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When I got married an eon ago I was so excited to use my new last name. Being called Mrs. Jensen gave me a thrill each and every time it happened. My favorite gift to give as a wedding present is guaranteed to give that thrill every time it is used.
With just a few supplies, you can transform an already super useful set of Pyrex baking dishes into something that will put a smile on the faces of the happy couple whenever they bake or cook with them. And, if the couple will not be sharing the same last name, this can still work – I've got you covered!
This is also a fantastic gift for a housewarming, or as a host/hostess gift. Take treats and leave the cool dish – it's a win/win.
You can watch the video tutorial here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
Supplies
Any piece of glass Pyrex or other glass bakeware. I love to give this set because it includes the sizes I use most in my own kitchen
Etching Cream - this one comes with two small paint brushes
brush to apply cream if the etching cream didn't come with any
Cricut or Silhouette
any color of vinyl – my favorite vinyl is Oracal 651 which is a permanent vinyl
cutting mat - I have really liked these which are much cheaper than actual Cricut mats
weeding tools - I have the really old version of this set
transfer tape - I LOVE this kind and the roll lasts FOREVER
apron
optional – dry erase marker
When I give this as a wedding present I usually buy the larger set and etch onto at least two of the dishes just for fun. Make sure you don't buy any glassware that says it is scratch or impact resistant as these types may not etch properly. And pay attention as you unwrap that glassware. It's an origami puzzle and if you are like me and want to re-wrap the pieces in their original packaging you will need to know how it all goes back together.
Getting your stencil ready
I've seen many different designs on etched dishes. Some include “Made with love and a whole lot of butter,” “Food tastes better when shared with friends,” "Please return to so and so so she can make us more,” a family name or monogram, “Happiness is homemade,” and “Many have eaten here. Few have died.”
My personal favorites to use are the last name of the person or family you are giving it to, and “If you can read this, you have eaten too much.”
Whatever you decide to put on the dish, get it ready to go in your design software. Since I use a Cricut Maker, I will be creating my file in Cricut Design Space. Create a new project by clicking the big green New Project button in the upper right corner of the screen.
Then select text from the options on the left of the screen. A text box will pop up and the word text will automatically be highlighted in green. From this point you can just start typing – no need to delete the word Text first.
This next bit is the fun part – select your font. I usually spend way too long picking just the right font. For this project I used a free font called “Chicken Hut” that is supposed to look like the Chick-fil-A font which is a favorite restaurant for the family I am gifting the dish to. The font is available at DaFont.com which is a fantastic resource.
You can easily switch your font by making sure your text box is selected and clicking on the drop down arrow next to the word font. Select the font you want to test out and bam, new font.
While I liked the font, I didn’t love the extra space it placed between the letters. This is an easy fix. Select the text box, and then click on the box in the upper right that says ungroup. This will tell Design Space to think of the letters individually instead of as part of a whole word. Now you can move each letter around where you want it.
Once you have your design looking just the way you want, I like to select the entire design and press the weld button in the lower right corner. This tells Design Space to cut your words exactly how you see them on the screen instead of moving them around to save materials in the cutting process.
Once you finally settle on the perfect font, it's time to make it the right size. I use a ruler or tape measure to get the correct measurements of the area I want to put the etching on. Be careful of curves, and if you are putting your design on the bottom of the dish watch out for any glass bumps from the manufacturer.
We do want to use the outside of the dish because glass etching actually removes the top layer of glass, and the etched area might stain if it comes in contact with food. For this project I am using a 9 x 13 pan (my favorite size), and so I measured one of the long sides of the dish.
Once you have your measurements, click on the text box and then go to the top of the screen where you will a section labeled size. Within this section are two boxes – the width of the design (w) and the height (h). These boxes will automatically be set to change proportionally to each other. These means if you change the width it will also change the height and vice versa to keep the design to the same proportions.
If you want to make it wider but not taller etc., just click the little padlock above it which will unlock the measurements. Now when you change one of the measurements the other will stay the same. I am setting my measurements to 8 inches long and 1.25 inches high. This will be different based on how long the name or phrase you are using is and the size of the dish you are etching onto.
Cutting your stencil
Let's talk vinyl. You can use any vinyl for this project since it will be used as a stencil and you will be throwing it away after you etch. In the past I have used clear Contact paper which works great BUT since it is clear, is rather hard to see once you place it on the clear glass. I find it much easier to use colored vinyl so I can see it when I apply it and when I am actually etching.
I use permanent vinyl for this project. You can also use removable vinyl, but when I tried I had bleeding of the etching cream underneath so for me it's going to be permanent. My favorite is Oracal 651.
It's time to cut the vinyl. Place your vinyl on your cutting mat with the colored, pretty side up. A regular green mat will work for this if you are using a Cricut.
Click Make It from the upper right corner of Design Space.
Now, this next part is important to focus in on: I like to face the name I am etching so that when you are scooping food out of the dish and looking in from the top, you can read the name. And, because the name will be on the outside as I mentioned earlier, I need to reverse or “mirror” the image. If I don't mirror it, it will be backwards when you are looking in from the top. Make sense? This is the time to click the mirror button on the left side of the screen below the design.
The next step is to click the green continue button on the lower right side and select your materials.
If you are using the Oracal 651, my machine cuts best if I select Everyday Vinyl and then change the pressure to More instead of Default.
Once the arrow light is flashing on your Cricut, insert your mat with the vinyl on it under the rollers and press the flashing light. The machine will roll the mat in and the C Cricut button will begin to flash. Go ahead and press it and wait for the magic to happen.
Once the machine cuts the design, I remove the entire sheet of vinyl from my mat and cut away any large chunks that didn't get cut to save the vinyl for another project. But, I leave about two inches on all the sides so that when I put on the etching cream I have a margin that will cover the areas I DON'T want etched. And it helps if you cut your vinyl evenly and straight on the sides. If it is uneven it will be harder to line it up on your dish and keep the design straight.
Getting the stencil ready
I put the cut piece back on top of the mat and use my weeding tool to remove the sections of vinyl I don't want – in this case the LETTERS. Remember, you want to use this as a stencil.
Time for the transfer tape. There is a link above in the Supply list to the kind that I LOVE from Amazon. It's clear so you can see where you are placing things and this roll will last FOREVER.
Cut a piece of transfer tape large enough to cover your cut design. Place it sticky side down on top of the vinyl and use a scraping tool to adhere the vinyl to the tape by rubbing it over the top.
Slowly peel up the tape bringing the entire cut piece of vinyl with it. If any parts are not attached, put that section back down on the mat and use the scraping tool to rub across them and try to lift it again. Once the whole design has been peeled off the vinyl backing you are ready to place it on the dish.
To get your glass ready, use a paper towel or a coffee filter (a dust free option) and rub the area where you are placing your design with rubbing alcohol. This removes any dust and also any oils from your fingers which gives the vinyl a better chance of really sticking to your glass.
To help me line up the vinyl on the dish, I use a ruler and a dry erase marker to find the center of the dish and mark it. The dry erase marker will wipe right off at the end.
Now find the center of your actual design by folding the transfer tape in half UNSTICKY sides together and line up the beginning and end of your word/name/phrase and press a slight crease into the transfer tape (NOT THE VINYL). You don't want creases in the vinyl – they would lead to bleeding of etching cream because the creased pieces of vinyl will not lay flat against the glass.
Line up the crease in the transfer tape with the dry erase mark and make sure everything looks straight as you press down on top of the transfer tape.
Rub on the top of the tape with your scraper and then slowly peel up the transfer tape making sure the vinyl design stays on the glass. Press all over the vinyl to make sure it is all stuck on and focus on making sure the edges of the cut design are pressed completely on.
Etching your design
At this point you should put on an apron and disposable gloves so you don't get any etching cream on your hands or cute clothes.
Using a regular paint brush, apply the etching cream. I usually dump some out on a paper plate so I can easily access it as I'm applying. You don't need to load it onto your design but keep brushing it around for about five minutes so you know the whole design is covered. Any etching cream left over after you are done can be scraped back into the jar for next time.
At the five minute mark, use your GLOVED hand to rinse off the cream. I rub at the cream while water is running over the top of it.
Once ALL of the cream is rinsed off, I pull off the vinyl and throw it away.
Immediately after taking off the vinyl, use a small amount of dish soap to scrub over the top of the etched image and then rinse it off.
Your etched glassware is done!
All that's left to do is dry it off and appreciate your mad etching skills. Ta da! Isn't it glorious?!
If you are putting the dish or dishes back into the original packaging, I recommend writing something on the outside of the box with Sharpie to let them know that they need to take a peek at it just in case they get duplicates and want to return some glassware.
Here are some FREE gift tags to make it extra cute for weddings, to give to a host or hostesses, or for a housewarming:
And, if you want to drop off your beautifully etched gift with a treat already inside (which is next level gifting) I have a fantastic recipe for you. These Rice Krispie treats are delicious and super easy to make. They are adored by adults and kids alike and can also easily be make dairy and gluten free if that is your thing.
Super Deluxe Rice Krispie Treats
9 cups Rice Krispies – the Malt O Meal brand of rice krispies is gluten free and is available at most Walmarts
8 tablespoons of butter – if you substitute oil here it makes these dairy free
2 packages of 10 ounce mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla
Combine the butter (or oil) and one package of marshmallows and microwave for about 1 minute. You can also heat these on the stove but keep an eye on it the entire time because they burn easily. You are done microwaving (or heating on the stove) when the marshmallows are melted enough to stir into a marshmallow fluff like consistency. Add in your vanilla and mix. Now add in the rice krispies and the second bag of marshmallows. Mix it all together. Dump the mixture into a 9x13 pan and use hands damp with water to press it all down and flatten out the top.
Happy Crafting!