How to Make a Stencil for Etching a Mirror

The easiest way to make a stencil for etching a mirror is to simply use clear adhesive shelving material. You'll transfer your design to the shelving paper, use an X-acto knife to cut the design in the adhesive shelving (creating your stencil) and then carefully apply the adhesive stencil to your mirror.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clear adhesive shelving paper
• Carbon paper
• Ballpoint pen
• Glass etching cream
• 1/4-inch plywood 24X24 inches
• Mirror
• Glass cleaner
• Paper towels
• Gloves

1. Choose your design. This can be a design that you have drawn or it can be something you have found in a magazine or a book. If taken from a magazine or book, you may wish to copy the image onto a sheet of plain paper.

2. Lay your plywood on a flat sturdy surface. Lay your adhesive shelving material on top of the plywood with the adhesive side down (but without removing the backing paper). Place a sheet of carbon paper over the clear adhesive with the carbon side down. Place the image you wish to transfer on top of the carbon paper.

3. Tape your image down so that it will not change position in relation to the carbon paper or the clear adhesive backing. Trace your image using your ballpoint pen. This will cause a black outline of the image you wish to etch to be transferred from the carbon paper to the clear adhesive.

4. Remove your image and the carbon paper. There should be an image in black carbon on your clear adhesive. Using your X-acto knife, cut away the areas of your image that you wish frosted onto your mirror. Cut all the way through the clear adhesive as well as its backing material. The plywood will be scratched by the X-acto. f you wish to protect the plywood, you can put a sheet of non-corrugated cardboard over the plywood before you begin cutting your stencil.

5. Clean your mirror thoroughly using glass cleaner and towels or paper towels.

6. Remove the backing from the clear adhesive stencil, revealing the sticky side of the stencil. Starting at one edge of the stencil carefully apply the stencil to the mirror so the sticky material holds the stencil firmly to the glass. Press out any air bubbles, especially bubbles at the edge of the cut-outs so the stencil is applied smoothly.

7. Apply etching cream and leave it on for 20 minutes or as per manufacturer's instructions. You may wish to remove the mirror from any frame it is in or cover the frame with masking tape, as you do not want to get the etching cream on the frame. Wipe off the etching cream with a damp cloth or sponge. Use your X-acto knife to peel up one corner of the stencil when you are finished and carefully peel the stencil off the glass. Clean any remaining etching cream off the glass immediately and wipe with a damp cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear gloves when using the etching cream. Make sure that there are no bubbles around the edges of your cut-out image or the etching cream could seep under the edges of the stencil and produce a fuzzy line around your images.
• Wash the etching cream off thoroughly once the etching is complete.