How to Make Acrylic Earrings (for Pennies)

What if I told you that I made 25 sets of earrings out of two 2x2 pieces of sample mirror acrylic and each set sells for $15!?

These cost a total of $4 and took me about an hour to make from start to finish. You do the math.

Read on for how to make super high-profit laser cut acrylic earrings.

Start by getting a couple of sample pieces of acrylic. These 2x2" squares sell for $2 each at So Fontsy - every finish and type is the same price which is NOT the case for larger size sheets!

If you're strategic with your design sizing and placement you can get 10-12 sets of earrings out of each sample piece.

I grabbed a few squares of 1/8" mirror acrylic because I am obsessed with it and it's perfect for Christmas.

Peel off the clear plastic protective sheet. You don't want to laser cut with that on. I suggest masking the front of the acrylic with 2" blue painters tape to protect it from smudges while cutting and handling.

Place the sample piece in your laser bed so that the back side is facing up. We're going to cut from the back.

You need a CO2 laser to cut mirror acrylic (and most acrylic). I'm using the xTool P2 55W laser. The newer models are the xTool P2S and the P3 which is both more powerful and larger.

One thing I love about the P2/P3 model is, not only that it can cut all acrylic, but also the overhead camera. It's essential when working in really tight quarters so you can precisely and accurately place your cut lines and maximize your materials.

In the xTool Creative Space software, refresh your camera view and then use the option to take a close view. This will give you a top-down image of your acrylic, rather than a fish-eye view which can skew the perspective and placement.

Place your earring designs right over the acrylic piece. Be strategic with nesting and sizing to fit as many on there as possible.

Make sure you have an even number, too. Remember: each one of these trees or shapes represents $6 to $8 in profit so you want to be really strategic about how you place them.

TIP: If you have an odd number, instead of removing one, select all of the shapes and scale down slightly to make room for one more!

When you're satisfied with your placement, you're ready to laser cut the acrylic. Don't forget to mirror your shapes if they're not symmetrical like my trees.

I used the default cut settings for 1/8" red acrylic and it worked perfectly for all the mirror acrylic.

It only takes a few minutes to laser cut these and you're ready to make some earrings!

Pop any out of the base piece and then place all the cut acrylic pieces, with the tape side/mirror side up, on a table or flat surface.

Take another piece of painters tape and use it to place over top of all of them and flip them all over so the back is now facing up.

Working with the earrings stuck to a piece of tape is helpful in keeping the small pieces in place while you glue on the posts. Since they're stuck to the tape they aren't sliding around.

Now it's time to put the posts on. I picked up a stud earring jewelry set on Amazon for under $8 that includes two different size and color posts plus backs and E7000 glue.

Place a dot of glue on the back of a few earrings at a time before putting on the posts. Now, I am not a patient person, but this glue needs to cure for 24 hours. I learned that from experience.

The final step is to peel off the tape mask that you put on the acrylic before cutting.

Then just stage your earrings for photos and you're ready to list them to sell .. and make a killing.

I will admit getting photos of these, because they are mirror, with accurate color is not easy. I found putting them on little print and cut earring cards and then adjusting the angle of the cards was helpful!

Holding the card also helps show the size of the acrylic earrings so potential customers have an idea of size compared to your hand.

I sold these for $15 a pair or two for $25. Just remember styling almost always increases the perceived value meaning if you put these on little cards and style them really well, you'll get as high of a profit as possible.

There is no other craft that I have found, that has a margin like this! You can literally turn a $2 piece of acrylic sample into more than $200!

And here's another tip - they're not just for Christmas! Make hearts for Valentine's Day, clovers for St. Patrick's Day, pumpkins for Halloween, snowflakes for winter. Just get creative and stock your laser shop with some high profit acrylic earrings!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!

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