Reversed Etched Christmas Window DIY Christmas Crafts Recycled Window

Vicky Kloppenborg
by Vicky Kloppenborg
2 Materials
$30
2 Days
Easy
Stop! Don't throw out those old windows! Make something pretty! I don't think it's ever to early to start crafting for Christmas, I could do it throughout the whole year. Here's a fun, easy project that's great for gift giving, vendor shows, and your own holiday decor.
The idea of reverse etching on old window panes came about after I noticed some little brass embossing stencils in my daughter’s scrap booking supplies. They were so cute! Out of curiosity, I laid one on the overhead projector just to see what it looked like in a larger scale, and that’s all it took, I wanted to get the designs on a window somehow.
Easily a weekend project, they’re great for gift giving, vendor shows, or your own Christmas decor. I used an old window, an enlarged snowflake stencil pattern, small clear ruler, matte contact paper, exacto knife, template pencil, large snowflake paper punch, hole paper punch, 10 oz. Armour etching cream, 3″ wide chip brush, E6000, small beveled glass star sets, and clear glass globs. My pattern was planned around the small glass bevels I had on hand.
My window looked a little rough, so after giving it a good scrub, it got a couple coats of white paint.
A snowflake pattern was used to redraw the design with the glass pieces I had to use.
Copies were made of the pattern, then a window was used as a light box to trace the patterns on their backside.
Arrange the patterns to your liking, on the front side of the window, and tape them into place.
Flip the window face down. Clean the glass thoroughly. Apply matte contact paper down over your patterns. Use an old plastic gift/credit card to help apply it smoothly and work out any air bubbles. Trace the patterns on to the glass with a template pencil.
Remove the paper patterns from the front, then, use an exacto knife and a small clear ruler, or straightedge, to cut the snowflakes out of the contact paper.
I used a large Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch and a regular hole punch to punch more shapes out of the matte contact paper. I found it worked best if the paper was inserted into the punch sticky side up. Card stock was punched a couple times in between each large snowflake to keep the punch from getting sticky and causing the contact paper to bind.  My hole punch was pretty sharp so I didn’t have to punch the card stock much to keep it clean.
Peel the contact paper from the punched shapes and arrange them around the snowflakes.
I stood my window up, in a window, to get a good look at it. Tiny pieces of painter’s tape marked where more dots were needed.
For the full tutorial, please click on the blog link below.
Let's do some etching!
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Vicky Kloppenborg
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  3 questions
  • Jeorjia Sue Gooch Jeorjia Sue Gooch on Nov 18, 2017

    could you use old picture frames with glass with this project?

  • Lollie Lollie on Nov 18, 2017

    Where exactly can I find the etching cream? Amazon perhaps? So awesome.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Lollie

  • LINDA LINDA on Nov 19, 2017

    If you wanted to do this in "reverse"...I'm thinking leave the matte contact design on after cutting out the shape and leave the glass clear?? Could this work...so then in the spring replace snowflakes with flowers or whatever matte contact paper designs on the same window?? for each holiday....you think the matte contact paper would act as the "etched" design if it's on the back of the window?


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  • Katherine Howard Jones Katherine Howard Jones on Nov 18, 2017

    I was just wondering what to do with the second of two panels removed from our bedroom wall. One will be a faux stained glass - the other one will be like yours!

  • Enolac Enolac on Nov 19, 2017

    Beautiful! and what patience you have.

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