JCReate: Seeing Stars

Ever since I went to L.A. last year, I have been obsessed with making origami stars. They're so easy and quick to make and you can make them anywhere - in the car during a long road trip, while watching TV, while bored at work (☺), etc. Since star paper isn't sold (that I know of) in Southeastern Virginia, my sister-in-law buys them for me whenever she goes out of town and sees them. She just came back from Houston and bought me two large jars (each with about 3000 strips of paper), and four smaller packs with the family's zodiac symbols on them =) So now I need containers to hold them in, and clear jars work best. I had bought a glass jar with a lid about 2 weeks ago at one of the closeout stores, but of course, it's too plain for me. Being the crafter that I am, I decided to jazz it up a bit:

Glass etching looks difficult, but is very easy to do, and you don't need a lot of materials. All you need is Armour Etch Cream, a paintbrush or foam applicator, paper towels, and your design, either from Contact paper or vinyl. I used Contact Paper because that's what I have on hand and it's more "forgiving" than vinyl, meaning it's easier to lift off the surface if you make a mistake. For the stars, I used Stampin' Up!'s large and small star punches, and used the negative image to etch. Whatever is not covered when you put it on your glass surface will be etched.

Here are the steps in case you wanted to try it. Sorry I don't have visuals for each step.

Punch images out. I found that when using Contact paper and punches, it's better to punch fast so the whole image comes out. Otherwise, parts of the punched image will still be stuck on the paper and you'll end up ripping it when trying to take your punch out.
Adhere to your glass object. If you're trying this out for the first time, it's easier to work on smooth, flat surfaces, i.e. a square vase. Rounder objects are harder because it's more prone to air bubbles and wrinkling.
Use glass cleaner to wipe off the area you are going to etch. Etching cream won't work as well if there are fingerprints or residue on the surface.
Apply etching cream. Lightly brush the cream right to left, and then up and down to ensure even coverage. THICK coverage is key, and you can go over the inside edges of the frame. If you make a mistake, wipe it away quickly with a damp cloth. This cream begins etching very quickly!
Allow cream to sit. The bottle recommended only 5 minutes, but depending on your glass, you may want to leave it on a bit longer. I left mine on for 15 minutes.
Go to sink and rinse away the cream. Keep rinsing until there is no cream left. If parts of your etched image still look white, wipe off excess with a damp cloth. Dry.
You can go back and touch-up any unetched areas. However, etching cannot be reversed - the cream starts to work the minute it makes contact with the surface. So if there is cream in places where it shouldn't have been, it cannot be reversed.
Enjoy your new project!