Glass Etching Designs Free !!BETTER!! Download
Dulce Gleitz
I applied the Armour Etch using a foam brush (which I threw away afterwards). The Armour Etch only takes one-minute to work! You should wear plastic gloves and be sure to apply the cream in a well-ventilated area as it's a serious chemical. After the minute was up, I rinsed my glasses and peeled off the vinly and voila!
Pretty magical! And the hardest thing about this project? Taking the photos! (Seriously hard to photograph etched glass.) In any case, I look forward to trying out some more glasses and maybe even a window! (One of the many reasons I can't wait to be a homeowner -- biggest craft project ever!!!)
Just imagine . . .
. . . being able to do your glass etching without the drudgery of enlarging, tracing and cutting all your designs by hand. Well now you can! We can now provide you with pre-cut stencils of the patterns in our books plus much more. (We can also teach you how to use these stencils with our new videos - see below!)
More than just glass etching patterns
Now you can do beautiful, highly complex etchings one time or a hundred times without having to lift a stencil knife to cut a line. Lettering and precise geometric designs are a breeze! Our designs are all copyrighted, of course, but copyright use permisson comes with each stencil! Hundreds of designs and design combinations are available.
Get the system!
These stencils provide a system of etching and carving on glass but also on wood, stone, ceramic or metal. These stencils are even good for painting and airbrushing. To assure yourself of getting a continuous supply of new designs, plus discounts off your stencil orders, you can even subscribe to our design system! (see below, or Design Book 1, Volume 1 page for details)
These stencils provide a system of designs for etching and carving on glass but also on wood, stone, ceramic or metal. These stencils are even good for painting and airbrushing. Our subscription service to get discounts on stencils and periodic releases of new designs. Make your own unique designs by simply copying pages with elements you like, cut them out and arrange them into your own design. Then fax or email us the arrangement and we will quote you a price to produce the stencil. Simple, fast and easy!
As with all homemade crafts, check your materials for correct care and handling instructions. The oil-based pens I used recommend baking the glass for one hour at 350 F, which worked well. The Rub n Buff is pretty sturdy after it dries for a few hours, just avoid scratching the design. Handwash your products with gentle soap and avoid contact with alcohol, UNLESS you want to remove the color. More on that in the video! I recommend not using any of the finished items in a microwave just to be safe.
First, download my Color Glass Etching SVG/DXF/PDF files from my free resource library. It's Design #380. There are several design options in the folder, we'll start with the wine glass design, which is titled "color-glass-etching-wineglass-jennifermaker-SVG." Upload the SVG file to Cricut Design Space and add it to your Canvas.
Since we are etching our glass, we're actually making a stencil with the vinyl. The colored part of the design is the area we will protect from the etching cream with the vinyl. The white part showing through is the design we will actually etch on the glass.
The wine glass design is sized for the 20 oz. glass from the materials list and will make an etched design that is about two inches square. If you are etching the design on a different item, resize it accordingly. You can click and drag the resize icon in the lower right hand corner of the design, or type a new dimension into the height ("H") or width ("W") box at the top menu under Size.
If you want to use the vase or dinner plate designs, they are ready to be cut once you upload, add, and resize them. Just confirm that the correct machine is selected in the top menu and click "Make It" to continue to the Prepare screen. However, if you chose to make the wine glass monogram design, you will want to customize it! Let me show you how.
On the Prepare screen, make sure your design is laid out correctly on one mat. Do not Mirror your design, since we need our letter to face the right way on the glass. Click "Continue" to move to the Make screen.
Prep your wine glass for the vinyl stencil by cleaning the outside with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth or a coffee filter to remove any dust or oils that will make the vinyl stick less. Then, avoid handling the glass with bare hands. Let the glass dry as you weed your design.
Stencils require the opposite weeding approach from traditional vinyl projects. Since we want the etching cream to create the design, we need the vinyl to protect the area between and around our letter and decoration.
TIP: Applying your stencil nice and straight can be difficult, but a little preparation now will help. Draw a horizontal line across the upper part of your transfer tape with a ruler and marker. If you aligned your Cricut transfer tape nice and straight on the stencil, you may be able to use the horizontal grid lines instead. Then, when putting your stencil on your glass, you can position your horizontal line so that it's parallel with the top of your glass to apply the decal nice and straight!
I also found that if I placed a lint roller on either side of the glass, that kept it from rolling around on my surface and made for easier placement. A roll of tape on its side also does the trick. Do whatever works best for you. Now fold your design up in a taco shape over the glass and lay the middle of the design down on your glass, gently smoothing it from the middle outward. Remember to align it using your horizontal line if you drew one.
Check your vinyl to be certain all areas around the design are adhered well to the glass. This step is important as it will stop your etching cream from bleeding into areas you don't want it to etch. Just go around all parts of the design with your fingers and push the vinyl down well, removing any bubbles or creases as best as you can.
Before applying the etching cream, cover the wine glass area around your stencil with painter's tape to assure you're not getting the etching cream on the glass where you don't want it. Add extra tape in areas where the used etching cream will be getting rinsed off.
IMPORTANT: Read the etching cream's instructions and guidance on accidental exposure before proceeding. Etching cream is caustic and you don't want to inhale it or get it on your skin or in your eyes. Before opening the etching cream, be sure to put on a pair of safety goggles, rubber gloves, an apron, and a fitted respirator. If you do come in contact with the cream, follow the bottle's directions immediately.
Be sure you're in a well-ventilated area or outside with a flat surface on which to work. It's also a good idea to cover your work surface with butcher paper before you begin, as you don't want to get any etching cream on it. Shake or stir your etching cream really well before you open it.
Apply the cream to the glass with a regular paint brush (avoid foam brushes), using your brush to move the cream on top of your stencil. Brush on enough etching cream that you can no longer see the outline of your design underneath. Once it is on your design, brush the etching cream around for about three minutes. Move it up and down, side to side, and diagonally. Keep the cream moving around your design, getting it into every nook and cranny.
After the three minutes are up, apply more cream in areas where it looks thinned out and then let it sit for another 5-10 minutes. Letting the etching cream sit on the glass for longer gives a more uniform and deeper etch. This works especially well in larger areas, such as the vase design.
When the time is up, it's time to remove the cream. Keep your protective equipment on. If you used a lot of cream, scrape it back into the container to be reused. Rinse the remaining cream off of the glass under running water. Be sure to get all the etching cream off the glass before you remove the vinyl stencil. You do not want to accidentally touch it or get it on your work surface.
Dry the glass well and remove the painter's tape and stencil. You may need to use your weeding tool or scraper to remove any vinyl that can't be picked off by hand. Just don't scratch the glass! Give the glass a final rinse after all the stencil pieces have been removed, and dry it off.
Make sure to clean off any etching cream before you put everything away. Now, your glass should look similar to mine. Now you can remove your safety equipment. You may want to keep on your gloves for painting.
You are now ready to add color to your design! There are a few options for coloring etched glass, and I'll demonstrate the differences between the three I chose to use: Rub n' Buff, Oil-Based Paint Pens and Water-based Paint Markers.
First, I'll use oil-based paint pens on our wine glass. Prepare your paint pens by shaking each thoroughly. Remove the cap and push the tip straight down on a piece of scrap paper several times until paint starts to flow. It may take up to a minute before the paint starts flowing. Some pens will be ready faster than others.
Next, wipe the excess paint away with a dry paper towel. The paint will smear as you wipe, but it can easily be removed with your paper towel. You'll need to apply some pressure in order to buff the paint into the etched areas and remove all of the excess from the clear glass. As you wipe, you'll notice the paint that stays in the etched areas will lighten in color. This is OK and is actually the effect we're going for! The lighter color allows us to see the shimmery pattern that the etching created and gives us that stained glass look.
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