How to Carve a Letterbox Stamp

Letterboxing is a “treasure hunt” in which participants follow a set of directions to find a container hidden usually in a park or some other accessible place. The hidden “treasure” is a rubber stamp, usually designed in conjunction with the theme of the hiding place. Participants also carry their own personal rubber stamp to leave an impression in the letterbox log book.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rubber eraser
• Sharp knife
• Pencil
• Paper
• Pen
• Ink pad

1. Gather the necessary materials. Many letterbox stamps are carved from erasers. Generally, the preferred types of erasers are made of red or green rubber, or white vinyl. Additionally, you’ll need a sharp knife for carving and an ink pad for testing.

2. Create the design you want to carve into the eraser first with pencil on paper. Draw the image using bold, heavy strokes so the image can be seen easily after being transferred to the eraser.

3. Transfer the image by turning the paper over and pressing it firmly against the eraser. You should be able to see a clear image in reverse on the eraser. If not, grab an ink pen and go over the outline of the image to make it more clear.

4. Carve away the areas of the eraser that do not show any pencil lead or ink. Hold the knife so that you are carving away from the design and from yourself.

5. Test the stamp when finished by inking it and stamping a scrap piece of paper. Repeat Step 4 if you see any areas that need touching up.

6. Mount the stamp on a piece of wood, if desired. Select a piece of wood that is slightly larger than the stamp. First, ink the stamp and make an impression on one side of the wood, then glue the new stamp to the other side of the wood.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider adding a layer of varnish to the piece of wood (after you have stamped one side) before attaching the stamp to the wood. This will give the stamp a more professional appearance.
• Carve slowly and carefully. If you make a mistake carving the design, it can’t be fixed.
• The knife used in carving must be extremely sharp, so do not cut toward your other hand or fingers to avoid accidents.