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I randomly picked up this bottle at IKEA a few months ago. I think I had a project idea at the time, but I have long since forgotten what originally got me to pick it up. But it's been beckoning to me for a while now, and I've been trying to come up with the right thing to put on it, and I finally had an idea, and it was the perfect thing to test out an idea.
I've been kind of obsessed with etching cream for a while; I made a set of teacups for my in-laws for Christmas, and we had decorated a couple of growlers for my homebrewing brother-in-law and a friend. I was a little leery of how expensive the cream was, but it goes a LONG way… I've done half a dozen projects at this point and have only used about a third of the bottle.
First things first, you'll want to gather all the supplies you need.
Supplies
- Silhouette cutting machine (I have and love the Cameo)
- Vinyl for stencil (I buy my vinyl in a big variety pack, so I always just use an ugly color… you can also use Contact paper or actual stencil material)
- Transfer tape
- Etching cream
- Rub n Buff in your choice of color (Mine is Grecian Gold)
- Disposable gloves
- Paper Towel
Etching the Glass
- Create or download your design, size it for the surface.
- Cut out stencil, carefully weeding the positive of the design.
- Apply transfer tape and press down well, making sure you get all the little pieces, like the middle of lower case ‘e' and ‘d'
- Carefully place stencil on bottle, being sure to press down well to seal edges completely.
- Remove transfer tape. Go over all edges again to be sure they're well-adhered.
- Apply a generous coating of etching cream to the whole design, let sit for approximately 30 minutes.
- Rinse well under running water to remove all traces of the cream.
- Remove stencil to expose etched areas.
(It may be hard to see the etching when the bottle is wet; dry it off to get a better look at it.
You could stop here, and just have plain etched glass. Keep reading to add the pop of color.
Applying Rub n Buff
- Put on disposable gloves; your finger is the best tool to apply the wax.
- Apply small amount (seriously, a little goes a loooong way) at a time, working quickly so it doesn't set.
- Working in small areas, apply Rub n Buff, let sit for a moment, then wipe off excess with paper towel.
- Multiple applications will help build additional color.
- If you mess up, or wait too long to get excess off, a scrub brush and hot water will clean off everything and you can start over.