{"id":556223135824,"title":"How to Etch Glass Designs with Your Cricut","created_at":"2022-01-23T20:17:27-05:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eCricut and other at home craft machines are capable of so many great projects. One easy, versatile craft to try is glass etching. Glass etching is a long-lasting alternative to applying vinyl to cups or mugs. This is because the process actually removes the surface of the glass, making it an irreversible change that can go through the dishwasher or any other type of wear. Unlike vinyl decal applications, which can peel off over time, glass etching will last on the surface forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTo start this project, we need a few materials:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour glass project blank \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArmour Etch Glass Etching Cream \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou can find this at your local craft store such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOr, try online retailers like \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Armour-Etching-Cream-Glass-Mirrors\/dp\/B00GGTNWM2\/ref=sr_1_10?crid=39IKKNQBKE2P8\u0026amp;keywords=armour+etch\u0026amp;qid=1642017279\u0026amp;sprefix=armour+etch%2Caps%2C69\u0026amp;sr=8-10\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCraft sponge or brush\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemovable adhesive vinyl (any color)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tapemanblue.com\/products\/transfer-tape\"\u003eTransfer tape\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScissors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeeding tool\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSqueegee\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlcohol wipes, Windex, or other cleaning agent\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tapemanblue.com\/products\/transfer-tape\" class=\"button-primary\" style=\"color: white;\"\u003eShop Transfer Tape\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep 1. Creating the Design\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCreating the design for a glass etching project can vary in difficulty depending on your project blank. If you’re adding a family name to the bottom of a baking dish, the design process will likely be no different than other projects you’ve created. However, if you’re doing a more advanced project like the full wrap around glass design shown in today’s tutorial, you might want to check out the following tips and tricks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFirst, consider the size of your glass. I’m using a flat glass that measures 6” tall and 8” around. To first create my design, I used an artboard in Adobe Illustrator with those measurements. However, if you don’t have a Creative Cloud subscription, you can very easily design your glass in whatever program you use or in Cricut Design Space itself. Here is my design:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/1_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986003\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBotanical glass design\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this botanical design, I used a few tricks that I recommend when doing wrap around designs. For example, I have many little elements such as dots and stars between my larger elements which in this case are flowers and vines. These small elements help keep the design balanced. More importantly, if this was a wine glass or curved glass surface, I would want to place my elements individually on the curved surface instead of wrapping the vinyl as one large stencil. I would place my large elements first around the glass as evenly as possible. Then, I would place these small elements to fill in any gaps or odd spots in between. Because of this, you never want to use only large images in a glass design. It’s best practice to balance the design with small and large images to make placement much easier.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA final tip when designing these wraps is to increase the stroke on your images if you zoom out and think anything looks thin. You \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ealways want to avoid \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eany thin lines, type, or images when glass etching. This is because thin designs lead to stencils with not enough room to let the etching cream work. Your etched image will be unclear. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep 2. Upload Design to Design Space and Prep\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIf you made your design in Cricut Design Space, go ahead and skip this step. If not, upload your file as usual, selecting Complex in the background selection process, and then adding it to an artboard. If you didn’t design your wrap to size, now is the time to double check the measurements of your glass project and size your project accordingly. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/2_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986011\" alt=\"Design loaded into Design Space \u0026amp; sized\" style=\"float: none;\" width=\"480x480\" height=\"480x480\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDesign loaded into Design Space \u0026amp; sized\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep 3. Cut Out Your Vinyl Design\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis part is easy and the color vinyl you choose doesn’t matter. So use whatever scraps or odd colors you have lying around. This vinyl is just a stencil that is going to be thrown away at the end of the project. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/3_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986266\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eProject cutting on a Cricut Maker 3\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep 4. Weed \u0026amp; Prep Your Design\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAs with any other vinyl project, weed out your design and mask it with transfer tape. However, there are two options for how you weed your design. You can weed around your objects, removing the background, or you can weed inside of your objects, making them essentially stencils. It doesn’t matter which way you weed the design as it’s a matter of personal preference how you want your vinyl project to look. I personally like weeding my design to make stencils. If you aren’t sure which way you’ll like best, know that whatever part of the design you weed is the part that will be glass etched. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tapemanblue.com\/products\/transfer-tape\" class=\"button-primary\" style=\"color: white;\"\u003eShop Transfer Tape\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTake a look at these example photos:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/4_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986274\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis design was weeded by removing the background or vinyl \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003earound\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e the images.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/5_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986283\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis design was weeded by removing the vinyl \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003einside\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e the images.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis is my project design weeded out and ready to be put on the glass:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/6_1_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986289\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBotanical glass design weeded using the stencil method.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/7_1_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986297\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBotanical glass design masked with TapeManBlue paper transfer tape. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep 5. Clean Your Project Blank\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis step seems simple but it’s very important. Using an alcohol wipe, Windex, or whatever you have on hand, make sure you wipe down your project. If oils or anything else from your hands are sitting on the surface of the glass, the etching cream will not work as solidly as it should.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eStep 6.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003ePlace Your Design\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFor this, remember that as mentioned in step 1, you either place your design all at once as a wrap or place it in segments. If your glass item is flat, place all at once. If your glass item is very rounded or curved like a wine glass, place it in segments. For this project, I am placing the design all at once using my TapeManBlue paper transfer tape.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/8_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986304\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eApplication of the design\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep 7. Check for Bubbles \u0026amp; Creases\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAfter removing the transfer tape, smooth out your design and look very, very carefully for any bubbles or creasing. This is crucial to the outcome of your project. If there are any bubbles or creases, the etching cream will go under the vinyl outside of your design and ruin your final image. You want to make sure that the only part of your glass that is exposed is where you want your design to be. The more careful you are with your vinyl application, the crisper and cleaner your lines will be. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/9_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986314\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGlass with stencil vinyl fully applied and smoothed over\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep 8. Apply the Etching Cream\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTaking a craft sponge or brush, apply the cream over the glass. Gentle dab it over wherever you want to etch. Wear gloves if necessary to protect your hands or wash immediately if contact with the chemical occurs. After letting the cream sit for about 5 minutes, go over again with your applicator to make sure there are no bubbles or gaps in the application. After another 5 minutes, rinse the cream off in a sink with water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/10_1_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986322\" alt=\"Glass with Armour Etch applied\" style=\"float: none;\" width=\"480x480\" height=\"480x480\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGlass with Armour Etch applied\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep 9. Remove the Wrap\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAfter the glass has been rinsed fully, dry it and remove the vinyl. Your glass design is complete!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/new_photo_1_1_480x480.jpg?v=1643136240\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGlass after washing in the sink\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePro Tip\u003c\/strong\u003e: If the etching cream did apply anywhere you didn’t want it to, this is where the small elements in the design (as discussed in step one) can help again. Re-cut a small element such as a group of dots or stars and apply over whatever little mistake happened. You can just reapply the cream to this one spot and make the mistake look intentional! This is a great way to fix your project the first couple times you try etching if something goes wrong.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/11_1_1_480x480.jpg?v=1642986329\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGlass after vinyl has been removed \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGlass Etching Project Ideas:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWine glasses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDrinking cups\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGlass coffee mugs\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGlass water bottles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBaking dishes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGlass plates\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWindows\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMirrors\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePicture frames\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eVases\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCandle jars\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePerfume bottles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFlower pots\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTapeManBlue Transfer Tape Is Perfect for Your Projects\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo easily transfer your vinyl projects, purchase\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tapemanblue.com\/products\/transfer-tape\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003etransfer\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etape\u003c\/a\u003e from TapeManBlue. Our transfer tape is made in the United States from high-quality materials. We offer free shipping on all orders and everyday low prices for your products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tapemanblue.com\/products\/transfer-tape\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2425\/6539\/files\/10-CTA_grande.jpg?v=1578432368\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","blog_id":2693791771,"author":"Caroline Martin","user_id":42863919184,"published_at":"2022-01-25T13:47:58-05:00","updated_at":"2022-04-18T12:40:39-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"how-to-etch-glass-designs-with-cricut","tags":"","image":{"created_at":"2022-01-23T20:17:27-05:00","alt":"","width":1120,"height":840,"src":"\/\/tapemanblue.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/11_1_1.jpg?v=1642987047"}}
How to Etch Glass Designs with Your Cricut

How to Etch Glass Designs with Your Cricut

Cricut and other at home craft machines are capable of so many great projects. One easy, versatile craft to try is glass etching. Glass etching is a long-lasting alternative to applying vinyl to cups or mugs. This is because the process actually removes the surface of the glass, making it an irreversible change that can go through the dishwasher or any other type of wear. Unlike vinyl decal applications, which can peel off over time, glass etching will last on the surface forever.

To start this project, we need a few materials:

  • Your glass project blank 
  • Armour Etch Glass Etching Cream 
    • You can find this at your local craft store such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby
    • Or, try online retailers like Amazon
  • Craft sponge or brush
  • Removable adhesive vinyl (any color)
  • Transfer tape
  • Scissors
  • Weeding tool
  • Squeegee
  • Alcohol wipes, Windex, or other cleaning agent

Shop Transfer Tape

    Step 1. Creating the Design

    Creating the design for a glass etching project can vary in difficulty depending on your project blank. If you’re adding a family name to the bottom of a baking dish, the design process will likely be no different than other projects you’ve created. However, if you’re doing a more advanced project like the full wrap around glass design shown in today’s tutorial, you might want to check out the following tips and tricks.

    First, consider the size of your glass. I’m using a flat glass that measures 6” tall and 8” around. To first create my design, I used an artboard in Adobe Illustrator with those measurements. However, if you don’t have a Creative Cloud subscription, you can very easily design your glass in whatever program you use or in Cricut Design Space itself. Here is my design:


    Botanical glass design


    In this botanical design, I used a few tricks that I recommend when doing wrap around designs. For example, I have many little elements such as dots and stars between my larger elements which in this case are flowers and vines. These small elements help keep the design balanced. More importantly, if this was a wine glass or curved glass surface, I would want to place my elements individually on the curved surface instead of wrapping the vinyl as one large stencil. I would place my large elements first around the glass as evenly as possible. Then, I would place these small elements to fill in any gaps or odd spots in between. Because of this, you never want to use only large images in a glass design. It’s best practice to balance the design with small and large images to make placement much easier.

    A final tip when designing these wraps is to increase the stroke on your images if you zoom out and think anything looks thin. You always want to avoid any thin lines, type, or images when glass etching. This is because thin designs lead to stencils with not enough room to let the etching cream work. Your etched image will be unclear. 

    Step 2. Upload Design to Design Space and Prep

    If you made your design in Cricut Design Space, go ahead and skip this step. If not, upload your file as usual, selecting Complex in the background selection process, and then adding it to an artboard. If you didn’t design your wrap to size, now is the time to double check the measurements of your glass project and size your project accordingly. 

    Design loaded into Design Space & sized

    Design loaded into Design Space & sized

    Step 3. Cut Out Your Vinyl Design

    This part is easy and the color vinyl you choose doesn’t matter. So use whatever scraps or odd colors you have lying around. This vinyl is just a stencil that is going to be thrown away at the end of the project. 

    Project cutting on a Cricut Maker 3

    Step 4. Weed & Prep Your Design

    As with any other vinyl project, weed out your design and mask it with transfer tape. However, there are two options for how you weed your design. You can weed around your objects, removing the background, or you can weed inside of your objects, making them essentially stencils. It doesn’t matter which way you weed the design as it’s a matter of personal preference how you want your vinyl project to look. I personally like weeding my design to make stencils. If you aren’t sure which way you’ll like best, know that whatever part of the design you weed is the part that will be glass etched. 

    Shop Transfer Tape

    Take a look at these example photos:

    This design was weeded by removing the background or vinyl around the images.


    This design was weeded by removing the vinyl inside the images.


    This is my project design weeded out and ready to be put on the glass:

    Botanical glass design weeded using the stencil method.

    Botanical glass design masked with TapeManBlue paper transfer tape. 

    Step 5. Clean Your Project Blank

    This step seems simple but it’s very important. Using an alcohol wipe, Windex, or whatever you have on hand, make sure you wipe down your project. If oils or anything else from your hands are sitting on the surface of the glass, the etching cream will not work as solidly as it should.

    Step 6. Place Your Design

    For this, remember that as mentioned in step 1, you either place your design all at once as a wrap or place it in segments. If your glass item is flat, place all at once. If your glass item is very rounded or curved like a wine glass, place it in segments. For this project, I am placing the design all at once using my TapeManBlue paper transfer tape.

    Application of the design

    Step 7. Check for Bubbles & Creases

    After removing the transfer tape, smooth out your design and look very, very carefully for any bubbles or creasing. This is crucial to the outcome of your project. If there are any bubbles or creases, the etching cream will go under the vinyl outside of your design and ruin your final image. You want to make sure that the only part of your glass that is exposed is where you want your design to be. The more careful you are with your vinyl application, the crisper and cleaner your lines will be. 


    Glass with stencil vinyl fully applied and smoothed over

    Step 8. Apply the Etching Cream

    Taking a craft sponge or brush, apply the cream over the glass. Gentle dab it over wherever you want to etch. Wear gloves if necessary to protect your hands or wash immediately if contact with the chemical occurs. After letting the cream sit for about 5 minutes, go over again with your applicator to make sure there are no bubbles or gaps in the application. After another 5 minutes, rinse the cream off in a sink with water.

    Glass with Armour Etch applied

    Glass with Armour Etch applied

    Step 9. Remove the Wrap

    After the glass has been rinsed fully, dry it and remove the vinyl. Your glass design is complete!

     

    Glass after washing in the sink


    Pro Tip: If the etching cream did apply anywhere you didn’t want it to, this is where the small elements in the design (as discussed in step one) can help again. Re-cut a small element such as a group of dots or stars and apply over whatever little mistake happened. You can just reapply the cream to this one spot and make the mistake look intentional! This is a great way to fix your project the first couple times you try etching if something goes wrong.

    Glass after vinyl has been removed 

    Glass Etching Project Ideas:

    • Wine glasses
    • Drinking cups
    • Glass coffee mugs
    • Glass water bottles
    • Baking dishes
    • Glass plates
    • Windows
    • Mirrors
    • Picture frames
    • Vases
    • Candle jars
    • Perfume bottles
    • Flower pots

    TapeManBlue Transfer Tape Is Perfect for Your Projects

    To easily transfer your vinyl projects, purchase transfer tape from TapeManBlue. Our transfer tape is made in the United States from high-quality materials. We offer free shipping on all orders and everyday low prices for your products.



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