Etched Ornament Tutorial

It's that time again... I absolutely LOVE this time of year, not just in the fact that being a Christian, our Savior and Lord was born, but also because I love the whole spirit of giving everyone is in, and just the lights, and the family, and friends. Like many people, this past week I put up our tree... having two little ones 18 months apart and the oldest turning 2 this week, my hubby and I felt it was in their best interest to not have a big tree that they could get hurt with, but three smaller trees...

Being in this decorating spirit, I wanted to make ornaments for the kids, because, who doesn't like that...??? So... I set out this week looking at different ornament ideas... I came across etched ornaments... and I was intrigued. I absolutely LOVE the look of etched glass. Something permanent and beautiful, delicate, and elegant all wrapped in one... so... I looked up how to make them, and I bring them to you today.

I had a little help from an elf, who decided to take a nap in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. (Which was just fine by me...) So... Here is the tutorial... Enjoy!

First, to do this, you need to be prepared... it is not going to be stuff you have on hand. You are going to have to go to the store and get the supplies.

You will need:

Glass ornaments, (anything glass is good.... have fun, be creative... I see LOTS of etching in my future...) Etching Creme (this is not available in all states because of vandals using it and not being able to get it off... this is permenant... it will not wash off at all... so... keep away from delinquents... :) ) Heavy Duty Gloves, Apron, Glasses... ( I only used gloves... living on the edge I guess... but if you are careful, that's all you need...) (IMHO) You also need to put down newspaper, or some other protectant for your floor/table. I worked on the floor... so... I put down a huge cardboard piece that came in a toy for the boy's birthday... You also need vinyl. I used Cricut vinyl. I think that's it...

Step One

Start by selecting what you would like to cut out. I wanted to cut out the children's names... so I did a J&E. I used my Cricut. You can pretty much put anything. I cut it out twice, because I didn't know which direction it would need to be on the ornaments. You can know that it is the correct way, not the backwards way. Then you put that on the ornament... being that ornaments are round and the letters were made on a flat piece of paper... you need to make small cuts in it to be able to get it to go around the ornament in a way in which all the little pieces go down... take your time...

Step Two

After you get the stencil down, make sure to put on gloves.... suit up, be safe... at least wear gloves... Get a foam brush, and dip in the cream. Apply a thick layer and leave on 10 minutes. I actually left mine on for 12 because I got distracted with the elf...

Step Three

Wash off the etching cream.... Put your gloves BACK ON... rinse off in the sink with warm water... making sure to not use really hot or really cold water... You could shatter all your hard work. Wash it off, take the stencil off, and wash again... After that, you can take your gloves off.

Step Four

Admire, Admire, Admire. I absolutely LOVE the way mine came out... have some new ideas for other stuff around the house... nothing is safe!!!

Tip- The Etching Cream is about $8 for a small container... I thought I would use a lot but it didn't... even when you coated the whole thing with lots...

What else can I etch??? We shall see!