How to Make an Etched Glass Vase

You can create an etched glass vase as a family keepsake. If you have a plain clear glass vase around the house you can use it or find an inexpensive one at a second hand or charity shop. Making an etched glass vase requires some creativity, very little effort and a few special supplies. Once you see how wonderful the results are, you will want to etch everything. Read on to learn how to make an etched glass vase.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Vase
• Etching cream
• Mid-weight clear plastic, clear contact paper or purchased stencils
• Printed computer picture
• Popsicle stick
• Craft knife
• Vinegar to clean the vase
• Soft cloth

1. Create your own stencil using a picture from the computer and mylar or mid-weight plastic. Clip art is an excellent place to locate simple pictures to reproduce. Lay the plastic on the computer print and tape down. Cut the design out with a craft knife. Remember that the parts that are cut out are the parts that are etched into the glass.
2. Use a resisting gel to create the design for the etched glass vase. If you like to freehand your designs then the use of resisting gel is the right medium for you. Remember that the use of the gel is like working from a negative. Simply apply the gel everywhere that you don’t want etching to occur.
3. Buy a pre-cut stencil. The stencils can be purchased at very little expense from a craft shop. These come in a variety of designs and you are sure to have one that will suit your needs.
4. Purchase the etching cream at a craft shop. Ask if the kind that you bought is reusable. Some creams cannot be reused. Other creams can be scraped off and reused.
5. Clean the vase with vinegar and dry with a soft cloth. Tape the design to a vase and generously apply the etching cream. Make certain that you cover all the area evenly while you are making the etched glass vase. Use the edge of a popsicle stick or a craft tool to evenly pull the cream over the stencil.
6. Wait the time that the etching cream instructions indicate. Once the appropriate time is up either scrape the cream off the stencil and put it back in the bottle to reuse, or wash it off. This step depends, again on the instructions that are on your cream.
7. Start all over. If you are creating a continuous design on your etched glass vase this will take you many steps. You will need to repeat the steps as many times as it takes to get the right effect. If you are creating a repeating pattern take measurements so that you space them evenly. When you are finished wash the vase when you are finished and fill it with flowers and greenery.

Tips & Warnings

• The etching directions can be used for mirrors, lamps and even the glass in a door or window.
• Something as simple as a glass spaghetti sauce jar can become an etched glass vase if you add a bow around the rim.