Monogram Candle Holder

I have been making some pretty amazing things lately with the help of my glass etching kit. Its a special cream that is applied to a glass service and gives it a frosted or etched look. I've played around with frosted glass spray before, but the etching cream is superior. Etching is perfect for projects with a lot of detail and washable items. I found that the spray wipes off and is not super durable. So the etching cream is perfect for making custom wine glasses and things like that.

Here is one of my latest projects, a monogramed candle holder. It came out looking pretty snazzy. I stuck in my guest bathroom because it needs a little decor. 

Here is how I made it: 

Materials & Tools:

• Etching Cream 
• Contact Paper 
• Exacto Knife 
• Glass Vase 
• Gloves 
• Foam Brush
• Candle 

Instructions:

1. Create your stencil. I went with a monogram, but you can use whatever image you like. I recommend something simple and not very complicated. Draw your design on contact paper and cut it out with your exacto knife. 
2. Clean your candle holder and then apply your stencil to it. Make sure to press out all of the air bubbles. 
3. Before applying etching cream, wear protective gloves! That stuff is serious business and can damage your skin. 
4. Apply a few coats of etching cream over the stencil. 
5. Allow cream to dry. Some of the manufacturer directions vary, but I found waiting 24 hours gets the best results. 
6. Take your candle holder and run it under warm water and take off the stencil. You will noticed your design has been etched! 
7. Fill your candle holder with whatever decorations you would like. 

Pointillism Vase

Iron Craft Challenge # 9 is 'Inspired by Art' So it got me thinking of some of my favorite art pieces. One of them is featured in Ferris Bueler's Day Off and Cameron has a serious stare down with a Surrat painting. Its one of my favorite scenes in movie history! 

This painting uses the pointillism technique so I used that as my jumping off point for this project. It involves using a series of dots of varying colors to create a pattern in which an image emerges. Since I wasn't setting out to make a grand masterpiece I applied the idea to a small scale project, a small vase. I used an ampersand design (&) because they are just so neat and visually interesting. After my little vase was done I put some rocks in it and suck a candle in there. 

Here is how you can make one yourself: 

Materials & Tools

• Glass jar or vase 
• Contact Paper Stencil 
• Q-tips 
• Paint (varying colors)

Instructions: 

1. Clean your jar/vase with some glass cleaner and dry it to remove any dust. 
2. Apply your stencil to the jar/vase and press out the air bubbles as best you can.
3. Take a q-tip and dip it in some paint and start dabbing your jar/vase over the stencil. Continue this step with different colors, until you like your color combination. 
4. Allow to dry for at least 20 minutes. 
5. Gently peel off stencil to reveal your wonderful design! 

Frosted Vase

I've been in the house for almost a year already, can you believe it?! I'm haven't been sewing has much (sewing table has been under construction) However this time has allowed me to work on some home decor projects. I've been posting pictures here and there but this time around I present to you a nice a tutorial!!!!

A while back I bought a bunch of hurricane vases from the Dollar Tree. They were nice, but after sitting around for a while they needed some pizazz! I bought some frosted glass spray and decided to do some experimenting. I made a stencil out of contact paper, slapped it on there and gave it a good coat of frosted glass. My first attempt was a semi-failure. I learned that day that not all contact paper is created equal. I had used this old ugly wood print stuff we had lying around and it was really low quality type stuff and it reacted weirdly to the spray and crinkled up.

I broke out the good stuff and used some black contact paper I had. (F.Y.I. - this stuff is so versatile! its one of my favorite craft supplies!) Using the better quality contact paper did the trick and resulted in some fabulous new vases. 

Here are the steps I took to transform these vases and how you can to! 

Materials & Tools 

• Clear vases, candle holders (even old wine bottles) 
• Frosted Glass Spray (I used Rust-oleum)
• Contact paper (make sure its good quality) 
• Exacto Knife 

Instructions 

• Think of some sort of design. This can be a trick party, but luckily is tons of inspiration out there (scour the internet, check out a home decor store etc) 
• Once you have a design your happy with, trace it on the back of your contact paper and cut out with the exacto knife. If you are the lucky proud owner of a silhouette machine, just make your stencil on that. 
• Peel off your contact paper stencil and gently stick it to your vase
• Find a nice well ventilated area and place your vase on top of box. Spray a nice even coat and allow to dry 
• Drying times can depend on the type of frosted glass spray you purchase. I'd say give it at least 30 minutes. 
• Gently peel off the stencil to reveal your beautiful design