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How to Mirror a Bottle & Etch It

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Eric Robert Posted in Blog Content, Tutorials 24 Comments

I posted a new video which shows how I mirrored a bottle and then etched the front side of it below.

I thought this would be an interesting idea to try out which combines both mirroring and glass etching on a bottle. OF course you can use this idea for other glass objects also. It didn’t turn out that great because the etched design isn’t very noticeable, so I added some color to it after this video was created which makes it pop out more. See that picture below the video.

Before & After Photos of Mirror Bottle

Below shows the photo of what the etching looked like on the bottle and the photo on the right shows what it looks like after color was added.

Etching of a ship on mirror bottle without paint. Bottle with mirroring, etching, and paint.


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24 thoughts on “How to Mirror a Bottle & Etch It”

  1. Eric Robert says:
    May 27, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    Sorry everyone, I forgot to post the link. You can buy the kit here: https://amzn.to/2J8I9EN . If I remember correctly, you could buy the chemicals from a website called Angel Gilding for about $25. Just need the 3 silvering chemicals listed in the video and the tin solution.

    Sam, I agree that it still didn’t pop out. Just some ideas that I was experimenting with and it may spark a creative idea with someone.

  2. Charly says:
    May 27, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    Nice vid. Thank you. Where would one get the supplies? or what would they ask for?

  3. Nadina Piehl says:
    May 27, 2013 at 7:28 pm

    Thanks for the update Eric. Can you provide the link which addresses the use of coloring?

  4. Eileen says:
    May 27, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    I am like Charly. What supplies would we ask for and where would we purchase them? Please post the recipe with ingredients.

  5. Phillipa Aritis says:
    May 27, 2013 at 9:31 pm

    Where can I get the supplies needed to do the silvering process?

  6. Sam says:
    May 27, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    Cool vid. I like the silvering effect. It looks cool. Unfortunately, with the silvering, the etching failed to pop out due to a lack of contrast. Even with gold coloration, it did not pop as much. I am curious if brighter colours would remedy this.
    This is definitely piquing my interest in glass arts. I am just wondering if I can do this and how costly the process is 🙂

  7. Sam says:
    May 27, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    Eric. What about brighter stains/colours for the etching? I suspect the gold on mirrored finish is blending too much. Is there other non metallic stains/colour?

    I assume the mirrored bottle will no longer be food safe after application of the chemicals?

  8. Eric Robert says:
    May 27, 2013 at 11:20 pm

    I have other glass paints that I could try and let everyone know what looks the best against the mirror silvering.

    You are correct, it wouldn’t be food safe.

  9. ashraf says:
    May 28, 2013 at 3:30 am

    got your e-mail.excellent work x i am quite fond of such thing,although i am a new comer in this hobby x great work you are contributing.thanks x

  10. TREVOR says:
    May 28, 2013 at 5:38 am

    Hi, this project was very interesting, but I live in the carribbean Trinidad and would like Buy the Slivering Products, which one will you recommend.
    THANKS

  11. George says:
    May 28, 2013 at 11:13 am

    thanks, good idea, noted another person asked about the paints, I think you said you sold them, what colors, any irresident???

  12. George says:
    May 28, 2013 at 11:14 am

    paint colors, forgot to check

  13. bert says:
    May 29, 2013 at 2:14 pm

    As long as you can get hold of the silver nitrate,10g will make enough solution for more than 50 bottles, and tin chloride all the other items are available at your local hardware store . The activator is a mix of ammonia and sodium hydroxide, (ordinary household ammonia) sodium hydroxide is usually labelled as caustic soda. The reducer is a simple sugar solution (I use glucose obtained from the beer brewing section. The basic process can be found here http://www.ilpi.com/glassblowing/tutorial_silvering.html

  14. Eric Robert says:
    May 29, 2013 at 4:18 pm

    Awesome Bert! I think you posted this before and forgot about it.

    What is the tin chloride labeled as at the hardware store or what section of the store would it be placed? A quick search for it on the name brand websites doesn’t show anything.

  15. George says:
    June 7, 2013 at 5:22 pm

    Once a bottle has mirrored, will drilling it for air holes ruin the finish inside the bottle?

  16. George says:
    June 7, 2013 at 5:26 pm

    I don’t know if my comment came through or not, but my question was, since I use bottles for incense burners, will drilling air holes after it has been mirrored ruin the finish inside the bottle?

  17. Eric Robert says:
    June 7, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    George, that is a good question. I haven’t tried it yet, so I am not sure. But I would think it’s possible that the silvering might become damaged a little close by the hole. If you drill slow near the end, it might not ruin it.

    I think a better way to do it would be to drill the holes first and tape the outside with duct tape for the mirroring process.

  18. Beth says:
    June 16, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    What will happen to the silver if a heat source is placed inside such as inscense or a candle. Will it hold up or will it cause a fire hazard or peel off?

  19. Eric Robert says:
    June 17, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    Beth, I really am not sure, but that is a good question. I haven’t worked with it too much.

  20. Peter says:
    December 28, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    If the silver coating is in any way exposed to air it will oxidise with time. Drilling holes and adding heat will make it oxidise much faster. You can put a sealant inside the bottle after the silver coating and just tighten the lid and leave it that way. It should stay looking good for a long time.

  21. Peter says:
    December 28, 2013 at 12:24 pm

    You might also want to look into silvering using Tollen’s reagent and glucose. No tin solution needed.

  22. ANTONIO says:
    May 12, 2015 at 11:53 pm

    OLA ERIC ,Gostei imensamente deste vídeo ,gostaria de saber referente aos produtos que usado .Obrigado —-OBS .DESCULPA ME NÃO FALO INGLES.

  23. Linda says:
    December 30, 2017 at 2:48 am

    Could lamp oil be used after it is mirrored? With no effect on the bottle/Mirror??

  24. Eric Robert says:
    January 4, 2018 at 3:15 am

    Hi Linda, most traditional mirrors have a durable paint applied to the back side of them. I am not certain if the lamp oil would wear the silver off, but I would recommend slashing any type of paint in the bottle as well. Even left over latex house paint may work- I know many people have a lot of it and it is one way to get some use out of it.

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