Pagan Crafting Etch your own Chalice presented by Crystal Forest

Your finished project is ready for use once you wash the glass completely and cleanse and consecrate is accordingly.

Clean the glass in order to remove all grease, dust, and any finger prints.

Select the design you would like to use. In this case I used a pumpkin carving design that I found online. Using a computer or photo copier shrink the design to fit the area of your glass you intend to etch.

Print onto the sticker or label of your choice (you can use left over labels from other projects.) I used a full sheet label in this case and printed more than one of the stencils since I wanted to etch several glasses.

Cut the stencil from the larger sheet

Measure your glass and stencil and determine where you would like the etching to be located.

Remove the sticker from its backing and place the tacky side against the glass.

Once you have secured the stencil in place you will want to rub it down so there are no air pockets or bubbles at all.

Next take four pieces of masking and tape around the stencil if your printed pattern is less than 1 inch from the edge of the stencil, overlapping the tape on the stencil material by 1/16" to 1/8". This overlap is very important because it prevents the etching cream from seeping onto the glass and etching unwanted areas!

Using an x-acto knife with a new blade cut around and then carefully remove all the black areas of the printed design area. Be careful not to cut into any of the white area because the etching cream will seep into those areas and leave fine lines where you do not want them.

It is important the blade of the knife be very sharp or you will have trouble removing the areas of the design so you can etch them. Clean sharp lines are very important for this project and each glass will probably need a new blade if you are making more than one of these at a time.

You may check the back of the design through the glass to see how it is coming along.

Hint: It is generally best to start in the center of the design and cut out all the smallest pieces first.

Applying the Glass Etching Cream: For best etching results one should use the cream at a room temperature of 65 degrees or above.

Cover your work area with newspaper or some other covering and be sure to work in a well lit, well ventilated room near a water source. Wear protective goggles and plastic gloves.

Using a soft brush apply the etching cream liberally

You must apply a thick layer of etching cream in order for the chemical to react properly on the glass project. You should not be able to see the design through this layer of etch cream. If there is not enough cream used there will be swirls rather than a fully etched item. Also be aware that the cream can run so applying it too thickly is not a good idea either.

Washing off the etching cream: Leave the etching cream on according the the bottle directions. Once the item has been left for the specified time wash off all traces of etching cream under cool to warm water.

Remove stencil and tape:

After washing off all the etching cream, peel back and remove masking tape along with the remaining stencil pieces.