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Custom tape measures make a great gift idea for Father’s Day, Christmas, birthdays, and more! Learn how to make your own personalized tape measures with Glowforge and start making awesome gifts for your friends and family!

"Best Dad Ever" tape measure with wood sticker on purple background

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If you’re looking for the perfect gift idea for the handy man or woman in your life, we’ve got you covered! These easy DIY custom tape measures can be personalized for any gift recipient!

For this personalized tape measure project, we used our Glowforge Pro, but any type of laser engraving machine should work!

Quick Note!

If you don’t have a Glowforge yet and are considering a purchase, make sure to read our guide to Everything You Need to Know Before Buying a Glowforge for lots of helpful information and a Glowforge discount that can save you up to $500 on your Glowforge!

Check out all of our Glowforge Laser Projects and Files here!


DIY Custom Tape Measures

Roll of 3M tape, brayer, craft knife, and sheet of wood veneer on peach background

All you’ll need to make these custom tape measures are a few basic materials!

Supplies Needed:

NOTE: The tape measure SVG file that we used for this project is from The Loud House Designs. You can find this design and LOTS of other tape measure SVGs on Etsy!

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Wood Veneer Sheets on pink background

Wood veneer is available in all kinds of different colors, shapes, sizes, textures, and finishes, each with its own style and personality. Some veneers are more fragile than others, so I highly recommend purchasing an assortment of woods to determine which will work best for your needs.


How to Make a Custom Tape Measure

Partially unrolled roll of 3M tape, sheet of wood veneer, and craft knife on pink background

Unroll a small amount of the 3M tape, just slightly larger than your sheet of veneer. If you’re using a single sheet of adhesive, cut it to the approximate size, and then peel off one side of the paper backing.

Using a brayer to apply 3M tape to a sheet of wood veneer on a peach background

Place the wood veneer on top of the adhesive, and use the brayer to roll over the top of the wood to adhere it to the sheet.

Using a craft knife to trim off excess 3M tape on peach background

Use the craft knife to trim off the excess adhesive. Then, flip the veneer sheet over, and use the brayer on the back side as well.

Wood Veneer in Glowforge Machine

Place the sheets of wood veneer into your Glowforge machine, and use the hold down pins to keep everything in place.

glowforge app software tape measures stickers for dad and papa

Upload the tape measure SVG file into the Glowforge App software, and then resize the circles as necessary. To determine the size needed, measure the distance across the center of the circle logo on the tape measure, and then subtract .05″. For example, our 12′ tape measures have a 1.5″ circle, so we sized the wood veneer circles at 1.45″.

Note: Different types of wood veneer will require different engraving and scoring settings. I recommend starting with the Thin Maple Veneer Proofgrade settings, and then adjusting your settings from there as necessary.

When everything is sized and lined up correctly, press the “Print” button and watch the magic happen!

Wood Stickers for Tape Measures inside Glowforge Machine

These turned out SO cute! Plus, you could also easily remove the “Dad” or “Papa” from most of these designs and replace them with “Mom” or “Aunt” or even someone’s name or initials!

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Tape measures and engraved wood stickers on light peach background

To apply the wood stickers, first remove the existing logo sticker from the tape measure. Then, peel the 3M backing paper from the wood sticker and place it into the center of the circle.

"Dad No One Else Measures Up to You" wood sticker on black and orange tape measure

Be precise with your alignment! The 3M adhesive is permanent (and strong!), so you will not likely be able to reposition the sticker once it has been stuck down.

"Best Dad Ever" Tape Measure on Pink background

These custom tape measures look great, and they are SO easy peasy to make!

"Best Dad Ever" tape measure with wood sticker on purple background

Your gift recipient is sure to love them! Not only are these personalized tape measures super cute, they’re also incredibly handy and useful, too!

"Papa We Love You Beyond Measure" tape measure on purple background

These fun tape measures are sure to be a huge hit with everyone!

Image of text that says Heidi
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