How to Make an Etched Glass Water Bottle

I had no idea when I first wrote about the recycled glass water bottle project I made as a gift for my sister in 2013, that it would be so popular!

To date, more than 265,000 people have come to my website to read this tutorial! WOW!
I'm thrilled that so many of you have loved my DIY water bottle project.

This tutorial will allow you to transform an empty Voss Water glass bottle into a beautiful work of art. I will teach you how to take a glass water bottle that would otherwise be discarded and upgrade it into a beautiful, etched glass water bottle that can be used over and over and over again!

This etched glass water bottle makes a great gift. My DIY water bottle project is also infinitely customizable to make it just right for your recipient.

Why you should make a DIY water bottle

First, it saves you money. Fancy glass water bottles that you can buy at big box stores often cost upwards of $20. This project lets you turn an empty Voss Water glass bottle that you bought for just $3 into a work of art!

Second, it saves the planet. You can use this tutorial to transform any glass water bottle or other glass jar into a beautiful, reusable glass water bottle that can be used many, many times. If you make a bottle you like using and you use it every day for a year, you will have given it 365 more uses than if you had just recycled it after using it once. 

Like it enough to use it every day for three year and you will have used it more than 1,000 times! 

When we can reuse the products we buy instead of recycling them after just one use, that is a sustainable act indeed!

Third, it helps you drink more water. When you have a water bottle you enjoy using, you are more likely to actually use it! 

I hope you enjoy this easy DIY water bottle project! If you make your own recycled water bottle craft, I would love to have you share a photo in the Creative Green Living Tribe on Facebook.

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Looking for more ways to upcycle glass water bottles?

Check out my upcycled glass water bottle craft that turns an empty bottle into a pretty plant waterer! 

Keep your plants from dying because you are on vacation or just because you are bad at remembering to water them. 

Get the directions for how to make a vacation plant waterer here.

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How to Make an Etched Glass Water Bottle

Make a pretty DIY water bottle from a Voss water glass bottle

Supplies

Some of the links below may be affiliate links where a purchase made after clicking will support this website without costing you extra!

• Glass water bottle (upcycle a Voss glass water bottle or start with a glass water bottle like this one or these)
• Mini razor scraper (if upcycling a voss water glass bottle or other bottle with a painted label)
• Martha Stewart Adhesive Silkscreens (get them from Consumer Crafts or Amazon)
• I use the Wildflowers set in the photos and the Floral Doily set in the video
• Martha Stewart Glass Etch Cream
• Paint brush
• Protective gloves (like latex gloves or dishwashing gloves)
• Running water (or a dishtub full of water as shown in the video)

IMPORTANT NOTE: This project will only work on glass water bottles. The glass etch cream will not be able to etch a plastic or metal water bottle.

Directions

Video Demo:
How to Make an Etched Glass Water Bottle

In July, 2018 I had the chance to show award winning TV host, Tra'Renee Chambers how to upcycle a Voss water glass bottle into a beautiful etched glass water bottle you can use at home. Watch me do the demo of this easy recycled craft here:

How to Make an Etched Glass Water Bottle Step 1: 

Please note: I recommend keeping the lid on the entire time you work with the bottle to prevent paint chips, soap or chemicals from getting inside.

The Voss water glass bottles come with both peel-off labels or labels silkscreened on with paint. 

If your bottle has a painted label, remove it by scratching it off with a razor blade. To do this without scratching the glass, hold the blade at an angle and gently use it to chip away the paint. 

Once the paint is removed, wash the outside of the bottle with soap and water. Check to be sure you removed all the paint and re-scrape problem areas if needed and then re-wash. Set aside to dry.

How to Make an Etched Glass Water Bottle Step 2: 

The Martha Stewart silkscreens I used come as one large sheet. Remove the sheet from the protective backing and cut each individual piece from the sheet, following the lines.

Select a silkscreen and place it on the bottle, rubbing it to be sure it is well adhered with no bubbles or gaps.

You may choose to use painter's tape to adhere the edges as well. I live on the wild side and did not use tape.

Continue adding silkscreens as desired. I wanted the bottle to be covered in the floral motif, so I added all the large stencils and stopped when I ran out of room.

You could also use one large stencil like the large lace doily silkscreen I used in the video above - which will end up covering most of the water bottle by itself.

How to Make an Etched Glass Water Bottle Step 3: 

Put on your gloves. Seriously. This stuff is acid capable of eating through glass. You don't want even a tiny bit on your skin.

Stand the bottle up on its end and set on a protective surface. 

Scoop some glass etching cream out of the bottle and glob it onto the silkscreen.

Continue globbing cream onto the silkscreens until all the design areas are covered. Be careful not to let any get on areas of glass you do not want etched.

Rinse your brush while your gloves are still on. 

Remove gloves and set brush and bottle aside for 15-20 minutes or time indicated on the label. 

How to Make an Etched Glass Water Bottle Step 4: 

After your glass water bottle has had a chance to sit with the etching cream on it for 20 minutes, put your gloves back on and head over to a sink to rinse. (I used the bathroom sink to avoid any over-splash onto dishes or items that might come in contact with food).

You could alternatively use a dishwashing tub filled with water if you don't have easy access to running water.

Once the glass water bottle is rinse, run the silkscreens under the water and rub with your gloved hand to remove all etching cream.

Place the rinsed silkscreens adhesive side up to dry and you will be able to use them again on a future project!

Once all the traces of etching creme are gone from the bottle, gently wash the outside with mild soap and water and set aside to dry.

How to Make an Etched Glass Water Bottle Step 5: (Optional)

If you want to keep adding more etched designs to your glass water bottle, now is the time!

Once my bottle was dry, I added more small silkscreens in between the larger designs so that the bottle would be completely covered in etched glass designs.

Repeat steps 3 and 4.

That's it!

Once your bottle is clean and dry, it's ready to use!

My sister got hers for her birthday but I think this is a great gift idea for Christmas or any occasion.

And you can't beat the price! 

These water bottles sell for $20 or more in stores and online. I paid $3 for the Voss glass water bottle. The bottle of etching cream will last you through probably 50 or more projects, so really the cost to make just one water bottle was only about $4 because I already had the adhesive silkscreens on hand.

If you love this recycled DIY water bottle project, be sure to pin it to save it for later!

About the Author:

Carissa Bonham is a cookbook author and busy mom of two creative boys. The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she has won multiple awards for her work on Creative Green Living including the "Best Green Lifestyle Blogger" award in 2019 from ShiftCon.

She is the author of the hardcover cookbook, Beautiful Smoothie Bowls, as well as the backyard chicken keeping guide: Proven Techinques for Keeping Healthy Chickens. Her recipes have been featured in Urban Farm Magazine and in several cookbooks where she was a contributing author. Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter or join the Creative Green Living Tribe on Facebook.

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