Succulents have become so popular recently and I’ve seen so many cute ways to display them. There are even planting parties cropping up all over the place. (Why did I never think of something like that?)
I was at the hardware store the other day and there was a display with some succulents and other plants. I found an Haworthia (or Exotic Angel Plant) — which looks and feels similar to an aloe plant. Of course, the plant came in a plain plastic pot. It wasn’t pretty, not to mention the pot had openings in the bottom so it wasn’t very practical.
I was at the craft store the other day and found a mercury glass style planter which I thought my be interesting to try glass etching with.
Glass Etching A Mercury Glass Planter
Before you start, there are a few supplies you will need. The most important product for this project will be the glass etching cream. This is what will be used to create the image on the planter.
You will also need some adhesive stencils to do the design. I used a lotus flower one I found at the craft store, but these two from Amazon are also really nice and would work well with this planter.
(Note: the etching cream used in this tutorial is caustic and can cause severe damage if it gets in your eyes or mouth. Be sure to use the right protective gear, and use with care. It should never be used by children.)
Begin by cleaning and drying the planter and adhering the stencil. Whatever stencil you decide to use, make sure that it is large enough to cover the entire side of the planter. Of course, a flat-sided planter would be much easier to do this project on instead of something that is curved, otherwise you might not get clean edges when you remove the stencil.
Use the brush that came with your etching cream (or an old paintbrush if your cream didn’t come with one), and completely cover the stencil with a thick layer of cream. You will want to get the cream in all of the corners and crevices of the stencil.
Allow it to sit for at least a half an hour. I actually forgot about mine and it was over an hour before I washed the cream off. I’ve found that the longer that you leave the cream on the better, and darker, or an etch you get.
Once you have finished etching the glass, wash all of the etching cream off using soap and water. Carefully remove the stencil and finish removing any of the extra cream. Now you should have a pretty image left behind on the glass.
Now all you need is to put some potting soil in the plant and put the plant in. Then just place it somewhere with medium sunlight and you are good to go!
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