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Etch a Glass Vase for Mother’s Day!

With Mother’s Day coming up, sometimes it’s hard to know what to get that lovely lady! So I’ll etch a glass vase for her and my mother-in-law this year, putting some fresh flowers in for their special day. (Mom, act surprised when you get one of these!!)

Etch a Glass Vase for Mom

Etch a Glass Vase for Mom

Supplies:

  • Etching cream (Armour Etch)
  • sponge brush, watercolor brush
  • glass vase
  • optional: contact paper – found in the kitchen section (aka “shelf liner”)

Etching Glass Supplies

Instructions:

I chose to etch these glass vases by hand, but you can also use contact paper, as I’ve done before with a Cake Pan and a Pie Plate, to make an image or even cut vinyl. Vinyl and contact paper give it more clean lines, but I was in the mood for free form decorating this time. But be careful, as what ever your etching cream touches, gets etched!

Etching Glass CreamRead the instructions on the bottle. It’s pretty much: clean glass, dip brush in cream, paint glass, leave on for 6-8 minutes, wash off, and dry glass. The more you put on and the longer you leave it, the deeper the etched look. These are now ready to add flowers, a ribbon, and a card for Mom!

Etched Flower Vase

This will be a hit on Mother’s Day at your house! Have fun etching up a glass storm. You’re going to love this DIY project and will be making so many more!

More DIY Projects for Mom:

15 Gorgeous Woven Yarn Wall Hangings

Make any one of these gorgeous wall hanging from yarn! They will look so lovely on any wall in your mother’s house!

15 Gorgeous Woven Yarn Wall Hangings

Easy Italian Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

Treat your mom to a delicious homemade lunch! She’s going to love being so spoiled!

Easy Italian Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

15 Simple Keepsake Fingerprint Crafts

Craft mom one of these keepsakes from her grandchild, grandma’s go gaga for kid-made crafts!

15 Keepsake Fingerprint Crafts

Kid-Made Jewelry Dish Gift for Mother’s Day

How sweet is this DIY jewelry dish?! Mom is going to love it.

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39 comments

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  2. I made my mom a basket type thing to hold a flower pot. I used newspaper and made paper mache, but in a pulp form, just throw everything into a food processor! Then formed it to a big serving bowl. As it was drying i added an assortment of wild flower seeds to the outside. So after mom received her pot she broke it up watered it down and threw it in and around the garden, then pop up came the flowers really really easy project, you can make it different colors by using food dye or even different colors of paper. Have fun!

  3. Meghan – Yes, it’s safe. In fact, if you etch on something edible, like a pie plate or pan, it’s best to dish wash it first. And I don’t think I use enough of the cream at one time to harm the sink. I’ve been making lots of these, so I think it’s okay.

  4. I LOVE this idea but had a few questions. Is it dishwasher safe after the etching cream? Is it safe to wash off the excess down the sink? I just know how potent it is, so I wanted to check before I used it. Love your site and ideas!! You are so creative!

  5. Megan – I actually mean the Kitchen/Home section of a Walmart. It’s usually found with the wire dish washing containers. I guess it’s called “Shelf Liner”, same thing. I hope that helps. Sorry, I should have been more specific. I changed how it reads in my post!

  6. I can NEVER find contact paper. Are you saying it’s in the kitchen section of a craft store? Even the employees at the 3 different craft chains I’ve been to claim they don’t carry contact paper, but I’d LOVE to prove them wrong!

  7. I was so in need of an idea….with 9 people to give gifts to it can be expensive! Thanks. I’ll have to post how mine turn out.

  8. What a great idea! I have etched my name on my Pyrex dishes with stencils but never thought of free hand etching on vases…very cute!

    My mom doesn’t like me to spend money and buy her presents so I try to think of creative homemade gifts…one year I memorized a poem about mothers another year I wrote a poem for her. The last couple of years I have made her a DVD of the most recent home videos of my cute kids…homemade gifts are great because they feel more from the heart :)

  9. What a great idea! I’m going to have to remember this idea for another time!

    What I did this year was super cheap and super easy….and super cute! Michael’s has dollar wooden frames. So I got my mom and mother in law each one, and picked out scrapbook paper for them. I traced the frames on the paper, cut out the paper and modge podged it on. I used my cuttlebug to die cut some shapes to put on as well. I added some rhinestones, and ta-da! A cute frame where a picture of my equally cute daughter is going to go! You could use all sorts of things to embellish them: ribbon, fabric flowers, rhinestones, brades….the possibilities are endless!

  10. great idea! My kids found me some old glass bottles in the woods last year and I cleaned them up. I will have to try this technique on those.

    Thanks for a great idea and for sharing!

  11. One year I bought a journal and wrote my most favorite memories of my Mom and gave it to her on Mother’s Day. We sat for an hour and laughed reading and remembering the wonderful times we’ve had. She said it was the best present she’s ever recieved.

  12. Love this! I have some vases that would be perfect. I have been trying to think of a handmade gift for my moms and grandmas. It’s like you can read my mind! :)

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