Another idea of mine, for a gift for a loved one, who already has everything 😉

And putting our time and skills to create something customized, one of a kind, is a great way to show love and appreciation.

This project started as a quick sketch, which I then drew in Inkscape (cut lines need to be vectors, and there wasn’t a need for parametric design/CAD software), traced outlines of countries, and made sure all the shapes are symmetrical for this additional eye-pleasing factor. Important consideration was to make sure the inside pieces are balanced, as they will be hanging attached to the outer frame and we wouldn’t want for them to be crooked  – this can be accounted for by adjusting the placement of mounting holes and/or lengths of the chain fragments.

Chains and O-rings used for assembly can be found in craft stores or online. Center heart piece serves as a photo frame, while pendant underneath is a subtle accent, not immediately grabbing all the attention, but being more of a surprise for eyes that find it 😉

 

Photos

Cutting pieces on laser cutter (each inner piece has been duplicated, just in case [so I can pick the piece without any wood imperfections, etc.], and since otherwise it would be wasted material):

The leafs around the circle frame took almost an hour of etching:

 

Aligning the pieces and first assembly:

 

Final result (stained and sealed):