Coloring etched glass – Silhouette tutorial

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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.