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Learn how to etch a personalized glass baking dish with your Cricut’s help!

Searching for a unique and thoughtful gift for a special occasion? A custom casserole dish is sure to impress! They’re lovely to take to holiday gatherings, as a gift for your favorite cook, or to bring as a thoughtful housewarming present. They can make the perfect wedding gift or a wonderful bridal shower gift, too — add the couple’s wedding date or last name to the dish for a one-of-a-kind touch! A personalized baking dish that you made yourself is sure to become a cherished keepsake for years to come. Let’s learn how to make one ourselves!

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Watch the full step-by-step etched baking dish tutorial to make items from either design collection:

 
 

Get the free SVG cut file for this project

In my original etched baking dish tutorial, I showed you how to etch a rectangular pyrex dish with cute, personalized designs. My new round designs follow the same steps, so you can follow the original tutorial to learn how I did it!

In the tutorial, I show you how to prepare a vinyl etching stencil in Cricut Design Space, then apply it to a glass baking dish for etching. Once you have my free designs, a Cricut (or another cutting machine) does all the hard work of cutting out the stencils, saving you time and energy for more crafting! Permanent vinyl is perfect for etching stencils because of its super grippy adhesive, meaning a nice, tight seal and crisp lines on the edges of your etched design. I’ll show you why mirroring the design is important, too. 

Next, I walk you through the whole process of applying the vinyl stencil to your glass baking dish using Standard Grip transfer tape. Don’t use Strong Grip tape — it will be super difficult to peel off of the glass!

Since not all glass bakeware can be etched safely, be sure to use an American-made pyrex baking dish only. You can find them linked in my materials list below. Dishes made of borosilicate WILL NOT WORK because they’re a tougher type of glass meant to better withstand temperature fluctuations. Sometimes dishes from Ikea and some other brands may be made of borosilicate glass — they will not work. 

At the time of this blog publication, there is conflicting information on the durability of American pyrex bakeware. Check the manufacturer’s notes to see if the approved uses will fit your goal — whether you’ll be using the dish simply as decor, in a microwave, or in an oven. If you’re using a dish other than the one linked in my materials list, I recommend doing a small test on the bottom of the dish before beginning your etching project to make sure the etching cream etches the glass.

Now comes the real fun! After cleaning the baking dish, I’ll show you how to chemically etch it using Armour Etch glass etching cream. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Be sure to read the instructions on the back of your etching cream bottle, especially the safety precautions and what to do if you get the cream on your skin. I recommend working in a well-ventilated area and wearing gloves, an apron, eye protection, and a respirator while you’re working with the etching cream. See the video and tutorial for more etching cream safety and tips.

In the process of etching, a very thin layer of glass is removed and that area becomes susceptible to staining from food. You may be thinking, “But the design is etched onto to the bottom of the dish, of course food is going to touch it!” Wrong!

The key to etching glass casserole dishes and any other glass that will come into contact with food or beverage is to apply the etching on the OUTSIDE of the glass. That means either applying it to the dish’s underside, or to its outer sides. This allows you to use the dish normally without any harm to the etching. I will show you how to apply your stencil so your design shows through the bottom properly!

The only other thing to take into consideration is the raised lettering that usually appears on the bottom of the glass bakeware. I don’t mind the lettering because the etching cream still works on it. But if the lettering bothers you, you can place your design around the lettering by measuring and moving your design elements before you cut your stencil—I explain how to do that in my tutorial on my how to make vinyl decals for kitchen appliances tutorial.

Once I’ve shown you how to apply the etching cream and we’ve waited long enough for it to do its magic, I’ll share how to remove it to prepare your dish for using or gifting. 

Making a personalized baking dish is so fun and gratifying! The first time I made one, I could hardly believe I made something so cool (and useful) with just a few materials and my cutting machine. I hope you’ll make one, too! And here’s a fun tip: If you wrap your personalized casserole dish to gift, don’t forget to include some of your famous homemade recipes for a special touch!

Let me show you how easy it is to etch a personalized baking dish! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

Materials to Etch a Personalized Baking Dish

View exactly what I used in my Amazon shopping list!

    • Design #655 (My free SVG/DXF/PDF design files are available in my free resource library – get the password by filling out the form at the bottom of this page)


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How to Etch a Glass Baking Dish 

Etched Glass Casserole Dish in Jennifer Maker's Kitchen

Etched Casserole Dish

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Medium
Estimated Cost: $15

This etched casserole dish is simple and fun to make, and is a lovely hostess gift!

Tools

Instructions

Step 1: Get my free Etched Glass Casserole Dish Designs

My free Etched Glass Casserole Dish SVG cut file contains 3 different designs to make your own personal Casserole Dish.

Get my free etched glass dish designs (Design #188) from my free resource library (get the password at the bottom of this post).  

Here’s what the uploaded file will look like once uploaded to Cricut Design Space

Etched casserole dish SVG cut file uploaded to Cricut Design Space

Tip: If you’re not sure how to upload an SVG cut file to Cricut Design Space, watch this helpful video training series I made. If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, here’s how to download and upload SVG files to the Cricut Design Space app .

Step 2: Prepare your design for cutting

You’ll want to use permanent adhesive vinyl for this project as it gives a stronger bond and helps stop the etching cream from bleeding under the edges. 

Don’t forget to mirror your design before you cut it.

Step 3: Cut out your casserole dish design

Cut a piece of permanent vinyl to the right size for your design. Again, I recommend permanent vinyl over removable vinyl because I believe it forms a tighter seal for the stencil.

Place your permanent vinyl color side UP on a green StandardGrip cutting mat.

Load your fine-point blade into your Cricut machine and press the flashing button to begin your cut. 

Step 4: Reverse weed your cut vinyl to make a stencil

Carefully reverse weed your design using a weeding tool. (Reverse weed means you’re only removing the vinyl you want your etching to appear under. So you're removing the design elements and leaving the rest of the vinyl.)

If your design is not centered on your vinyl, trim it so all sides are equal -- this will help you when it comes to centering it on your casserole dish.Safety first

Once your vinyl is weeded, cut a piece of transfer tape the size of your vinyl backing and apply it to the front of the vinyl decal. 

Using your scraper, go over the entire decal to make sure it adheres to your transfer tape.

Gently remove the backing from the vinyl. Your decal is now ready to transfer to your glass!

Centering the mirrored stencil vinyl on the back of the glass dish to make an etched casserole dish

Step 5: Apply your vinyl stencil to your casserole dish

First, check which direction the raised lettering on the bottom is going and turn your casserole dish so the lettering is right side up. It'll bug you if those words are upside down.

Now wipe down your glass casserole dish by cleaning it with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth or coffee filter. Be sure to let it to dry, which takes less than a minute.

Next, carefully place your vinyl decal on your glass. I recommend you curve your decal a bit (like a taco) so only the center touches the glass, then press from the center out toward the edges to smooth it into position. This will give you a better seal with fewer creases or bubbles.

Use your scraper over the entire surface of the transfer tape to adhere the vinyl well to your glass.

Gently remove the transfer tape at an angle, leaving only the vinyl.

Rubbing the permanent vinyl stencil to ensure the best application to make a etched casserole dish

Your goal is to have no wrinkles or creases at the edges of design.

If you don’t have a wide margin on your vinyl decal, put some masking or painter’s tape around the edge of the vinyl to prevent getting any etching cream there.

Step 6: Brush the etching cream on your dish

Now you’re ready to etch! First, remember to wear gloves, an apron, and protective glasses. Safety first!

You should also shake or stir your Armour Etch etching cream before you use it. 

Stirring the armor etch cream well to make an etched casserole dish

Using a regular brush (avoid foam brushes), brush on the minimum amount needed to cover the glass. You do NOT need to gob it on.

Brushing the Etching Cream on the Vinyl Stencil to make an etched casserole dish

Brush the etching cream around your design for five full minutes. Brush up and down, side to side, and diagonally. Keep the cream moving around your design, getting into every nook and cranny.

Step 7: Rinse off the etching cream after 5 minutes

After five minutes, rinse off the etching cream (or if you used a lot, scrape it back into the container first and then rinse).

Make sure you get ALL of the cream off. You do not want to accidentally touch it or get it on your work surface.

Step 8: Rinse off the etching cream after 5 minutes

Once your casserole dish is rinsed off completely, dry it off and remove the vinyl.

If you used permanent vinyl like me, it make take a little effort but it WILL come off.

With the vinyl all removed, wipe down the surface again with rubbing alcohol.

And that’s it — enjoy your beautiful etched casserole dish!

Notes

FONTS USED FOR THIS PROJECT:

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to the JenniferMaker Design Fairy team for helping me design and assemble this awesome casserole dish.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Answers to Your Questions About Etching a Glass Baking Dish

Q: Can you resize this project?

A: Yes, you can. Please keep in mind that if you resize down, the detail might get lost. If you need help resizing, please read my guide to resizing SVGs.

Q: What kind of vinyl should I use?

A: I recommend using regular colored Cricut Permanent Vinyl because it has strong adhesive, which makes for a really great stencil for etching. Removable vinyl may not bond as well to the glass, allowing etching cream to bleed underneath, affecting the design. The color doesn’t matter!

Q: What kind of glass can I use etching cream on?

A: You can use etching cream on any smooth glass surface, like a baking dish, wine glass, drinking glass, mirror, or window. The composition matters, so I recommend a test patch on the bottom before picking a dish.

Q: What kind of etching cream should I use on glass?

A: I like Armour etching cream, and have it linked in my materials list. 

Q: Do the files work with a Silhouette cutting machine? 

A: Yes, my free design downloads come with SVG and DXF files to use with Cricut, Silhouette, and other cutting machines. 

Q: Do you have any other cooking-related projects like this one? 

A: I do! Check out these different projects to decorate your kitchen:

Q: Do you have other glass etching tutorials?

A: You bet I do! Check these out for more etching fun:

Q: What are some of your favorite recipes? 

A: Did you know that I have recipes on my blog? Try these oldies but goodies:

Get my free SVG files to make your own personalized baking dish!

(If you do not see the signup form above, click here.)

I love seeing what you make with my designs and how you use them! Inspire others and share a photo of your personalized baking dish in our Facebook group or tag me on social media with #jennifermaker.

Love,

JenniferMaker.com

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