Glass Etching

Have you ever done any glass etching?

Well, neither had I before today.

But wow.  Such an easy, yet sweet little touch that you can add to any glass.

Check out my new and improved etched Trifle Bowl.

The perfect bowl for desserts of all kinds…..and even a great place for fresh fruit on the counter.  And I kind of adore that little bird perched on the branch.

Glass etching is also a great way to stamp your name on your pyrex dishes, to make sure they come back to you.

And how about adding a little extra detail, just because……

First, you’ll need a piece of vinyl with an adhesive back, like the vinyl you buy for vinyl wall decor.  You can buy rolls or sheets of it at craft stores (if you must have some today) or you can buy some great vinyl much cheaper from one of my sponsors, Expressions Vinyl.   If you don’t have a craft cutter of some sort to cut the image for you (like I did), then you can trace an image, shape, or letters on the vinyl and then cut it out with an exacto knife, or utility knife.  (And I haven’t tried this but I think you may be able to do the glass etching technique with a piece of contact paper, if you’re going to be cutting out your shapes free hand with an exacto knife.)

Then peel away the shapes, leaving the negative space all in one piece.  (Keep in mind if you are using an exacto knife, to not cut through the negative space.  Cut away the shapes/letters, but leave the main piece together, without cuts or tears in it.

Then place a piece of transfer paper (you could use contact paper for this too I’m guessing…) that is sticky on one side, to the front of your vinyl.

Then peel the vinyl backing away.  (The red side that you see below is the sticky side.)

Then place your vinyl against your glass, making sure to center the image just where you’d like it.  Press down firmly, then pull off the transfer paper/contact paper.

See how there are air bubbles?  Press those down firmly with your fingers.  If they are far from the opening of your image, don’t worry about them.  You just don’t want the etching cream to get in under the edges and mess up the image.

Then apply a layer of your etching cream on the exposed glass.  (I found this cream at Michael’s.)  Follow the instructions on the bottle and allow the cream to sit and rough up the glass surface.  (I left mine to sit for about 10 minutes.)

Then I rinsed off really well with water and used my fingers to rub it all off.  Then I peeled back the vinyl and rinsed again with soap and water.

Dry your glass and admire the beautiful etching, all done for you by the cream.

Good luck!

And just think…….you could put together some pyrex dishes for a newly married couple, etched with their new last name.  Then throw in some hot pads, cooking utensils, and your favorite recipes.  Perfect gift.

  Now that you can dress up the glass in your home, you might enjoy these projects and show off your new skills!