glass etching - Try It - Like It

Fall-themed Glass Dish

Take a Dollar Tree bowl and elevated it to something elegant with Etchall etching creme.

with Etchall

I had an idea to etch these detailed leaves onto a glass bowl from Dollar Tree using Etchall etching creme. After cutting the vinyl and attempting to weed away the leaf, I decided that plan wasn’t going to work, the centers of the leaves were too small and hard to keep in place. So I chose to etch the reverse of my idea. The result is stunning, actually even better than my original idea.

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I used a Cricut Maker to cut the leaf design. The leaves were set to a small size – about 1.25″ long. I also cut a rectangle that would work with my original idea. I ended up using it for the seam around the bowl. You can grab the free leaf SVG from my store. [leaf SVG]

I placed the leaves around the top of the bowl. They are placed tip to tip and tail to tail. I measured and drew lines on the inside of the bowl to guide where to place the straight line of vinyl on the outside. The rest of the bowl was covered with packing tape as a precaution.

See the video tutorial below for details on using Etchall on the bowl. This was also an exercise in testing how detailed the etching creme could handle. It really worked well.

Video Tutorial:

Here is a close-up image of the finished piece backed in black so you can see the detail of the leaves and the etching. The result took a Dollar Tree bowl and really elevated it to something elegant, better than I expected!

How to Etch and Color Glass

Learn how easy it is to etch and color glass with etchall etching creme.

with etchall

This is such a cute and playfully colored jar that is very practical to use. I placed tissues inside so you can see the different colors applied to the etched flowers. This project is very easy to do with minimal tools needed. I used a paper punch to create the flower shapes and etchall etching creme for etching.

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They cost nothing for you to use.
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I started with the glass jar and decided on a design. Then, I used hand sanitizer to clean the surface of the jar because my bottle of rubbing alcohol was empty. So, in a pinch, hand sanitizer works to clean your glass. A paper punch easily creates flower shapes from the vinyl and gets applied around the entire jar. After the etching process was finished, the flowers were colored.

This photo shows the jar covered in vinyl flowers and etchall creme. It only takes 15 minutes for the etching process to work.

The jar pictured above is shown after being etched and cleaned. The design is really sweet and I could be satisfied with the project right now but my original idea was to add color.

The video tutorial below will walk you through the entire process. If you have never tried etching glass, I think the video would be a great way for you to better understand the entire process.

Video Tutorial:

Here is the finished jar in metallic blue. I used metallic wax paste in the color Bora Bora by Zuri. The flowers remind me of clouds in this version.

I actually removed the variety of colors and switched to a buffing wax. In the close-up image, you can see the metallic quality of the wax. While the color in the photos shows up well, in person I was a bit frustrated by what appeared to me to be light and not as dramatic as I wanted.

I was probably just too close to the project and should have left well enough alone. The multi-colored version seems more whimsical to me while the metallic cloud version seems more sophisticated. Let me know which version you like best in the comments below.

How to Etch Glass

It is easy to etch glass with the right tools. Learn how in this tutorial.

with Etchall

Etching glass is a very simple process given the right tools. I enjoy working with Etchall Etching Creme. One reason is that Etchall is reusable so a small jar lasts a long time. Making these Salt and Pepper shakers was simple and fast but the result is fantastic. I wanted to make these for myself but they would make a great housewarming gift or hostess gift too.

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

Materials:

Etchall Creme – receive 10% of orders with code: “Janet“
salt and pepper shakers
vinyl
Cricut Maker
baby wipes
tape
scissors
plastic pallet knife or similar
rubbing alcohol
paper towel
ribbon (optional)

Before you begin any glass etching project, you need to make sure the glass surface is clean and clear. It is best to use rubbing alcohol to clean your surface.

Cutting the vinyl, I used a Cricut Maker. In Design Space I used the Cricut font and typed the two letters I needed with space between them. Before cutting them out, I made sure the height and width fit the front of the shakers.

I centered each letter on the front of the shakers. For this application, I didn’t need to use transfer paper but if your design is more detailed, you will find it helpful. See the video tutorial below for application tips and centering the vinyl.

I applied a generous amount of etching creme to each shaker. There is no need to worry about using too much since it is reusable. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for use. Etchall works in 15 minutes of application.

Video Tutorial:

With a bit of ribbon added these are ready to fill or give as a gift.