Fist, I gathered various supplies:
I’d picked up these sticky letters on another dollar store trip with the idea that they’d be helpful for etching because they’re so thick. For this project I had a couple of different options in mind: 1) use the negative space from the backing as a stencil, 2) stick the letter itself on the vase and use painter’s tape to mark a rectangle around it, or 3) stick the letter on the vase and freehand an oval shape around it (since I had nothing to stencil an oval with). It turns out that the letters were stuck onto the plastic, not cut out of it, so idea #1 went out the window. Total bummer, since that would’ve been the easiest. I really wasn’t too keen on the look of an initial within a rectangle, so I decided to give free handing an oval a shot and if it turned into a disaster I could always turn my wonky oval into a rectangle.
So, I stuck my initial onto the vase, adjusting it a bit until it looked pretty well centered and straight.
Then I used my stencil brush to apply the etching cream first right up on the letter and then in bigger and bigger ovals. I used the brush to paint a pretty thin coat until my oval looked centered all around, then came back in and put on a nice, thick layer.
Then waited five minutes with bated breath before rinsing off the glass to reveal my creation:
Almost perfect, but not quite. Some etching cream had seeped under the bottom of the T on one side where I guess I didn’t press it down quite firmly enough, and if you look closely you can see that the bottom of the oval was a little wonky. So I went back in and carefully touched up the problem areas with the etching cream. Looks a bit like a smiley face:
Well…I forgot to set a timer for round 2 and got distracted watching Bethenny Ever After. So these spots got a little extra-etched. And then it became apparent to me that right around the edges of the “T” were a little extra-etched as well, probably because I’d laid it on thick right there then took my time filling in the rest of the oval. So, it’s not perfect, but I think sitting on a tabletop or shelf with a candle in it the imperfections will really be minor. Maybe not. Regardless, the lesson here is to stick to etching jobs that are maybe a little more simple.
Stripes would be fun and relatively easy to do with painter’s tape. Or you could freehand polka dots! And of course you could always use a stencil, but for some reason I feel like the stencils I see at craft stores are a little pricey for something you can only use a few times before it starts to feel overdone. I do have a fleur de lis stencil that I’ve used to dress up a jar I gave as part as a gift, then again on a larger vase that I store cotton balls in. And of course if you have a vinyl cutting machine the possibilities are endless. I dream of getting a Silhouette, but it’s a bit pricey for me. Anyway, I’ve still got gobs of this etching cream left, so I went trolling the internet for inspiration for my next project:
Love it!
