How to Frost a Glass Candle Holder
Glass candle holders can be frosted (etched) to change the look from clear to opaque, giving the piece a textured feel. You can frost glassware if you want to customize the appearance of a glass piece. If you apply stickers or tape off certain portions, some areas can remain untouched while others receive the frosted treatment. By using a ready-made solution and gathering some basic supplies, you can easily enhance your own glass items.
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Things You'll Need
- Work surface covered with newspaper or cardboard
- Rubber gloves
- Masking tape and/or stickers
- Glass candle holder
- Armour Etch (available from crafts store)
- Paper plate (plastic lined)
- Paint brush
- Warm water and soap
Instructions
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1
Determine the design that you want to frost on your candle holder. If you want a completely frosted look, bypass this step. Otherwise, obtain your choice of stickers and/or masking tape to attach to the glass. This covered portion does not receive the frosted treatment.
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2
Cover a level work surface with newspaper or cardboard to protect it during the etching process.
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3
Apply the stickers and/or masking tape to the candle holder in your preferred pattern.
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4
Put on your rubber gloves and pour the etching cream onto a plastic-lined paper plate. The amount that you pour depends on the size of the candle holder that you will cover.
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5
Using the paint brush, completely cover the surface of the glass with the etching cream. Be sure to cover the whole area and use a lot of the cream so that your end result will be a solid, frosted look (not streaky).
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6
Place the covered candle holder on your covered work surface and leave the etching cream on it for 10 to 15 minutes, making sure the area is supervised if there are young children or pets nearby.
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7
Wearing your rubber gloves, rinse the candle holder in a sink with warm water to remove the etching cream. Make sure you remove any leftover cream from the sink.
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8
Remove the stickers and/or tape from your candle holder to reveal the design, then wash it again with warm water and soap to finish your frosted candle holder.
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Tips & Warnings
Applications like Armour Etch do not work on borosilicate (hard glass). To get a frosted look, hard glass needs to be sandblasted in a sandblasting machine.
Armour Etch cream is caustic; it will burn skin. It should not be used by children or placed where children might touch it.
