After deciding to take on this project, I felt overwhelmed and a little let down by the lack of knowledge out there in tutorial land - so as a way to say thanks for all the help I've gotten in the past I've put together a little how to of my own:TUTORIAL: DIY ETCHED GLASS
So you want a little more privacy in your bathroom shower? How bout giving a nice frosted look to the oh so exposing window - better yet - while you're at it why not add a spiffy Rekoj motif!
Supplies:
glass or mirror to be etched
source of running water (preferably with a hose for large projects)
contact laminate paper
squeegee or rubber spatula
x-acto knife
sharpie
paper towels
glass cleaner
rubber gloves
etching cream (I used Armour Etch)
disposable paint brush
Respirator (if you will be covering a large surface)
1. Prep your surface - thoroughly clean with glass cleaner and paper towels and allow to dry.
2. Apply the contact laminate - Cover the glass with enough laminate for the spiffy design of your choice. The laminate can be purchased in a roll for large projects - I got mine from Home Depot. It can be a little tricky to apply over a large area however. Best to have extra on-hand. Smooth the laminate over the glass adhering slowly with the squeegee pushing the air bubbles and creases out as you go. Get it as close as you can - mine still had a few air bubbles and creases that I just couldn't get and it still turned out okay. Once your laminate is covering the area where you want the design you are ready to draw on the design.
3. Cut Time - Wherever the laminate is adhered to the glass is where the etching will NOT be. Draw you design appropriately for the look you want. For this project I wanted the design to be the negative - the bamboo would appear wherever the glass was not frosted. Using your x-acto knife, carefully cut out your design.
4. Prep Yourself - Etching cream can be very dangerous! Please heed all cautions on the label of the cream you will be using. To our right Rekoj is modeling her safety fashion: full clothing coverage, a $25 ventilator, goggles and she is about to don her oh so hip rubber gloves. Even with the ventilator make sure that the space you are in is well ventilated - this assures not only your health but the health of anyone passing by your work area as well! I had the bathroom vent going as well as a box fan in the doorway.
5. Apply the Etching Cream - using the paint brush apply the etching cream generally to the glass and over the design. You want a nice thick coverage to lessen the chance of any streaking. Work as fast you possibly can - this stuff will solidify quick and will not allow for spreading around. Just galosh it up there as thick as you can manage without running out. (The window pictured used up almost a full 24 oz jar)
6. Wait - Follow instructions for the cream you are using. I left mine on for a few minutes extra than the recommended time. I used this wait time to rinse the etching cream off my gloves and brush.
7. Rinse - I attached a small hose by removing the shower head. I then stood on a chair outside of the shower doors to protect myself from splatter. Rinse completely until all traces of the etching cream is gone. I gave a nice thorough rinse to the shower itself as well.
8. Finis! - Remove the laminate and dry off the glass with a towel. Clean the glass a second time with glass cleaner and then stand back and marvel at just how cool that looks.
Yep. Made of Awesome.
Welcome Back to Seattle Rekoj!
