A Smile is Always in Style – How to Etch Mugs

A Smile is Always in Style – How to Etch Mugs has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiftOfPhilips #CollectiveBias

I don’t know about you, but I often find men to be very tricky to buy for. Gloves, socks, ties… what to buy that doesn’t consist of clothing?

How about a Sonicare Toothbrush?

Someone once asked me what my all time favorite item was that I’ve reviewed, and in nearly 4 years of blogging I’ve reviewed lots of things. But I instantly knew my answer. 2 years ago I reviewed a Sonicare toothbrush and I’ve used it ever since!

A Sonicare would make a great guy gift!

But just a box with a brush? That looked so boring that I thought I would “fancy” it up a little. If you’ve ever wondered how to etch mugs, I’m going to show you!

How to Etch Mugs: A Smile is Always in Style

 

This is what I started out with. Mug, glass etch, brush, stencil, and the goodies to make up the gift.

But I need to start out with just the stuff for showing you how to etch mugs.

The stencil NEEDS to be a sticker type stencil. My mom has a fancy cutter thing that she uses to make these stencils. If you don’t have a cutter, below is an alternative way of doing it.

You need a thin flexible stencil and the surface you are etching on will need to be mostly flat, curving around only, and not down. Use a spray adhesive on the back of the stencil, following directions to make it a temporary sticky.

Now you have your sticker stencil. (another alternative to this would be buying one)

My stencil says “A Smile is Always in Style”, I love the positive reminder, but also adore the little mustache!

Wash your mug in very hot water rubbing it hard to dry it, as many ceramic mugs have a coating that will not allow the sticker to “stick” well. Adhere the sticker stencil to the flattest part of your mug. (this is likely to be very close to the top).

Make sure the sticker is completely “stuck” especially around the wording, otherwise the etching will seep under and the etch will not be as clean. Since my mug curved around and down, I had to work pretty hard to make sure it stuck well.

This is the etch I used, and my mom thinks it does the best job.

Dip your brush into the glass etch and dab it on where you want to etch, being careful not to go outside of the stencil. Let sit at least 15 minutes. On a dark glaze like this I wanted a deeper etcher so actually left it on for about 25 minutes.

Sure looks pretty ugly right? Definitely one of those things where you are on pins and needles wondering how it’s working and if it will turn out okay. I was also concerned over the possibility of the etch seeping a bit since I had struggles getting the sticker on.

When the time was up, I took an old rag and quickly wiped the glass etch off. Then without removing the sticker I washed the rest off in my stainless steel sink (do not do this in porcelain as it will etch your sink too).

Finally I removed the sticker, and washed my mug really well and let it dry. Well, what do you think?

I love it!

Now to fill it with a few goodies. Obviously have to have the Sonicare brush! I also included a jar of my homemade tooth powder, some floss, and a tube of chapstick.

All put together and looking totally cool and giftable for any kind of guy!

I’m just thrilled with how fun this is. Great gifting at its best with a bit of creativity thrown in for good measure. A smile is always in style and I know this mug is sure to inspire more than a few of them!

Wondering where to buy Sonicare?

Try Walmart! I found several different styles of the Sonicare bush right in the same aisle as all the other plain ol’ regular brushes.

I loved seeing that Walmart had them all on Rollback, and I ended up choosing the Essence. For starters it was within my spending range. However I felt like it was your basic Sonicare brush, and I’m a basics type of gal.

Said to remove 2x the plaque than a manual toothbrush, the Essence does a great job of getting between your teeth and along the gums. The unique cleaning method is really something else to experience as well.

Did you know how to etch mugs before reading this?

Don’t forget, A Smile is Always in Style so wear one every day!

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