Craft Test Dummies

The Crafting Blog for Crafters, By Crafters

Home / Craft Product Reviews / Craft Product Review: Armour Etch Cream

Craft Product Review: Armour Etch Cream

I was looking back through my reviews the other day and realized that I’d never reviewed Armour Etch Cream. I literally gasped out loud. I have use this product for years and yet never gave it a mention- so today is that day!

Armour Etching Cream is the leading chemical glass-etching product on the market. Actually, depending on where you live, it might be the only glass etching cream you’ll ever see on the shelves!

The cream is a thick paste, sometimes with little crystals in it, and a very mild odor. Since it’s a chemical, keep it for adult use only and use precautions not to get it on your skin and NOT in your eyes. But to using it is ridiculously easy: apply your mask or stencil, spread the etching cream on (I like to use a palette knife) and wait about 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water and “voila!”- your surface is frosted!

You can use Armour Etch cream on any glass or mirrored surface. In the above photo, I etched bud vases. Below, you’ll see some mirrors I monogrammed as a hostess gift. (Directions for those are here.)
monogrammed coastersYou can use special stencils for glass etching, but in both of the above samples I cut my own using my Cricut and/or paper punches with craft vinyl. (Read my review of Glue Arts vinyl here.)

I also used Armour Etch Cream for a practical purpose- I wanted to be able to measure 5 oz of wine- so I used painter’s tape to create the line. (I’ll have the full tute later on this week.)

So on the whole, I think Armour Etch cream is super-easy to use, and a quick, creative way to add a little personalization and class to otherwise ho-hum objects.  Stay tuned for a few fun projects this week!

Want to win some Armour Etch cream to try out? My friends at ConsumerCrafts.com are sponsoring a giveaway! Just leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win a Deluxe Glass Etching Kit, worth $20.00. I’ll pick a winner next Monday, January 31st around noon EST. Good luck!

The Giveaway is now closed. Check HERE to see who won!


About Jenny

Chief Craft Test Dummy, Craft Evangelist, Founder, Editor, bottle-washer, trouble-maker, and creative whirlwind.

Comments

  1. OOO! I have never done etching but this looks so simple! I would love to win the kit and make some personalized gifts 🙂

  2. You know, Jenny, I can’t believe I’ve never USED this stuff before! It looks so awesome… definitely a “good thing” as Martha would say, for last-minute gifts! Thanks for sharing!

  3. I’ve always wanted to try glass etching. What great results! I’ll definitely put this on my “to try” list!

  5. I just purchased a bunch of glass items at the local thrift store to play with. I think Armour Etch is going to be included in my play time!! Thank you!!

  7. I’m another crafter that has always wanted to try etching but never got to it.I especially like the mirrors. Very pretty!

  8. I just thought of the perfect project for this! I have a mirror coaster underneath a porcelain hummingbird on my coffee table. It would be so cool to etch some flourishes onto it! Thanks so much!

  9. That looks so easy to do! I can think of tons of personalized giftys I can make with that!

  11. That is awesome! I love you tutorials. We are hand making all of our Christmas gifts next year and can’t wait to etch some glass.

  12. I have been wanting to try this for awhile. I think it would be fun to use with stuff made on my Cricut machine!

  13. This stuff is AWESOME. It’s super-duper easy to use and the results are so consistently good. As far as “adults only,” I’ve used it with crafters as young as eight with success; we wear gloves, talk about safety first, and I supervise closely. We make stencils from Con-Tact film with craft punches and use them to dress up all kinds of garage-sale finds. Even baby-food jars look better with a little Armour Etch.

  14. I’ve always wanted to try to etch something but just haven’t done it! Would love to give it a try! Thanks for the chance!

  18. I have never done etching either, this looks like great fun! I would LOVE to win this! Thank you for the opportunity!

  19. I also have never done etching, but have been looking for new, creative gift ideas and this seems great 🙂

  21. I have wanted to try etching, and now you have inspired me to do so! Can’t wait to see your projects this week! 🙂

  22. This looks beautiful, classy and very easy. I would love to try this out and see what I could come up with. We have some weddings coming up soon and what wonderful handmade gifts I could send to the bride and groom.

  23. I love to use Armour Etch on dichroic glass to create fun patterns and designs.

  28. I like how it personalized the items – could see using this for some wedding gifts or shower favors… This stuff looks like so much fun to use… what a great chance to win some 🙂 Thanks, antonella 🙂

  29. This stuff looks so fun and easy to use. What a great way to make some personalized gifts!

  31. That looks like fun! I think my 9yo could handle doing some of it too…now, what to make!

  32. Thanks so much for the review and tutorial. This could make some really special valentines gifts!

  34. I’ve always wanted to try this. BTW, your portion control wineglass is genius! You should set up a booth with them outside of the local WW meeting.

  36. Would love to try this out! It looks like a great and easy V-Day present I could make for my boyfriend while he is at work… Here’s hoping for the etching kit! 😉 Btw, this is my first time to your blog and I am a fan! Thanks

  37. I LOVE this etching idea for the Weight Watchers portion control glass!! Thank you for this opportunity to win! 🙂

  39. I haven’t tried to etch glass in a *very* long time. And it wasn’t the best result … could be because I wasn’t using the best product.

    Thanks for the opportunity, Jenny!

    Shoni

    shonijunk (at) yahoo (dot) com

  41. That is SO cool!!! Healthy and super cute! I need to try this out. Would make great gifts.

  43. I’ve always wanted to try etching! And it looks so easy in your post! Oh please please please YES, enter me, enter me!!! 🙂

  45. I really want to try this product on french door glass panes, not using stencils, but covering the entire surface. Has anyone ever used it for that? I have 30 panes of glass in 2 doors that I want to “frost”.

  46. Gayle I wouldn’t use the glass etching cream for all those panels- it would be super-messy and caustic, and be a drag to wash all that chemical off- plus it would take a LOT of product.

    Martha Stewart as new “glass paints” out, including one that gives a “frosted” glass (etched) effect and it has a spraypaint- type application. I just got them in, so sit tight- I’ll be reviewing them soon. I know that RustOleum also has a frosted glass spraypaint (http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=106) that might be just the ticket. That way you can tape of your panes, give it a spray, and be done with it. Good luck!

  47. I tried this cream but…there were a lot of smudges and etching was irregular. I made all well. Stencils was good. Results was bad:( even on small surface.

jenny-headshot-square

Jenny Barnett Rohrs is Head Dummy and Pied Piper behind CTD, which focuses on reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news. Jenny has appeared on HSN, Scrapbook Soup PBS series, and is currently the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS.

ctd-fb-30  ctd-pin-30  ctd-twitter-30  cts-insta-30  ctd-youtube-30  ctd-g-30  ctd-email-30  ctd-rss-30

Copyrighted Content Permission All images and tutorials on this blog are copyrighted material. Please contact me if you would like to borrow any media (photos, video or audio files), tutorials, or ideas from this blog. 99% of the time I would be happy to allow you to use one photo with appropriate credit and link back to CraftTestDummies.com (preferably to the same post it was borrowed from.)
clever-network  linqia  viglink
MENU