• Start off by creating four different text boxes
  • Each box will contain a letter “G” “R” “A” “D”
  • Select all the letters and all them vertically and then distribute vertically
• Next, I bought in a grad hat that I wanted to use but I don't want the tassel so I need to delete it.
  • When you click on the hat you can edit the nodes. 
    • click on the nodes you want to delete and hit “delete” on your keyboard
• Move the cap above the letters
• Create a small box under the letters
• Select all of the objects and horizontal align center
• Next we need to make an outline out of all of the objects.
  • Select all ove the objects and click “outline” on the right side panel
  • For this project I used 0.279, we want to make sure there are no inner outlines
• Create two small circles, one slightly larger than the other.
  • These will be glue together for the back of the project to hold the tassel
• Add the lighening looking shape and overlap it over the top right side.
  • This will be used to hold the tassel in the front. 
• Once placed select both the outline of the and lightening shape and "unite"
• Add your text inside the small box and make sure it is set to engrave.
• Finally, you need to add a base. A small rectangular box will do.
  • The slot will need to be the width of your piece. I usually like to cut out my piece and save my base for last so I can get the measurements corrects with my digital calipers.

Before sending to the laser, seperate all the objects as shown above and make sure everything but the text is set to “cut”

After I designed I realized I wanted the year somewhere on here and sent back and cut out “2024” for it to fit inside the grad hat.

• Glue the hat, letters and small box on top of the backer board.
• I glued and then painted and it helped keep the letters form moving on me since they were glued down.
• Glue the smaller circle on top of the bigger on right in the center.
• Once the paint it dried you can glue you numbers on the cap and then paint when the glue has dried.
• once all of the front had dried you can turn it over and glue the small circle to the back toward the top.

Here is the finished product with the tassel on display!