Etch Your Own Mirror

Ever looked at a mirror in your home and thought it needed something more? Here you will find a technique in glass etching! Add your own custom design and text to glass!

Step 1 Gather Materials

I will be using a technique very similar, almost identical, in fact, to that seen in this instructablethis instructable, so let all credit due to this author be shown.

The materials I used are as follows:

Large mirror (I purchased mine at Wal-Mart, they had many cheap and decent looking ones)
Armour Etch (found mine at etchworld.com)
Foam paint brushes
Contact paper (kitchen section at Wal-Mart)
Xacto Knife
Cutting Board
Pencils
Ruler
Printer
Glass Cleaner

Comments

[bornahorse]

Looks awesome! I'm going to try it!
Such a beautiful choice of scripture!!! <3

[Quinne]

Thanks so much for this guide! I used it on a mirror of my own.  One tip though-- Instead of cutting out the text on the computer paper, color over the back of the letters with a lead pencil (the heavier the better), and then tape the computer paper to the contact paper.  Take a sharp pencil (mechanical is good) and trace the outlines of the letters on the computer paper.  This basically makes a carbon-style copy onto the contact paper, and is soooo easy!

[recrisp]

Go to any vinyl sign shop and have them make you a masking stencil, the vinyl comes in different styles, some are made just for masking, such as this. I've used it, and it works perfectly, and it's really cheap also. Cutting the letters by hand can drive a person crazy. :)

[artsman23]

Yes. This is how I make my stencils. I use my sign shop equipment to cut out stencils wheter it be a design, lettering, or both. Lately I have been doing this free for people if they linked to my website from theirs. Just set up a link to my website and give me an email here: http://www.glassetchingsecrets.com/freestencils.html

What I do is take any words you want or pattern you send me and I then make a stencil based on your dimensions and ship it out to you. If you have any questions leave me a comment. Thanks
-Eric

[omnibot]

Unless they're already crazy in which case it's fine.
_{Moah ha ha aha ah ha}

[shrekgirl]

beautiful! I'm making something similar, for my boyfriend. applying on a round mirror a drawing I made of the two of us together. thank you for the FANTASTIC IDEA !!

[maruawe]

Armor etch cuts away a thin layer of the glass giving a frosted look to the glass.. and it is forever,make a mistake then you will know for sure, Any way you can use a squeege as in screen printing ,but be careful that the edges are pressed down correctly... GOOD JOB

[LinuxH4x0r]

Nice! I wonder if you could etch it with a laser. That way the etched part wouldn't be exposed

[claytontheaggie]

Maybe so! I don't know how to do that, but if you find out, let me know! Sounds like it would be fun to try!

[LinuxH4x0r]

It would allow you to etch it at a certain depth, not just on the surface, so you would still have the same smooth surface (easier to clean). Sort of like how they did this

[reedz]

Song of Songs is the first book of the Bible I read all the way through, it's short but it is beautiful.

[thematthatter]

you should have done something like "Contents in mirror are closer than they appear."

[SWV1787]

my mom did this to a mirror in our bathroom in the early '90's and it is still there it looks just as nice as when it was first done too...

[claytontheaggie]

Glad to hear it! This is my first time to try this, and I was wondering how long lasting it would be!

[alex-sharetskiy]

kick @ss!