Glass Etching

Last night, I etched glasses.  I found these adorable teal stems at an estate sale a couple of weeks ago and wanted to try out a new design I read about on Pinterest.  I used etching medium I bought at a local hobby store.  

First, with clean classes, I made my design.  For the polka dots, I used hole re-inforcers.  Do you remember those?  We used to put them on our notebook paper when the holes were torn.  They worked great!  They are the perfect size and much easier to work with than vinyl. You want to stick them down firmly so none of the etching medium gets under the edges.  I'm a random gal, so I put them all over with no specific pattern.  Next, fill in the centers with etching medium.  Put it on thick.  My experience is that if you don't use it generously, the etching can be mottled looking.  After letting it sit for a while (the directions say 5-7 minutes), I usually let it sit longer, rinse it under warm water.  The hole stickers come off at the same time so it's a quick process.   You are finished. 

For the line, I used a ruler and marked all the way around the glass.  Then I put painter's tape around the glass connecting the marks.  I did this twice to make either side of the stripe I was going to etch.  I had a really hard time getting it straight and it looks pretty good in the picture but the back is a little bit messier.  I don't know if I'll do the stripes again.  I really like the look but getting that straight edge and line is hard.  Again, layer on the etching creme THICK.  I think this is key to getting a consistent look.  After the requisite waiting, rinse with warm water and take off the tape. 

Overall, I'm really happy with the final result.  These are going in a gift basket for a friend turning 30 this weekend.  I'll post a picture of the gift basket too.