Glass etching is such a fun hobby. It allows you to let your creativity run wild, and it is great fun coming up with your own ideas and designs too.
Glass etching is something that is becoming increasingly popular, especially when it comes to selling specific designs. There is definitely a gap in the market for this, and it is easy to see why many people have picked up this hobby.
While this is something you can do without a Cricut, if you own a Cricut, or you are looking to take glass etching seriously, we would recommend using one. It allows the process to be far easier, and your designs will be more precise.
In this article, we will be chatting you through how to etch glass with a Cricut, in just a few simple steps.
What is a Cricut?
A Cricut is a super useful electronic cutting machine. It can be used to cut though different types of materials, such as card stock, paper, vinyl, and even some types of leather.
It drastically speeds up the cutting process, and can be used for many projects.
How to etch glass with Cricut
Before you begin the etching process, here is everything you need in order to do this:
- Glass of choice you want to etch
- Cricut
- Glass etching cream
- Small paintbrush
- Sink and running water
- Towel — to dry the glass
- Cricut vinyl
As you can see, you do not need a lot of equipment! When choosing the glass you are going to etch, you will want to choose one that is quite thick and is of a good quality. You don’t want it to damage as you are etching.
Step One — Creating Your Design
The first thing you will want to do is come up with a design you want to etch. You can choose an original idea, or you can use a design that you want to imitate.
Once you have come up with your design, you will want to create it in the Cricut Design Space.
This is the computer software that links to your Cricut, and informs it on what to cut. It will take a while to get used to using the software, so to begin with, you will want to choose an easy option.
Step Two — Cutting Out Your Design
Once you are happy with the design, you can instruct the Cricut to cut it out. This is fairly simple to do and can be done using the Cricut Design Space.
Before you begin cutting out the design, you will want to place the vinyl onto the machine.
The machine will not take too long to cut the vinyl, and once finished, you will be able to use the design to etch on to your glass.
Step Three — Reverse Weeding
When you have taken your design out of the Cricut, you will need to reverse weed it. This is the reverse of how you would usually peel off your design.
Essentially, you will want to keep what is left over after you have taken off the stickers, rather than using the stickers. You will want to be left with a stencil.
Step Four — Placing On The Design
Once you have your stencil, you will then want to place it onto the glass. Before doing this, make sure the glass is free from any stains or dirt.
Once clean, secure the design to the glass, by peeling off the transfer tape. When placing the design down, ensure to do this as neatly as possible.
Step Five — Applying The Etching Cream
Next, you will need to apply the etching cream. The etching cream is what is going to create the design on the glass. You will need to take care when using the cream.
This will need to be done somewhere that is well ventilated, and the smell is quite strong.
When applying the etching cream, you will want to do so using your paintbrush. You will want to keep the cream within the design, and be careful not to get it anywhere else on the glass as it will etch these places too.
The cream should be applied liberally and evenly, all the design will need to be covered. Once you have done this, you will want to place the glass on its side and leave to stand for one minute.
Step Six — Removing The Cream
After a minute, the etching cream should have worked successfully. However, on some occasions, you may need to leave it for slightly longer.
When you are ready to remove the cream, you will want to rinse the glass under cold water. Be sure to remove all the etching cream, and ensure the glass is completely clean.
Step Seven — Removing The Stencil
Next, you will want to clean off the glass, and then remove the stencil. When you have done this, the design you have created will have been successfully etched into the glass!
Summary
There you have it, that’s how to etch glass with a Cricut. As you can see, this is super simple to do. While you can create the stencil without the Cricut, this machine does make the process far easier and cleaner on the whole.
It allows you to create the design precisely, and given that it is printed onto vinyl, this is easy to stick to the glass.
The etching process is really simple, and given that it only takes a minute or two to complete, you can really allow your creativity to run with it! Once you get the hang of etching the designs onto glasses, you can get creative with it.
When it comes to using the Cricut, while the software can seem a little daunting to use at first, it is easy to use. The more confident you become, the more intricate your designs can become, as the Cricut is capable of cutting our more difficult designs too. If you enjoyed this post, you may also like our guides on how to print and cut with Cricut and how to clean a Cricut mat.
