Keeping with the wedding gift theme, this post is all about how to etch a glass 9x12 Pyrex casserole dish.
What I used: a 9x12 glass pyrex casserole dish, clear contact paper, Armour-Etch cream, an Xacto knife, a foam paint brush, a print out of the words you are trying to etch, and some newspaper to lay down underneath you.
After laying down newspapers under me, I set the pyrex upside down. The etching is done on the bottom of the pyrex, not on the inside. I printed out the last name "McAdam" in the largest size font that would fit on a 8.5x11" sheet of paper. I cut a box around the last name and figured out where on the pyrex would be the best place to etch. I didn't choose the middle since Pyrex put their name smack dab in the middle of the dish. Then, I took the clear contact paper and used it to secure the name cut out to the pyrex. Make sure there are no air bubbles when you stick the contact paper to the pyrex, it could mess with the shape of the letters.
Next comes the hardest part. Take an Xacto knife and cut out each of the letters. You have the paper cut out as the stencil, but the important part is to cut through the contact paper, since this will be what controls where the etching cream goes, and therefore where the etch appears. I think the cut out part took about 30-45 minutes. Make sure you take your time and try to make the cuts as smooth as possible. Once you've cut out a letter, peel away the contact paper so that the glass is exposed just around the cut out of the letter. Letters with middle areas, such as the A and the d in this case, are much more difficult. Be careful to keep the center triangle or circle (A and d, respectively) in tact so the letter turns out.
After you've outlined and peeled off all of the letter cut outs, it's time to etch! Take your spong brush and the etching cream and start dabbing it over the cut out letters. Make sure you cover all the letter areas evenly so that the etch turns out uniform. Also, be very careful not to get the etching cream on your hands! If you are worried, wear some gloves. Although I can't speak from experience, it is said that the etching cream is very acidic and can burn your skin. You've been warned!
I left the etching cream on for about 20 minutes before I washed it off under hot water. When I first started washing the cream off it didn't look like anything had happened! The etch was very subtle at first, but once you peel off the rest of the contact paper and see the free standing etch, it looks amazing!
This was my first try so there were some small noticeable errors I made in some of the letter cut outs, but as you can see, it isn't noticeable when you look at the dish from a foot or so away. Don't be too hard on yourself, and have fun with it!
Happy Etching!
No comments:
Post a Comment