Etching Glass Tutorial

Earlier this week, I raved about Armour Etching Glass Etching Cream here.  I promised a whole recap of some of my favorite ways to use it.

After the jump, you can see my full tutorial of how to make some glasses like these for yourself.

First, think about design ideas and gather materials.

Materials:
-glass items to etch
-clear contact paper
-exacto knife
-paint brush
-permanent marker
-stencils (optional)
-some shape cutter (optional)

A note on the materials:  I got the etching cream from Blick for $8.35, and you can get clear contact paper at Target in cleaning/storage area.  It  can be used as a drawer liner, I think...

    Then you use the contact paper to make the design or an outline of the part you DON'T want to be etched.  I chose to do an etched circle with a letter in the middle, so I cut out a circle using my 2" circle punch and some letter stencils that I have.

    Then, I stuck the contact paper onto the glass.  Again, keep in mind that the sticker that you put down will be the part that will not be etched.  I did H on two stemless wineglasses as a birthday present.  I think he will like them!

   Next came painting the etching cream onto the glass.  Make sure that you apply it liberally, and also go over it with your paintbrush a few times to be sure that it is completely in contact with all parts of the glass.  Occasionally, the edges won't be perfect lines if the cream isn't applied well.

    This is what a success story looks like!  I don't really follow directions well, so I like to leave the cream on for a long time.  I left it on for 30-45 minutes before washing it off.

    Here is another example of glasses with etching cream on them.  This example etches the actual letter and not a bubble around the letter like the "H" glasses.  These are for my friend, Matt.  I made my friend (and his wife) some pint glasses with a "M" in the style of the "H" shown in this post and thought that another style of glass might be fun to add to their glassware collection.

After 30-45 minutes, wash the etching cream off by using the paintbrush and warm water to rub off the cream.  Leave the stickers or contact paper on while you do this.

Peel off the contact paper, wash and dry.  There you go!  Fun, right?!