{tutorial} glass etching

so who's up for learning how to do some glass etching today?

don't worry...

it sounds SO much more intimidating than it actually is.

in fact...

it's SO easy and quick...

don't go crazy doing every glass object you come across...*wink*

I'm going to teach you how i created the personalized glass "milk bottles" I included in this party bucket
I used as party favors for the Lemonade and Sunshine Party I hosted for my girls.

here's what you'll need:

etching cream

alphabet stickers

paint brush

plain cardstock

2" hole punch

adhesive

scissors

glass object for etching

(i used Starbucks frappucino bottles after discovering this post from Celebrations At Home)

i found my etching cream at Michael's

here are the martha stewart stickers i picked up - also from Michael's

(these worked great because they were made of felt - I'll explain why later)

punch a hole with your decorative punch of choice & using the leftover "frame",

create a square "template" using scissors. apply adhesive to template & position as desired on your glass bottle.

next, apply your letter sticker of choice in the center of your "frame/template".

as seen above, on this first attempt i decided to use a square scallop punch and a sheet of notebook paper.

i figured the notebook paper would be easy to work with but after experimenting some more, I prefer to use either cardstock or leftover scrapbooking paper.

now you are ready to apply the glass etching cream.

using a paint brush, just carefully dab on the etching cream...

remembering that any part of the glass touched with the cream will result in a "cloudy" or "etched" finish.

now wait 60 seconds - as the instructions suggest

(the etching cream is thick enough to stand your glass bottle upright during the drying process without it running).

after the 60 seconds, rinse the entire area under running water until all of the etching cream has been washed away.

next, use your thumb to remove/scrape off the frame & any leftover adhesive and then carefully peel off the sticker for reuse. (the felt stickers from martha stewart worked perfectly and were thick enough to withstand the water as well as being peeled off - allowing for use again in the future).

here's the finished bottle...

(notice the imperfections in the scallop)

i then decided to try just a regular 2" circle punch to see if i could get a "cleaner" result

i also applied a lot more etching cream...

and here are the two bottles side-by-side

(the plain circle still had tiny imperfections)

i concluded that i needed a thicker cardstock and that i needed to make sure i was applying adhesive right up to the very edges of the template.

so i decided to try again - this time using a 2" scallop punch

after applying the adhesive, hold your template up to the light to unveil "glue hair".

(you want to remove these because they're the culprit of imperfections)

i found that by just taking my finger and lightly rubbing/patting the "hairs"

they disappeared quite easily.

i was much happier with the result...

and i also found the cardstock was easier to peel off vs. the notebook paper

AND the heavier amount of etching cream did NOT effect the outcome

now you have an adorable personalized glass bottle...

it makes for a GREAT gift.

tuck it into a favor bucket like i did for the recent party i hosted

OR

fill it with candy & give it as an individual gift/favor...

OR...

you can do what i'm going to do...

use these around your home to help identify everyone's drinks.

the possibilities are endless really...

change up your template for different looks...

there are plastic templates available in craft stores, specifically for glass etching.

spell out words or entire names instead of just using a single letter.

get creative...

i'm already thinking of doing an entire set of glasses with numbers - how cute would that be for entertaining?!

i hope you enjoyed the tutorial...

if you try it out, you'll have to come back and share!

happy wednesday everyone!

Keeping It Real

Although my original intentions were to have the girls use the starbucks "milk bottles" on the table to drink from during the party & then send them home as favors too...after I etched them, I just couldn't get past the fact that mason jars were much more appropriate for the "feel" I was trying to create. BUT, I had a hard time finding any mason jars that I could actually etch because they all have the "trademark" impressions all over them. I know it wouldn't have REALLY mattered in the end...but it was a detail I couldn't get past so I just used the milk bottles as part of the favor buckets. Silly.