A perfect Valentine’s Day gift for the favorite guy in your life, this DIY Etched Glass Whiskey Tumbler is super easy and inexpensive to make.

It’s so easy to pick out adorable Valentine’s Day gifts for my boys. However, it’s a different story with my husband; I never know what to get. I was so excited to make this DIY personalized whiskey tumbler because I know it will be an excellent gift for him.

My husband enjoys having the occasional glass of whiskey and he usually uses whatever small glass we have in the cabinet. I thought he would find it cool to have his own special whiskey glass. With my trusty Cricut and a Dollar Store whiskey tumbler, this project came together in minutes. Yet, it is a thoughtful gift that I’m sure he will love.

What is glass etching?

For this DIY project, I used the art technique of glass etching to create a personalized design on the whiskey tumbler. Glass etching is when you use an acidic or abrasive substance that essentially eats away at the glass. There are etching creams for consumers, like the one I used, that consist of a diluted mixture of chemicals. When applied to the surface of glass, this cream slowly eats away at the glass. This process causes the glass to become opaque where the cream is applied. Thereby creating a permanent design.

What can I glass etch?

What if your special guy doesn’t drink whiskey? Well, the good thing about glass etching is that you can etch most types of glass. Some other glasses you can etch are:

• Pint glass – for the beer lover in your life or for a really cool water glass.
• Shot glass – it doesn’t matter the size of the glass, just adjust your SVG design size and you are good to go.
• Wine glass – I have seen some really cool etched wine glasses for sale. Save yourself the money and make your own personalized one!

What are SVG files?

SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. It’s basically an image that can be uploaded and resized to any dimension. They are the best type of file to upload into your vinyl cutting machine because the software already knows how to process it. When we create a design, we save it as an SVG file. That is the easiest way to be able to provide the file to you for upload to your machine.

HOW TO MAKE AN ETCHED GLASS WHISKEY TUMBLER

Using my Cricut Maker and a Dollar Store whiskey tumbler, this personalized etched glass was so easy to create and took less than 30 minutes.

WHAT YOU NEED:

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TOOLS NEEDED:

• Cricut Maker, or any vinyl cutting machine
• StandardGrip mat
• Weeding toolset
• Scraper

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Whiskey tumbler (I found mine at the Dollar Store, but you can find some online)
• SVG file
• Etching Cream
• Removable vinyl
• Transfer tape

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Download our free SVG files.

We created two different Valentine’s Day SVG designs that you can download and use to make your etched glass. Otherwise, use whatever design you would like. Upload it to your Cricut, or whichever vinyl cutting machine you have, and adjust the size according to your glass.

These Printables and/or SVG designs are exclusive for A Home To Grow Old In subscribers to download for FREE. Just sign-up below and you’ll receive an email with the information to access the resource library that contains the SVG.

Once you’ve confirmed your email address, you’ll be enrolled in our weekly newsletter full of our latest posts as well as content that is exclusive for A Home To Grow Old In subscribers. Plus, you’ll have access to our Resource Library that is full of free printables and SVG cut files.

Free printables and SVG files from A Home To Grow Old In are for your own PERSONAL USE ONLY.

2. Cut out your Valentine’s Day design.

When using your Cricut to cut out your design, make sure to use removable vinyl. You are only using the vinyl to mark where to apply the etching cream, then you will be removing it. Therefore, removable vinyl works best because it’s the easiest to take off the glass. Place the vinyl on your mat and put it in your Cricut to be cut.

Once the design is cut, weed it. Thereby, removing the parts where you want to apply the etching cream. Make sure there is a border of vinyl around your design to keep the etching cream in place.

3. Use transfer tape to apply design to whiskey tumbler.

It can be a little tricky applying a design to a round glass. For the mustache heart design, I recommend snipping the vinyl at the top and bottom of the heart. This will help you move and shape the design to make it easier to get all the air bubbles out. Then you can overlap the cut pieces once on the glass to seal it for the cream application.

Ensuring all the bubbles are out will help you avoid getting the etching cream under your design, where you don’t want it. What is great about using glass is that you can look at the other side (the back of your design) and physically see where any air bubbles are.

Once the vinyl is ready, burnish transfer tape onto your removable vinyl. Then carefully apply it to your glass, using the tips above.

4. Apply etching cream.

Stir the etching cream with a popsicle stick. Then, with a paintbrush apply a fairly thick layer of etching cream. Let it sit a minute, then go over it with the paintbrush to work out any air bubbles. You don’t need to add anymore cream, just slowly work your way around the design. Move the cream around to get it settled in better and close up any air bubbles. Once again, you can view the design from the backside and see if there are any bubbles.

When you are done applying it, the etching cream needs to sit on the glass for at least 5 minutes. The longer you leave it on, the more opaque it will become. I left the cream on for 15 minutes with these designs.

5. Carefully wash off etching cream and remove vinyl.

Over an empty sink, carefully wash off all the etching cream. Once, all the etching cream is off the glass, remove the vinyl. Then, thoroughly wash the whiskey glass before using it. It is dishwasher safe.

What to get him for Valentine’s Day?

Shopping for guys can be hard sometimes. Here are some other really cool gift ideas for your significant other. If you do make our fancy etched glass whiskey tumblers, let us know what your gift recipient thinks! I can’t wait to give them to my husband!

What’s Next?

You may also enjoy these Valentine’s Day ideas on A Home To Grow Old In: 

• DIY Valentine’s Glitter Coffee Cups
• Personalized Valentine’s Day Mailbox
• Easy DIY Valentine’s Projects