylic into the Glowforge. This would become the engraved top layer of the coaster.

Key steps:

1. Set the Glowforge to engrave the house sketch and the text.
2. Set it to cut only around the outside of the 4 x 4 square with rounded corners.
3. Double-checked alignment to avoid wasting material.
4. Started the engraving process and watched as the laser burned the design into the acrylic.

It was exciting to see the lines of my house and the bold text appear on the clear surface. The engraving had a frosted look, standing out nicely against the transparent background.

The clear acrylic looked good, but I wanted to make the design pop even more. To do this, I added a second layer of colored acrylic.

Steps:

1. Copied the original design file in Glowforge.
2. Deleted everything except the square outline.
3. Placed a teal-colored acrylic sheet in the Glowforge.
4. Cut out the 4 x 4 square with rounded corners.
5. Stacked the clear engraved piece on top of the teal piece and glued them together.

This gave the coaster more depth and contrast. The teal background made the engraved design stand out clearly, while the two-layer structure gave the coaster a professional finish.

Looking back on the project, here’s what I learned:

1. Trial and Error with AI: The first sketch from ChatGPT wasn’t perfect. I had to refine my prompt to get thicker lines and a cleaner background. This showed me the importance of clear communication and iteration when working with digital tools.
2. Attention to Detail: Small things—like the size of the text, the placement of the design, and the alignment in Glowforge—made a big difference in the final look.
3. Layering Adds Impact: The extra colored acrylic transformed the coaster from something simple to something special. It gave it depth and personality.
4. Personal Value of Making: This coaster isn’t just practical; it’s a memory I can hold. Creating it gave me a way to preserve my college years in a tangible form.
5. Confidence for Future Projects: Now that I’ve gone through the process, I feel more confident about tackling other projects with Glowforge and acrylic.

The finished coaster is more than just something to put drinks on. It’s a piece of my college story, captured in acrylic. The process combined photography, AI editing, digital design, and laser engraving into one project that taught me new skills and left me with a meaningful keepsake.

By working through challenges like refining the sketch and aligning materials, I came away not just with a coaster but with a sense of accomplishment. Every time I use it, I’ll be reminded of my time in Lexington, VA, and the house we call Bungalow.