Glass Etching

Like I said before, glass etching sounds much more complicated than it actually is. Below is a list of what you need for your first project: Polka dot glasses

• etching cream - any craft store should have it


• glass (a set of glasses - tumblers or wine glasses, perhaps - from anywhere...even the dollar store)


• paper to cover your table


• rubber gloves


• q-tips (The name brand work best here...the cotton stays on better)
  
• paper reinforcers, those little round sticker that you use for loose leaf paper

Wash the glasses and dry them thoroughly. Spread the paper out to cover your table. Take each glass and arrange the stickers in a nice pattern. Once done with all of the glasses, put the rubber gloves on. Open the etching cream. Dip your q-tip into the cream and carefully put an ample amount of cream inside the circle of each sticker. You need to use enough that it covers the hole nicely, but not so much that it drips down. The cream will turn any piece of glass it touches, so be careful. After waiting 10-15 minutes, dip the glass into a warm bath and carefully wash off the stickers and cream. Dry the glasses again.

Polka dots were my first project and are by far the easiest. I have done initials and other things, but love the dots the most. You can buy stencils, as well, when you are ready to move on to bigger things.