Glass Etching Made Easy

If you are searching for that ideal wedding, prom, or holiday gift, or you need to contribute something to your school bazaar, glass etching might be the perfect solution. With instructions provided by crafter Donna Babylon from Armour Products, you'll be etching away in no time.

Materials and Tools:

glass or mirror
Armour Etch cream
Rub 'N' Etch stencils #20-0417 (any style stencil can be used)
paper towels
Super Cleaner Concentrate or other window/glass cleaner
masking tape
wood burnishing stick/tool

Steps:

1. Clean the glass or mirror in order to remove all grease, dust, and fingerprints. Use Armour's Super Cleaner or a commercial window or glass cleaner. Dry the glass or mirror thoroughly. Select the stencil for your project and carefully cut it from the larger sheet. It is important to keep both the blue stencil sheet and the frosted backing sheet together to avoid touching the back side of the stencil sheet.

2. Measure carefully to determine where you will locate the stencil on the glass or mirror. Separate the blue stencil sheet from the frosted backing sheet. Place the blue stencil on the glass with the blue (slightly tacky) side touching the glass. Secure the stencil temporarily in place with four pieces of masking tape to keep it from moving while you apply it to glass.

3. Using a wood burnishing stick, begin to rub the stencil sheet to transfer the pattern to the glass surface. Rub firmly with smooth, even strokes, but avoid gouging the stencil. It helps to hold the wood stick upright rather than on a slant. As the stencil transfers to the surface of the glass, it will change color from dark blue to a light blue. Be sure to rub over all areas, including fine lines, and areas under the masking tape.

4. When the entire stencil has been adhered, carefully and slowly peel back some of the masking tape, but do not completely remove the top sheet exposing the blue stencil that is adhered to the glass. If the stencil has not been completely transferred, carefully re-tape the top sheet in place and re-rub this area until all the pieces have been adhered. When finished, remove top carrier sheet.

5. Apply a border of masking tape around the entire stencil, overlapping the tape on the blue stencil material by 1/16" to 1/8". This overlap is very important because it prevents the etching cream from seeping onto the glass and etching unwanted areas.

6. Using the frosted white backing sheet removed in step 3, lightly rub over the entire stencil and masking tape to ensure that all the tape edges and stencil pieces are lying flat on the glass. Check the stencil for small tears or pin holes by holding the glass up to any light. If any holes appear, use piece of masking tape to cover them. Be extremely careful when removing the tape later to avoid tearing the stencils.

7. Place the closed jar of etching cream in hot water for about 15 minutes before you begin, then shake well to mix. Cover work area with newspapers and work in a well-ventilated room near a water source. For safety, wear goggles and plastic gloves.

8. Apply a thick layer of etching cream. A thin layer will not allow the chemicals to react properly on the glass project. You should not be able to see the design through this layer of etching cream. Dab on the cream while keeping it within the taped area.

9. Allow the etching cream to remain on the glass for no more than one minute. Immediately wash off all traces of etching cream under lukewarm water. Leaving the cream on the glass longer than one minute will leave fuzzy edges on the design.

10. After washing off all the etching cream, peel back the masking tape and remove it along with the remaining blue stencil pieces. Stubborn stencil pieces can be removed by using window cleaner and a paper towel. Clean the glass project thoroughly before using.