DIY Engraving Glasses

I was browsing Etsy when I came across these beautiful wine glasses with engraved tree branches. I thought they would be perfect gift, not only for the holiday season, but really anyone who needs a glass of wine between November-March. However, when I went them in my shopping cart, I almost fell off my chair - almost $70 (with shipping) for two glasses?! I decided I had to make these for myself so you can make them too!

Here's what you'll need:

1. Glasses (go to a thrift store!)

2. Glass paint (I went with Martha Stewart's Frost Translucent paint - I don't recommend it and I'll explain why at the end)

3. Paint brush (optional) - I didn't use one because the tip of the paint container is so small that it could handle thin lines. However, if you don't want to tire your hand out, I recommend using a brush. Halfway through the first glass, my hand started to hurt from squeezing the bottle constantly.

Next, create your design! You could draw branches like the original, or you could monogram the glasses, write a quote, or paint whatever design you see fit. I'm not an artist by any means but this was a great release for creativity!

Now every glass paint will have different instructions but if you use this same paint, then you can either let it air dry for 21 days or let it sit for 1 hour before placing in a cool oven. With the glasses on the rack, turn on the oven to 350.

Once the oven has reached 350, set your timer for 30 minutes and let them bake. After 30 minutes, turn off the oven and let the glasses cool completely before removing them. Wait 72 hours before putting them to good use.

Note that if you use fine glitter glass paint, glitter craft paint, or coarse glitter craft paint, you can't bake them; they have to air dry for 21 days for permanence. As for whether this paint is dishwasher safe, it most certainly is (top rack recommended). But why don't I recommend this particular glass paint? Because when it baked, the white turned almost... yellow. Not what I expected.

Placed on white stove
so you can see color difference

But there you have it! These would be a great bridesmaid/groomsmen gift, wedding/anniversary gift, or heck, give it to yourself and save the extra $60 for a good bottle wine!

TOTAL COSTS: About $10
$1.99 for 2 glasses from Goodwill
$5.99 for glass paint from Michael's

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 3 hours to paint/bake + 72 hours before use
15 minutes/glass to design and paint
1 hour to sit before baking
30 minutes in the oven
1 hour to cool

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5
The only "hard" part of this project was not letting my hand cramp during the painting. Also, you have to have a steady hand if you want to paint a straight line so if you're doing a monogram, make sure to have a template. It'll make the lines a lot cleaner! If there's a glass paint you recommend, I'm all ears!