Glass etching sounds like one of those things that requires industrial equipment, but in reality it’s super easy and fun. All you really need is something glass to etch, etching cream, and something to make patterns with. I’m using tape here, but stickers also work. It’s a great way to personalize plain thrifted vases or jars from thrift or dollar stores. A couple of years ago I used stickers to etch wineglasses with our initials and gave them to my husband for Valentine’s Day. We drank out of them all the time until they both got broken, so it’s a good thing I got this jar of etching cream so I can make another set.

Materials:
Glass vase to etch
Etching cream
Masking tape
X-acto knife
Measuring tape
Cheap paint brush or sponge

Methods:
1. Start by taping off a spiral pattern on your vase with the masking tape. Use the measuring tape to keep the masking tape stripes an even distance apart from one another.

2. Then tape off a spiral going the other direction. At this point you should have a skewed checkerboard pattern.

3. Using your X-acto knife, trim off and remove pieces of tape to form a chevron pattern. Continue until the pattern is complete.

4. Run your fingers over each piece of tape to make sure it’s securely attached to the glass. Following the directions on your etching cream, spread a thick layer on the untaped parts of the glass. Make sure it’s much thicker than I have pictured here, thick enough that you can’t see through it. If it’s not thick enough you won’t get a fully etched pattern. (You can re-etch, but you’ll probably have to re-tape once you get your tape wet, so it’s better not to have to do that.)

5. After 60 seconds (or however long your etching cream says to leave it on), rinse the vase in cold water. After you’ve rinsed off all of the etching cream, remove the tape. Fill your pretty new vase with flowers.



P.S. That awesome-looking skull is a resin (fake) dolphin skull that belongs to one of my housemates.