Personalized Etched Glass Bakeware Tutorial (2024)

Okay, so my long-awaited Glass Etching Starter Kit arrived on Thursday, and I pretty much spent the entire weekend playing with it! The verdict? Well, I’ll let this photo speak for itself:

Pretty snazzy, right? 4 of my most frequently used bakeware items are now etched using 3 unique designs (I’ll be offering those up as free cut files in this post, don’t you fret!), and I already know what my Christmas gifts will be this year. Personalized etched glass bakeware for everyone! (Family members, you never read this. These are not the droids you are looking for.)

Below, you’ll find my tutorial with more photos and details than you’ll ever need, so you can get a head-start on your holiday gift-making, too!

First, let me show you the magic I found inside my Glass Etching Starter Kit when I ripped open the box:

Glass Etching Starter Kit:

Etching cream (2 fl oz)
Stencil vinyl (9 in x 3 ft) – clear –more sticky than regular vinyl and able to withstand liquid over top of it
Transfer tape (9 in x 3 ft) – clear with brown backing
Silhouette hook –my favorite tool!
Silhouette scraper
10 exclusive etching designs
Instructional DVD
Idea/Instruction book

Personalized Etched Glass Bakeware Tutorial

Step 1. Create your design. I created my first design for my 8″ x 8″ casserole dishes using Century New Gothic font (my all-time favorite font!) to spell out our last name for a simple, modern look. Then, I found a free clip art file of some cutlery that I traced, then selected “release compound path,” so I could delete any unwanted parts of the traced shape and reorient the fork and spoon as I wanted them.

I created my second design for my 9″ x 13″ casserole dish using the free font, Callie Hand, for a more playful version of our last name. Then, I pieced together some bunting with bows on the ends because…who doesn’t love some festive bunting?

Lastly, for my glass pie pan, I went a more “flowery” route, using the free font, KG Hard Candy, to spell out my text. I replaced the “o” in love with a heart because I’m cheesy like that. And for the palm embellishments, I usedBergamot Ornaments. *NOTE: Make sure if you are etching on the bottom of a glass pan to flip the design horizontally (so it’s backwards) prior to cutting, just like you would with HTV!

Free Cut File

And although you’ll obviously have your own personalized text to create, I thought I’d share all of my designs to give you a sense of scale and also so you can use the embellishments! You can sign up to download your free .studio cut file by clicking HERE. {Fine print: this design is for personal use only and is not to be used for commercial purposes. Thanks!} Have fun!

Step 2. Cut your design. Cut a piece of the stencil vinyl (white roll) large enough for your design, place it on your mat and load it into your machine. You can also directly load the vinyl into the machine; just be sure to select LOAD MEDIA in that case, not LOAD CUTTING MAT. Select “vinyl” in your Silhouette Studio software cut settings window, set your blade at the recommended setting of 2, and cut away!

Step 3. Weed your design. If you thought weeding regular vinyl was therapeutic, stencil vinyl is evenmorecalming somehow. Just remember that whatever you weed away is what will be etched. You’re essentially creating a stencil with the negative space left behind.

Step 4. Apply transfer tape to your design. The transfer tape is clear, but came stored on brown paper in my kit. You want to apply the transfer tape on top of your stencil, and I recommend peeling back just a small portion of the transfer tape, starting on one end, and working your way across. You can use your scraper tool to smooth the transfer tape atop your stencil as you go. Some air bubbles will remain, but as long as you smooth out the ones close to the edges of your stencil, you should be good to go.

Step 5. Apply the stencil to your glassware. This is always the scary part for me, mostly because the stencil vinyl sticks so strongly to the glass, it can be easy to get off kilter and end up with a crooked design. So, if you can, just apply a small section of your stencil and transfer paper to the top of your glassware, make sure it’s centered, then use your scraper tool to apply it smoothly across the rest of the glassware. Peel away your transfer tape, checking to make sure all parts of the stencil remain on the glass, and then use your finger to work out any air bubbles near the edges of your stencil. (This probably goes without saying, but your glassware should be clean and dry to start.)

So, does etching cream really work on Pyrex bakeware?

Now, I’ve heard rumors that Pyrex dishes “reject” etching creams. I’ve been told that you need to stick to inexpensive, non-name-brand glassware from places like the Dollar Store. But since I’m stubborn, I thought I’d give it a whirl. Let the record show that yes indeed, you canetch Pyrex bakeware using Silhouette brand etching cream. (Which is a good thing considering I have a whole Pyrex collection.)

Lauren’s Tips & Tricks for Glass Etching

After etching three different pieces, here are some tips and tricks that I learned along the way:

Make sure you’re working in a well-lit area. You’re dealing with clear stencil vinyl and clear transfer paper and clear dishes…you’ll want to be in the best lit area in the house with your glasses on!
Give yourself more margin than you think on your stencil. You don’t want to worry about the etching cream going over the edge of your stencil and onto areas you don’t want to etch…so give yourself an inch or more around the edge of your design so that you have plenty of room for spillage. You could even use painter’s tape to mask off more area if you want to save your stencil vinyl.
Cap your etching cream in between projects and also shake it well between projects…even if your projects are just 20 minutes apart. Otherwise, it will start to clump.
Lay out paper towels beneath your workspace and have a roll of paper towels nearby.
Don’t be dismayed when it appears your etching has completely washed away when you run it under water. It does appear to fade away, but after it dries, you’ll find the design should be clear and visible!
Avoid applying your stencil to the curved parts of your bakeware or atop letters, otherwise your etching cream might leak beneath the stencil.
If you can practice first on a small piece of glassware that you don’t care too much about, I recommend it! You’ll get the swing of working with the materials.

UPDATE!

Since originally publishing this post, word of glass etching’s awesomeness has spread…and I have received a slew of “frequently asked questions” on the subject.

So, I decided to dedicate an entire follow-up postto answering all of yourquestions on the art of the etched casserole dish. Together with this post, you’ll have all the info you need tobecome a glass etching rockstar.

Just click HERE to check it out!

Silhouette Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered my Silhouette Portrait Giveaway! I really enjoyed your comments about your favorite casserole and pot luck dishes…it certainly got my stomach rumbling! Now, it’s time to announce the lucky winner of a brand new Silhouette Portrait machine.

Can I get a drumroll, pah-lease?

The winner…as chosen by Rafflecopter and powered by random.org is…

Congrats, Kirsten! Now, start dreaming up some etching designs so you can put your new Portrait to use a.s.a.p.

Happy Monday, y’all!

Full Disclosure:I was not compensated for this post; however, I received free product in exchange for an honest review. This post containsaffiliatelinks, meaning that if you make a purchase using my code, I receive a small commission. Please rest assured that as always, I only recommend products that I use and love. And my enthusiasm for my Silhouette Cameo is the real deal! (Just ask my husband.)

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