Laser Engraving Wood Keychains: Creating Custom Merch for Green Life New Bedford
This week, I'm working on a collaboration I'm genuinely excited about—Green Life New Bedford, a local environmental nonprofit doing real work in our community.
They needed custom wood keychains for their fundraising events. I said yes immediately. This is exactly what CRAFTURE is about: using our skills to support our community.
Plus, wood is my comfort zone. I've been perfecting these settings for weeks.
Why Wood Keychains Work for Nonprofits
Wood feels natural, sustainable, and handcrafted—perfect for an environmental organization. It's also affordable to produce, which means better margins for their fundraiser.
Unlike metal or acrylic, wood has character. Every piece is slightly different. The grain shows through the engraving. People appreciate that authenticity.
And honestly? Wood is just easier to work with than most materials. No warping, no melting, no weird chemical smells. Just clean burns and beautiful contrast.
What I Learned Making 50+ Wood Keychains
Power Settings for Wood
I'm running 80-90% power and 50-60% speed for deep, dark engravings that pop. Wood is forgiving—you can push the power without ruining the piece.
The Green Life logo has fine details, so I needed that high contrast. Lower power would've left it looking washed out.
Wood Type Matters
I'm using maple and cherry wood blanks. Maple gives you light wood with dark burns (high contrast). Cherry is darker but has beautiful grain patterns.
Avoid softwoods like pine—they burn unevenly and leave resin buildup on your lens. Hardwoods are worth the extra cost.
Finishing Makes the Difference
Raw wood looks good, but a quick coat of mineral oil or beeswax makes it feel premium. It brings out the grain, protects the engraving, and gives it that "handcrafted quality" feel.
I'm hand-finishing each keychain with a light coat of mineral oil. Takes an extra 30 seconds per piece, but the difference is huge.
Hardware Quality
Cheap keychain rings ruin a quality product. I'm using stainless steel split rings and chain—nothing that'll rust or break after two weeks.
People notice these details. A $0.50 keychain ring vs a $0.10 one makes the difference between "this is nice" and "this is cheap."
Why This Collaboration Matters
Green Life New Bedford is doing environmental work in our community. They're not some faceless nonprofit—they're neighbors, activists, people who actually care about making New Bedford better.
When they asked if I could make custom merch for their fundraiser, I didn't hesitate. This is what CRAFTURE is about: supporting local, building community, using our skills to help people doing good work.
Plus, it's a chance to show what laser engraving can do. These keychains are walking advertisements for CRAFTURE. Every person who gets one sees the quality, feels the craftsmanship, and remembers the name.
The Business Side
Custom wood products have solid margins. Material cost is low, production is fast once you dial in settings, and people pay for quality.
I'm exploring this as a revenue stream: custom wood merch for local nonprofits, small businesses, and community organizations.
Wood keychains, coasters, ornaments, signs—all easy to produce, all profitable, all opportunities to build relationships with local businesses.
If you're a local business or nonprofit and want custom wood products, hit me up. Let's talk.
What's Next
After I finish this batch for Green Life, I'm testing leather engraving (for custom dab rig cases). Then I'll move into metal—anodized aluminum business cards and keychains.
But wood is staying in the rotation. It's reliable, it's profitable, and people love it.
Your Turn
Have you worked with wood engraving? What's your favorite wood type? Any finishing tips I should try?
Drop your ideas in the comments. And if you're part of a local nonprofit or business that needs custom merch, let's connect.
Support Local
Check out Green Life New Bedford if you're in the area. They're doing real environmental work. And if you want to support CRAFTURE while supporting local nonprofits, grab some of these wood keychains at their fundraiser.
That's the energy we're building here.
Next week: Leather engraving experiments and why every material teaches you something new.