Best Tips, Tricks and FAQ #4

GLASS ETCHING DIRECTIONS

So many people have asked how to do glass etching, so here are some basic instructions:

materials needed:

glass item ( plate, glass, tumbler, jar)

Armour Etch creme

vinyl or contact paper

**Armour Etch can be purchased at Michaels and other craft stores, it is pricey, so make sure to use a coupon.

**I find great glass items at thrift stores and dollar stores. You will want to start your first project on an inexpensive item, since you may make a mistake on it. You can even practive on a pickle jar or old wine bottle.

**The best and easiest items to etch are perfectly vertical, like a tumbler glass (or pickle jar). Bulbous wine glasses and vases take more practice, in my opinion.

Here is a cut file with instructions on how to use it. The cut file is in the right hand column

Piece A: rectangle

Piece B: ring

Piece C: inner circle
Pieces D: letters

Choose either negative or positive images. Below the black represents the vinyl pieces and the white is the glass.

The top image uses pieces A & D

The bottom image uses pieces A & C

You get different results from each method.

(These are cut in Plantin, but can easily be recreated in other fonts and shapes)

After cutting, place the vinyl on the glass, make sure it is on where you want it and then press hard on each piece of vinyl making sure you have no bubbles. This is an important step.

I use a foam brush and put the AE (Armour Etch) on with a dabbing motion. You so not want any brush strokes. Make sure you use plenty of the AE - glob it on!

Set a timer for 5 minutes.

When it is done, I use my same foam brush and wipe off the AE into a small bathroom type paper cup. (Put this excess back into your bottle, it is fine to use again!)

When most of it is off, rinse the glass under water washing the rest off. (Make sure you don't have other glass dishes in your sink)

remove your vinyl stencil (you can use it again) and dry your item