Glass Etching Quick'n EZ

From boring to brilliant in literally minutes!

I love this set of glass bottles I recently found at my local craft store, but thought they needed a little extra oomph....  

so, I filled each one with dip'n etch.... wrapped a little jute around the neck

and now they look like this......

Perfect for my bright and cheery sunflowers....

and it took less than an hour!  Here's how....

You'll need:
etchall® dip'n etch
Plastic container, large enough to hold the bottle
Pebbles, marbles, or coins 
Jute
Scissors

1. Clean the outside of the glass bottles thoroughly then wipe with vinegar to make sure it's squeaky clean. Dry thoroughly.

2. To determine how much dip'n etch you'll need, fill the bottles with the pebbles (so they don't float) then place one bottle in the plastic container. Fill the container with water up to the place where you want the etching to stop. 

3. Remove the bottle and the water level will sink.  Mark the water level then empty the container.  Dry the container and the bottle thoroughly.

4. Pour dip'n etch into the container, up to the water level mark, then place the bottle in the container. Leave for 15 minutes.

5. After 15 minutes remove the bottle. Rinse the outside thoroughly and dry. Set aside and place the second bottle in the same container of dip'n etch. Repeat the process until all 3 bottles have been etched. DO NOT rinse over a porcelain sink. Etching product may accidentally etch the glaze.

6. Wrap the neck of each bottle with jute, while the other bottles are being etched. After the last bottle has been etched, pour the dip'n etch back into the container.  (I cut the top off a plastic soda bottle to use for a funnel.) 

NOTE: etchall® crème and dip are re-usable. 

Leave as is, or add your favorite flowers and enjoy!

You can find lots of glass containers in craft, thrift and dollar stores and easily turn them into home dec treasures in minutes.  Enjoy!  Y'all come back now...

Yours truly,

Julie

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!  

Etched Christmas Lantern

I love pretty much anything that has to do with lights, especially around Christmas.  Lanterns are pretty trendy right now, so I decided to breathe some new life into an old lantern that had been on the patio for a few years and give it some holiday pizazz!

Here's what I used and what I did:

• etchall® etching crème
• etchall® etchmask™ and transfer paper
• Pik tool and squeegee

• LED candle (I used a tree shaped one that changes color)
• Ribbon
• Christmas piks to embellish

1.  Remove the glass pieces from the lantern, wash thoroughly then dry.  Clean the lantern with a damp cloth.

2.  I love to etch on both sides of a piece of glass for a dimensional look, so I uploaded the following designs into Cricut Design Space.  These are my personal designs, but you may use them for personal projects.  PNGs are available on my blog under Images for Personal Use.  

     

               

          

3.  Load etchmask onto a cutting mat then cut the designs. (I needed 2 sheets of etchmask for these designs.) You will need 4 sets of birch trees and one each of the additional designs.  Turn the trees 90˚ to maximize each piece of etchmask.  The glass pieces in my lantern measured 4" x 7", so the trees needed to be 7" tall.  You will need to measure the size of the pieces of glass and size the designs accordingly for your project.  The additional designs need to be sized relative to the size of the trees.

4.  Weed the designs while still on the mat.

  

 5.  To determine the size to cut your "trees" stencil, place a piece of glass on top then cut out around the edge of the glass.

6.  You can use the "trees" stencil as is, or cut the stencil to etch 2 trees on one side of the glass and the third on the other.  Cut a piece of transfer paper the same size as the piece of glass, remove the backing paper then place on top of the stencil.

7.   Use the squeegee to burnish the transfer paper firmly onto the stencil. I also use my finger to rub firmly around the edge of the design.  Remove the stencil from the mat.  

8.  Slowly peel the backing from the etchmask. Do not discard, you can use this to protect uncovered areas of the glass while etching designs.  Position the stencil on the glass then use the squeegee to smooth firmly in place. You can etch each piece of glass individually, or lay the pieces of glass side by side on a mat then etch one side of all four at one time.    

9.  Make sure that any part of the glass not to be etched is completely covered.  Use scrap pieces of etchmask, painters tape, etc. to avoid accidental etching in unwanted areas.

10.  Cover the design(s) with crème.  Leave for 15 minutes then scrape the crème back into the container.  Don't forget, etchall crème is reusable.  Rinse away any remaining residue.  DO NOT rinse over a porcelain sink. Etching crème will remove the glaze from many types of surfaces it comes into contact with.  If you haven't used this product before, please read all the directions on the container and previous posts on this blog (search "etching").  You can also find video tutorials at www.etchall.com

11.  Rinse away any remaining residue then remove the stencil. Buff the glass dry with a soft cloth.

12.  Make sure your work surface is completely clean then place each piece of glass, etched side down on to the mat.  Position the remaining stencils on the back of each piece, cover any open areas then etch the designs on the back of the glass in the same way.

13.  Replace the glass pieces in the lantern.

14.  Decorate the top with Christmas piks, ribbons, etc then place your LED candle inside to finish.

May an etched lantern make your home extra merry and bright this Christmas.....  Enjoy!  Y'all come back now.

Yours truly,

Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Glass Etching with Stencils

It's so exciting when a manufacturer adds something new to their existing product line; especially when it's an amazing product! 

I love etchall® etching crème and etchall dip'n etch for etching designs on glass and more. For the most part, I cut my own designs from etchmask on the Cricut Explore, so it's easy for me to custom etch anything.  Not everyone however, has an electronic cutting machine to use and finding designs to etch can be limited.  This is why I was SO excited when I received etchall's new Reposition/Reuse Stencil Spray to try.  Now everyone has an opportunity to etch designs using mylar stencils.  AND when you etch with a mylar stencil, you can re-use the stencil mutiple times - just like the creme and the dip! 

This is the first sample I tried on a 5" x 7" piece of glass.

The result was amazing so I decided to etch this glass accent frame.

 

I found this accent window frame at a local home store.  It was supposed to be used to display photographs, but I needed something long and horizontal for a large, empty wall in my half bath and this was the perfect size.  First of all, I removed the bulldog clips which were meant to hold the photos then after cleaning the glass, I was ready to etch.

I decided to use alphabet stencils to spell out a 5-letter word on each of the two rows - one letter in each space.

The letters came in sets of 4 or 5 to a sheet, so I separated the ones I needed and set the remainder aside.  Etch as follows:

1. Starting with the top row,  following directions on the back of the can, spray the back of each letter with stencil spray, let dry then center each one on the glass.

2. Press each stencil securely in place then cover the glass around the stencil opening with blue painters tape, making sure that the glass is completely covered.

3. Using the squeegee, cover each letter liberally with etchall crème then leave for 15 minutes.

4. After 15 minutes scrape the crème off the stencil and return to the container. A plastic spoon is also helpful for this process.  Wipe away any remaining residue with damp paper towels, or baby wipes. 

5. When the area is completely clean, remove the tape and stencil.  Clean the glass once more then buff dry with a soft cloth.  Repeat the process with the second row of letters and voilà, I have a cool etched frame with a positive message for everyone!

With so many stencils to choose from, what do you plan to etch?  The stencil spray is on sale thru the end of October, so this is a great time to try!  Enjoy!  Y'all come back now..........

Yours truly,

Julie 

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Picnic Party Mason Jars

Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day are all good times for family BBQs and picnics. Celebrate your patriotism in style with etched mason jars for perfect party table decorations!

You will need: etchall® dip’n etcH • etchall® etchmask • etchall® Pik Tool • etchall® Squeegee 

PLUS 

Mason Jars, Quart (with smooth sides)

Star Punch, Small

Baker’s twine

Empty soda bottle

Craft Knife

Ruler

1.  Cut the top off the soda bottle and set aside to use as a funnel. Rinse the bottle thoroughly.

2.  Wash the outside of each mason jar with hot, soapy water. Rinse with vinegar to remove any remaining residue.

3.  To create the star border, use a lever punch to punch stars at equal intervals along the bottom edge of a sheet of etchmask. Punch upside down so you can see the guidelines on the back of the etchmask. NOTE: Do not discard the punched stars. You can use these on another jar.

4. Use a paper trimmer, or craft knife and ruler, to cut the strip from the sheet, making sure that the star opening is centered between the top and bottom edges. Cut 3 strips plus additional strips as needed to go all the way around the jar.

5. To determine how much dip’n etch you will need, fill the mason jar with glass pebbles, or heavy items (so it won’t float) then place the jar inside the soda bottle. Fill the soda bottle with water up to the rim of the mason jar.

  

6. Remove the mason jar and the water level will sink. Place a piece of masking tape on the outside of the soda bottle then mark the water level. Empty the water then dry the inside of the soda bottle and the outside of the mason jar thoroughly. 

       

7. Remove the backing from the strips of etchmask then, starting about 1½” from the bottom of the jar, place around the outside of the mason jar. If the strips are too short, add additional strips as needed. Place a rolled piece of lined paper inside the jar as a positioning guide, or tape a ¾” wide strip of paper around the jar above each strip as a spacer.  Make sure the etchmask strips are pressed firmly onto the glass, especially around the star openings otherwise the dip will leak underneath.

8. Fill the soda bottle with dip’n etch up to the water level mark then gently place the mason jar into the liquid. The dip’n etch will rise to the rim of the jar.

9. Let stand for 15 minutes then carefully remove the jar. Rinse the mason jar thoroughly under warm, running water, or in a plastic bucket then remove the strips of etchmask.  

DO NOT rinse over a porcelain sink!   

This is etching liquid and it will permanently remove the glaze from porcelain! Please read all cautions and directions on the dip’n etch container.

10. Dry the outside of the jar and remove the glass pebbles to reveal the etched design.

11. If you would like to etch additional designs, adhere the stars to a second jar and ½” wide strips of etchmask to a third for a perfect patriotic trio. Simply place each one in the same dip’n etch (one at a time) and follow the directions above. etchall dip’n etch is reusable, so there is no need to replace it after each use.

12. When you have finished etching all your jars, use the top of the soda bottle as a funnel to return the dip’n etch to its original container to be used for more projects!

Etching is a quick and easy way to upcycle and personalize a wide variety of glass pieces! Try it once and you’ll be itching to etch some more in no time at all….  Enjoy!  Y'all come back now........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

 KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING! 

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