Etching Cookie Plates - Christmas Gifts For The Neighbors

Etched Cookie Plates for Our Neighbors

The Cliff Note Version:
1. I use Armor Etch Etching Cream, for about 15 minutes.
2. Cricut vinyl - 631 vinyl - worked best for my stencils
3. Plates were $2 each at Big Lots
4. Split Monograms were free from Cayuda Designs
5. Don't forget to mirror!!  

 This is one of those projects that I started at 7am, thought I'd be done by 10am, and actually completed around 7pm.  But once I got the process down, it really went fast.  

First I tried to use contact paper from the Dollar Tree as my stencil.  But it was too thin, and too clear to weed.  Then I tried 651, but I got part of it stuck onto a plate before I was ready and it was super hard to remove (even though it takes days to fully cure and be permanent).  Then I tried cardstock - but that's a pain, because the centers of my letters do not adhere, they move around.... and I tried the acetate that I bought for the acetate christmas ornaments (I had bought a pack that was NOT for the inkjet printer) but that was a combination of a pain to weed (clear ) and same as the cardstock, the centers would not stay put.  Finally I went to cricut 631 vinyl, and that worked.  I think a solid colored shelf liner would work for this too.

I could have used the 651. The trick is to place the stencil sticky side up, then place the plate down onto the stencil, rather than trying to place the stencil upside down on the plate.    Once you set the plate down, flip it over and smooth to make sure there are no air bubbles, then remove the transfer paper and add the etching cream.

For the stencil, create a box and slice your monogram out of it.  I added the last names in the split monograms, welded the name with the monogram, then sliced it from either a square, or for the wreath, a circle.

Don't forget to mirror it!  

I used the split monogram files from here:
http://caluyadesign.com/split-monogram-free-svg.html
and the wreath split monograms from here:
http://caluyadesign.com/wreath-monogram-free-svg.html
I have more options for monograms here:
http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/11/free-monograms-split-monograms-for.html

Cover with etching cream.  Let sit for 15 minutes.  Scrape off the excess cream, put it back into the bottle.  Then wash off the rest of the cream, and remove the stencil.