Etched in Glass (and a giveaway!!)

How has it been almost a year since I've blogged?  I don't know even know where the year went...actually I do.  We've been slightly busy this year!  We sold our house and bought a new one that has more than a few projects!  So hopefully this next year will bring some exciting new posts to share with you!

It's been really fun decorating our new house for Christmas.  And every new house deserves a couple new Christmas decorations, am I right?  I'm so excited to share some amazing Christmas projects from my Silhouette Challenge buddies and an exciting giveaway!  Be sure to check it out!

This year I had it in my mind that I wanted to make a set of glass etched ornaments.  Seemed like an easy idea and a great way to have custom ornaments for the tree and even as gifts!  As with any project, there were a couple unforeseen challenges, but I worked through most of them and in the end, they were far from perfect, but they are unique and cute and a great addition to our tree.



Supplies needed:

• Glass ornaments
• Vinyl
• Silhouette Cameo (or another cutting tool)
• Etching cream (I used this one)
• Ribbon

My first idea was to etch the entire ornament and leave the shape un-etched.  I cut out my favorite Christmas shapes on my Cameo and placed the vinyl the best I could onto the ornament.  This was the trickiest part of the whole project....something I didn't factor into the whole equation...glass ornaments are round.  Flat shapes are incredibly difficult to lay flat on a rounded surface.  I took a plastic card to try to smooth it out the best I could, but in the end there were still bubbles and edges that wouldn't lay completely flat.

Next I applied the etching cream all over and scraped it all the way around.  It only takes a couple seconds and it is ready to rinse.  Now the joyful deer head seen above did not turn out AT all.  The etching cream got underneath the vinyl and it was a complete mess.  I was very sad, but then I peeled off the truck and loved how it turned out!  1 out of 2...not bad!!

The next ones I attempted I used the vinyl around the shape as a stencil.  Sorry I didn't take any pictures of this part, but trust me, it was even harder to fit around the curve of the ornament than the shapes themselves.  Even with extra masking tape, the etching cream still leaked through some of the stencil, so I didn't end up with crisp lines, but it adds character, right?  (I'm going with with the character angle.)

I added some ribbon on top and some cute hooks to hang them on the tree.  Now we have a handful of cute personalized ornaments that add a lot of character to our tree (see, I'm still using the character thing!)

Lesson learned:  Don't use round surfaces when etching.

If I were to do this again I would try to find some of those flat glass ornaments.  They would be perfect for this!

So there you have it.  A somewhat easy addition to the tree :)  Be sure to check out the other amazing projects below and don't miss out on your chance to win some amazing prizes.  Merry Christmas!!

Want to Check Out More Silhouette Projects?

My Silhouette Challenge buddies and I are all sharing projects on our blogs today, so peruse the projects below for a wealth of Silhouette inspiration!


1. Beauty in the Mess // 2. JustTyra // 3. Dream a Little Bigger // 4. Simply Kelly Designs // 5. The Stamp Doc // 6. From Wine to Whine // 7. TheKimSixFix // 8. unOriginal Mom // 9. HaberdasheryFun // 10. Tastefully Frugal // 11. Sisters, What! // 12. Small Stuff Counts // 13. Where The Smiles Have Been // 14. Whatcha Workin' On? // 15. Designed Decor // 16. Architecture of a Mom // 17. Decor Adventures // 18. Create & Babble // 19. Tori Grant Designs // 20. Tried & True // 21. The Thinking Closet // 22. Creative Ramblings // 23. Get Silvered // 24. McCall Manor // 25. Cutesy Crafts // 26. Ginger Snap Crafts // 27. My Favorite Finds // 28. Cupcakes&Crowbars // 29. Pineapples & Pinecones // 30. The Crafting Nook // 31. It Happens in a Blink // 32. Alayna's Creations

And Finally the Silhouette Giveaway

And I’ve saved the best for last.  My Silhouette Challenge buddies and I in partnership with Silhouette America are hosting a mega-huge giveaway for not one, not two…but three winners!  The prizes up for grabs?

• First prize: Silhouette Cameo Machine & +50 bonus designs.  $349.49 value.
• Second prize: Silhouette Mint Custom Stamp Maker.  $129.99 value.
• Third prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card to put toward Silhouette supplies...or whatever is on your wish list!

Sweet, huh? To enter: just complete the entries in the Rafflecopter widget below or at this link.  Because of my many blog friends who helped make this giveaway possible, you have 36 potential entries, which means a lot of winning power.  So, hurry up and enter! {This giveaway runs from today through Monday, December 21st at 11:59p eastern and is open to anyone 18 years of age or older with a U.S. or Canada mailing address. You can read the rest of the terms and conditions in the widget below.} a Rafflecopter giveaway

--Have a very Merry Christmas!!