Follow My Step-By-Step Tutorial To Etch A Glass Tile Sign
We are tackling our second tile project today. And yes, we are using vinyl. However, I am going to teach you a technique that will give your tile signs a new look. The technique? Using Etching Cream! Yes, we are going to etch a glass tile to make a sign for our home.
You know when you go to a church potluck supper, people tend to fall into one of three camps. Those who bring their food in:
- their best serving dishes
- a practical for traveling container
- a disposable container.
I am always interested in the first group.
These folks have nice pieces and they aren’t afraid to use them! Carpe Diem, right?
And you know what I’ve found? A lot of those nicer serving pieces actually have etched designs. For example, many dishes have monograms etched into them. In fact, I have a set of glasses with a ‘P’ etched on the side!
Definition of Etched Glass
To create an etched design on glass at home, you will need to use etching cream.
So what is etching cream? Etching cream is a strong acid that changes the surface of (most) glass. Because it is such a strong acid, always wear rubber gloves, safety glasses, and long sleeves when using etching cream.
Etched glass is glass with a design created by applying etching cream.
Watch my step-by-step tutorial below to learn how to etch a glass tile:
Materials Needed To Etch Glass
We can create those same kinds of etched designs on glass tiles to create one-of-a-kind signs for our homes. Like many of my projects, this one requires only basic materials that you probably already have.
The only thing I had to purchase for this project was the etching cream. That is to say that I already had the other items in my stash, including glass tiles.
For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links which means I may make a commission, but it won’t cost you any more.
Materials List
- Cutting Machine, such as a Cricut Maker (affiliate link)
- Fonts*
- Cutting Mat (Standard grip, green) (affiliate link)
- Stencil Vinyl** (affiliate link)
- Permanent Vinyl (affiliate link)
- Weeding tools (pick and/or tweezers, scraper) (affiliate link)
- Transfer tape (affiliate link)
- Glass Tile(s) (check your home improvement stores)
- Rubbing Alcohol (affiliate link)
- Cleaning cloth or paper towels
- Ruler
- Marker or pencil
- Etching Cream (affiliate link)
- Rubber Gloves (affiliate link)
- Safety Glasses (affiliate link)
Get my step-by-step tutorial in the Maker Library. It’s free!
Stencils
First, to etch a design on glass tiles, you will need a stencil. With a cutting machine, like my Cricut Maker, you can cut out lots of different designs for your etching stencils.
Since I am making a glass tile sign, I used text as my design element for etching.
What if you don’t have a cutting machine? Even if you don’t have a cutting machine, you could still make this project by purchasing pre-cut stencils. Your selection would be limited, though.
Glass Tiles
Secondly, you will need a glass tile. The tiles I used were regular glass tiles that I purchased from Lowe’s Home Improvement store. Our last project used solid white tiles from Lowe’s, but I saw these cool glass tiles and knew they would be perfect for etching!
If you want to learn how to make a tile sign using just vinyl, check out my post, How to Make a Tile and Vinyl Sign To Spruce Up Your Decor. You can find the tutorial in my Maker Library – it’s item # 4.
Creating the Designs
After you have gathered all your supplies, you are ready to begin. Start by creating your background text and your text, just as we did in the Tile and Vinyl project.
Then add your background text. For the background text, choose a thicker font such as Impact. Make sure to size it so that it will fit on your tile.
Next, create your script text by choosing a script font. I went with my old standby, I Love Glitter font. I like the glyphs and I have the keyboard shortcut for the swirls memorized! Size this text so that it will fit over the background text. Make sure to size it for the tile, too.
After that let your cutting machine cut the stencil vinyl and the regular, permanent vinyl. Don’t forget to change your materials setting. I had never used stencil vinyl before, so I had to ‘browse my materials’ to find it. I used the default pressure setting and the fine point blade.
If you don’t have stencil vinyl, no worries. You should be able to use regular vinyl as the stencil. I have not actually tried this, but it makes sense to me that it would work. You just need a barrier to keep the etching cream contained.
Finally, weed both pieces of vinyl. For the script text, add transfer tape after you have finished weeding and set aside.
Etching the Glass Tile
Stick the stencil vinyl to your glass tile. Now it is time to etch!
Be sure to put on your safety equipment – vinyl gloves, safety glasses, and a long-sleeved shirt!
First, using a stencil brush, which is stiffer than a regular paintbrush, DAB the etching cream onto the cut-out parts of your stencil. Don’t be stingy with the etching cream. You want a thick coating.
Next, follow the directions for how long to let the etching cream stay on the glass tile. My directions said 1 – 3 minutes, and I left it on for the maximum time, so I would have a good etch on the glass tile.
After the time is up, wash off the etching cream. You still have your gloves on, right? Just checking. The tile should be rinsed well. Peel off the stencil, and admire the etching.
The last thing is to add your script text. Apply it and burnish it well, so get gets a good grip on the tile.
You are finished! And you have a wonderful new sign for your home that looks marvelous!
Certainly, do a happy dance!
I’ve created a short video showing you how to complete this project from start to finish. You can find it on my YouTube channel. I also created a step-by-step tutorial for you and it is in my Maker Library. You can join by filling out the form on the Maker Library page or on the form below! This project is item #5 in the Maker Library.
Tale of Two Etched Glass Signs
I made two etched glass signs. One of them was for Easter, so I displayed it on my mantle with my other spring decor. The other sign was for my office.
Cricut’s New Offset Function
For my Easter sign, I decided to do a knockout. I knocked out ‘He Is Risen’ from ‘EASTER, and I used Cricut’s new Offset function. Woohoo! It’s a gamechanger, folks.
Remember on our Tile and Vinyl project how we had to duplicate the script text many times, reposition, and weld in order to get a bubble shape around the script to knockout? Hey, it works, but it takes a bit of time to make a sign this way.
But with the Offset function, you just have to make a few clicks and voila, it’s done! Check it out in my video!
So I used the Offset function to create a knockout for my Easter sign, but for my other sign, I decided not to do a knockout.
Since this sign was for my office, the background text says CHEROKEE, and the script text says ‘Braves.’ I liked this look a lot, too.
The etched glass tile is a subtle design element and the simple ‘Braves’ script in yellow-gold (a school color) is perfect for the project.
Display and Enjoy
Pretty simple, right? Learning to etch a glass tile wasn’t so hard. I’ll bet there will be many more etched projects in the future now that we know how simple the process is.
Let me see your etched glass tiles on Facebook!
Interested in learning how to make handmade cards, but you aren’t sure where to start? Head on over to What Supplies Do You Need To Create A Basic Handmade Card?
Want a tutorial with step-by-step directions and screenshots for the Etched Glass Tile project? Join my Maker Library below for free and download item #5 from the Library!
