How to Make Border Designs for Glass Etching with etchall

Like what you see? Share it!

Hey y’all! I’m super-excited to not only be sharing a cool project with you today, but also to let you in on a bit of news! I’m now a member of the etchall Design Team!!! I’ve been using etchall for many years in my classes and for lots of personal projects. Now I’m really looking forward to getting even more creative with designs for glass etching and inspiring you to do the same.

In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a beautiful salt and pepper shaker set using a border design for glass etching that can also be used to make a coordinating vinyl decal for the metal holder. It’s a fun and unique project that you’ll be proud to display in your own kitchen or give as a gift.

Some of the products used in the tutorial were provided by etchall, but all instructions and opinions are my own. 

Why etchall?

Before we dive into the tutorial, let me tell you why I recommend etchall – and why it’s the only etching cream I now use.

Several years ago, my daughter wanted me to make etched glass mason jar centerpieces for her wedding reception. It was my first attempt at glass etching but I was eager to give it a go. I used two different etching creams – one that I bought at a local craft store and one that I purchased online (neither of which were etchall). 

The experience was not pleasant.

Both of the creams I tried smelled horrible. One of them had a gritty texture. They were runny and messy to use, causing us to ruin a few of the jars during the etching process. The whole experience was very frustrating.

Once we got done, I said I would NEVER etch with etching cream again!!!

Well, you know what they say. Never say never.

A year or so later, a friend convinced me to try etchall. I was hesitant, but my friend was very persuasive. I didn’t expect to like it, but figured I had nothing to lose by trying.

And what a difference it made!

My experience with etchall was nothing like I’d had with the other creams. etchall has no odor. It has a smooth consistency and is easy to use. It’s reusable. And I’ve never ruined a project with etchall!

Ready to give it a try for yourself? Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need

• etchall Etching Creme
• etchall Squeegee
• etchall etchmask Stencil Material
• etchall etchmask Transfer Sheets
• Salt & Pepper Shakers with Holder
• Oracal 651 (black vinyl)
• Oracal MT80P (clear transfer tape)
• Vinyl Squeegee
• Painter’s Tape
• Silhouette Studio software
• Border by FoxSister, Silhouette Design Store ID 296956
• Baby Giovani Script font by MythaStudio, Silhouette Design Store ID 312547
• Digital Cutting Machine (Silhouette Cameo , Silhouette Portrait , or Cricut) 
• Weeding Tool (make your own like I did here!)
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Lint-free Cloth
• Scissors

Step 1: Create the Designs for Glass Etching in Silhouette Studio

Note: Detailed instructions are included in the video tutorial below

I used the Border design by FoxSister, Silhouette Design Store ID 296956, as the base for my glass etching designs and the vinyl decal for the metal holder.

First I drew a rectangle the same size as I needed for my decal.

I duplicated the border to make it longer, then cropped it to fit within the rectangle.

I drew another rectangle the same size as I needed for the stencil and repeated the process. 

I tested the size of the designs by printing them out on a piece of paper first, trimming with scissors, and wrapping around my blank.

Once I was satisfied with the sizing, I cut the designs for glass etching out of etchmask stencil material and the decal out of Oracal 651.

Step 2: Weed Apply the Designs for Glass Etching

To weed the decal, I removed all of the excess vinyl except for the border design.

To weed the glass etching designs, I removed the areas that I wanted to etch and left the remainder.

I used etchall etchmask transfer sheets to remove the glass etching designs from their backing and applied the stencils to the salt and pepper shakers.

Video Tutorial

Step 3: Apply the Etching Cream

Once the stencils were applied, I covered any remaining exposed glass with painter’s tape, then applied the etchall etching cream over the stencil.

I let the etching cream sit for 15 minutes to fully activate. (It doesn’t hurt if it sits longer, but you do need to wait at least 15 minutes to get a good etch).

Step 4: Apply the Vinyl Decal

While I was waiting for the etching cream to work, I used MT80P transfer tape to remove the Oracal 651 from its backing and applied the decal to the metal holder.

Step 5: Rinse & Reveal

Once the 15 minutes was up, I scraped off the excess etching cream and returned it to my container of etchall. 

Then I rinsed the bottles under warm running water to thoroughly remove all of the etchall, the stencils, and the painter’s tape.

Tip: Don’t be alarmed if you don’t see your etched design right away on a glass object. Most of the time, the etching does not show up very well when the glass is wet, but will be fully revealed as soon as the glass dries.

Like what you see here? Share the image below to Pinterest!

I plan on gifting this set of salt and pepper shakers to my mom and I know she will be as excited to get them as I was to make them!

I hope that this tutorial has inspired you to create something beautiful using etchall. If you have any questions, drop a comment below or come visit me over in the Silhouette Crafters by Design Facebook group. I’m always happy to help!

Until next time,

Like what you see? Share it!