Ever searching for a new and easy DIY project I stumbled across glass etching a couple of months ago. Like most of my random projects it started with a walk down an aisle at Michael's that I had never been down. I came across this awesome kit by Martha Stewart. If you're planning on starting up etching I would highly recommend starting with a kit like that. It comes with all the basics and directions that definitely help the first time you attempt it!
Probably the best part of this set is the fact that it comes with a nice little assortment of sticky stencils. These little guys are awesome. They make the whole experience quite painless ... well most of the time they do at least. Martha also has sets of the sticky stencils that you can purchase separately too. I ended up getting a really pretty set of letters for the monogram etching I wanted to do.
First off you should really follow all the directions like the making sure to clean the glass surface, wash your hands, etc. Especially the wearing gloves part! Not gonna lie the warning on the etching kit kinda freaks me out but when you think about it if this stuff wears away glass what will it do to your skin? Just be very careful, invest in some better throw away vinyl gloves and make sure to wash the etching cream off everything (washing the glass multiple times if need be) very well before touching it bare handed.
Today I decided to throw caution to the wind and try my hand at some free form design, which unfortunately didn't work so well because of the way the vase is shaped. I got this cute little vase from Crate and Barrel. You can't go wrong with a cute little vase for $1.50! Plus if you mess up it's not the end of the world. Crate and Barrel usually has some neat glassware pieces on the outlet but you can also find cheap ones at IKEA, Michaels (if you use your half off coupon) or even super marked down at Target or Kohl's. I was able to find a really nice brand of stemless wine glasses marked way down at Kohl's that I etched for my dad's Christmas gift.
I decided to go back to using the nice little stencils. If you look at the top right of the stencil there is a little bit of a bubble. Unfortunately I didn't think that would matter so much but it did. It's not noticeable but since I didn't flatten it entirely some of the etching cream got underneath and made the leaf bigger than it should have been.
Waiting the 15 minutes for the etching to be done is the longest part of the entire process. I'm always a big fan of quick little crafts with pretty results!
Rinse off the cream and make sure to rinse all the cream down the drain before you take off your gloves. This is a great craft that you can do all sorts of different gifts or projects for yourself with. You can get crazy and make your own designs with glass patterning tape or stick to the stencils. I would definitely recommend this simple glass craft!
It came out great- you did a fab job!
Wow, this looks great! One of my friends suggested we try etching awhile back, but she didn't have a kit and the chemicals alone sounded terrifying. I'll have to try the MS version for this craft.
This is really cool! I so see some decorative projects in my future.