Craft this Personalized Etching on a Glass Mug

One of my very favorite crafts to make is etching on glass. The results are so classy and pretty, and they can be gifted for almost every occasion.

Not only is glass etching a relatively easy project to learn to master, but depending on your design, it can be whipped up quickly with just a few supplies! Your loved ones are sure to appreciate this personalized mug for the holidays! 

Personalized Etching on a Glass Mug

• Supplies
• Prepare your Workspace
• Digital Products
• Cricut Design Space
  • Adding text
  • Create the stencil
• Etching
  • Prepare your blank
  • Create the etching
• Rinse and Finish

Supplies Needed

• Glass mug
• Removable vinyl (or stencil vinyl)
• Etching cream (I used Rustoleum Tub & Tile)
• Old paintbrush
• Protective gloves and goggles
• Digital products: Snowflake Christmas Winter Stencil
• Alcohol wipes
• Masking or painter’s tape
• Transfer tape
• Measuring tape
• Cricut cutting machine and weeding tools
• Timer

Prepare your Workspace

I always recommend preparing your workspace when you’re about to begin any crafting session, but this is especially important when working with etching cream. Etching cream is highly corrosive, so ensuring that you have an organized work area is a crucial step to establishing your safety. Have protective gloves and goggles before getting started on this project in order to protect your hands and eyes from any possible burns.

Digital Products

Creative Fabrica truly is one of the best places to get all of your digital products. Not only do they offer amazing deals on subscription plans, but they have a seemingly endless freebies section!

This year, my holiday crafting theme seems to be all about snowflakes – they are pretty, and festive, and can be applied to almost every Christmas crafting project. This Snowflake Christmas Winter Stencil is no exception! The fractals are all attached so it makes creating the stencil a breeze; all that is needed is a simple slice and you’re ready to etch!

Head on over the Creative Fabrica and download, then extract the file. When you’re ready, open up Design Space and start a new canvas.

Cricut Design Space

Adding Text

To get started, first upload the snowflake stencil design to your canvas and resize it to workable dimensions.

Next, use the text tool to insert a text box and type out your name or the name of the person you are gifting the mug to.

Change the font to any font you wish, as long as it can easily be created into a stencil. For example, you may not want to use a font that is meant for writing, or one that contains any tiny details that you might struggle with when it comes time to apply the etching cream. I chose to use the BFC Flannel Shirt font that comes with Design Space. It’s a thinner font, but just thick enough to easily work with!

Now that you have your name ready to go, simply place it beneath the snowflake and adjust the sizing of both. If you want a larger name, then just reduce the size of the snowflake.

Alternatively, you can make the snowflake the star of the show by reducing the size of the name and placing the text a little lower on the glass.

• 👉 Note: Make use of the Alignment tool to have your design perfectly centered!

When you are happy with the way your design looks, grab your measuring tape and measure the area of the glass that you plan on creating the etching. Note down the width and height.

I didn’t want mine to take up the entire area, so I decided that my etching would be 3.5” wide and 3.2” in height.

Now select both your snowflake and text, then group them to make the sizing adjustments much easier.

Reduce or enlarge the size as needed to closely reflect the measurements you just noted down. Now you can create the stencil!

Create the Stencil

With your design ready, you will now need to turn this into a stencil that you will be applying to the glass.

To do this, Insert a square shape from the Shapes Library, then unlock it and adjust the size so that it covers the entirety of your design. Lock it back up and enlarge it so that there is roughly 0.5” to 1” along all four sides. Move the shape to the back so that you see the design over top of it.

Select your design only, then “Weld” it together. Now select both the shape and the design, then center align. “Slice” and voila! You have your stencil ready to cut!

Click on that Make it button, and on the material options, choose the appropriate setting. I am using removable vinyl as I prefer that over stencil vinyl, but you do you! I do not advise using permanent (651) vinyl as oftentimes it can be more difficult to remove and it could leave behind a sticky residue.

Once cut, weed as per your usual methods but keep in mind that you want the negative of the stencil – so remember to leave the centers of the letters and the smaller sections of the snowflake.

Place your transfer tape and you are ready for etching!

Etching

Prepare your Blank

Grab your alcohol wipe and whip the entire surface of the glass mug, This will help to ensure that your stencil will go on smoothly and that no debris; such as lint, dust, or fingerprints will interfere with the etching.

Next, place the stencil decal on the glass and burnish it very well. Remove the transfer tape and burnish once again; one of the tricks to getting a perfect etch is making sure that your stencil is as smooth as can be and free of any air bubbles.

Now the fun part…etching!

Create the Etching

• 🔔 Remember – Safety First! Protect your hands, skin, and eyes for this part of the project. Etching cream can easily burn your skin!

Take some masking or painter’s tape and place it all around the edges of the stencil. This will add some extra protection to the glass from the etching cream.

Now put on your safety gear and open up the container of etching cream. Position the glass on its side and use the paintbrush to scoop up a good-sized dollop of cream, then place it on your stencil. Cover every part of your etching area with the cream in a fairly even coat.

With the cream now applied, grab your timer and set it as per the instructions on your particular brand of etching cream. On my Rustoleum Tub and Tile, the recommended time is 4-5 minutes, however, I find that this is not nearly enough time for a nice vibrant etch. I tend to leave it on for 20 minutes with standard glass. Of course, this time could vary depending on how thick your glass is. 

Secure the glass to prevent rolling; I find that placing it on the roll of masking tape can be helpful. Set it aside until the timer rings.

Rinse and Finish

When the timer rings, put on your gloves and get ready to rinse! Etching cream is reusable, so before you rinse it off, simply scoop as much of the cream as you can back into the container with your paintbrush, close the cover of the tub, then continue on to rinsing.

With your gloves still on, rinse the glass under a gentle running tap. Use your fingers to help remove the cream (don’t worry…you cannot “rub” off the etch). Once the cream has been completely rinsed off, remove the tape and stencil.

• 🤔 Keep in Mind: The etch is always less noticeable while it is still wet, so don’t panic if you cannot clearly see the results yet.

When all of the cream, tape, and stencil are off, you can now wash and dry the glass as you normally would before you use it.

You’re done! You can now sit back and enjoy the expression on your loved one’s face as they open up their unique gift this Christmas!

Keep on Crafting! 💖