You didn’t honestly think I would conclude my experience writing for SYE without doing one last DIY, did you?
Photograph by Kelly Prizel
I had been saving this post for after the wedding because I really wanted just one thing to be a surprise for our guests, and that was the favors! Nic and I looked at lots of pre-made favors when we were trying to decide what to give. One day while perusing Etsy I stumbled upon a shop that sold etched beer glasses with mustaches. I knew Nic would LOVE them, but I also knew we couldn’t afford them.
When I was in my early teens someone gave me a glass etching kit which I loved to use. My Mom on the other hand, not so thrilled to come home and find her favorite mixing bowls sporting brand new etched flower motifs. So I talked Nic into crafting our very own mustache champagne flutes!!
We designed this mustache on the computer and printed it out in several different sizes. I tried each inside the champagne flutes to find the one that fit best.
Then I traced the design onto some tracing paper and filled in the mustache with a pencil.
To etch your custom design you will need to buy blank reusable stencil material available at most craft stores, and also online HERE.
Position the tracing face down on the stencil material. You will need to make a few stencils as they tend to loose their stickiness after several uses. We made 75 flutes and wound up using 4 stencils.
Then rub the mustache onto the stencil material. You will have to go back over the tracing with a pencil before you do the next one.
To help me see the edge of the design I outlined it with a pen.
I put the stencil material onto a sticky cutting mat to keep it from moving while I cut the shape out with a knife.
Be very careful when removing areas with small pieces so as not to tear the stencil.
After you have the stencil cut out apply it to a cleaned glass and put some tape around the edges to protect it from the etching cream. Make sure you rub around the edge of the cut out area to make sure it is stuck down, and there are no bubbles underneath.
Using a non-synthetic paint brush apply a generous amount of the etching cream to the area. We used Armor Etch cream which can be found at any craft store, or online HERE.
Allow the glass to sit with the cream on it for about 5-10 minutes. Then put on some rubber gloves and rinse the cream off the glass, remove the stencil, and then clean again with glass cleaner. You will need to wash all of the glasses again with dish soap before using them.
And there you have it a custom etched glass favor. These were a HUGE hit with our guests!
I had no idea that etched glasses were made this way! You’ve made it look so easy–AND when I first saw your wedding photos I was blown away by this DIY touch in particular!!
Fabulous!
I think I might die from cuteness! These glasses are FAN-DAMN-TASTIC! Thanks for sharing how you did it!
These look so great! And much easier than I thought!
I can’t believe you made these! Amazing!
That is so freakin’ cool! I think the DIY approach makes it way more personal than if you had bought them. Such an awesome idea!
My mom got us etched champagne flutes with our names and wedding date, but sadly they broke on the flight home from Hawaii. :(
Congrats on your wedding!