How to Make Your Own Swirl Stamps
A very inexpensive way to make your own stamps for painting is by carving the design into the cut surface of half a potato. Any solid shape can be made into a stamp, and swirls are some of the easiest to design and carve. The stamps will not last more than a few days, but they will last longer if they are wrapped in plastic and refrigerated between uses.
Things You'll Need
- Potatoes
- Pencil
- Large sharp knife
- Small sharp paring knife, or pumpkin carving knife
- Chopping board
- Paper towel
Instructions
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1
Chose a potato with a circumference larger than the size you want your stamp to be.
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2
Wash the potato to remove any dirt, then dry the skin with a paper towel or cloth.
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3
Place the potato on the chopping board, and using the large sharp knife, cut cleanly through the middle of the potato either lengthwise or widthwise depending on the surface area size your stamp requires. Each half can make one stamp.
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4
Blot the cut surface of the potato with the paper towel to remove any moisture, then draw your swirl design on the surface with the pencil.
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5
Using the small paring knife or pumpkin carving tool, make small incisions along the outside edge of your design, cutting into the potato by about half an inch.
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6
Using the same knife, cut from the outside of the potato about half an inch down from the surface of the stamp, into the middle part where you cut around your design. Don't try to do this all with one or two cuts, but cut away small sections at a time, until your swirl shape is all that is left of the cut surface of the potato.
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7
Repeat this with a different swirl design for the second half of the potato.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use several different sized potatoes to make different swirl stamps. You may find it easier to hold the potato with a towel while carving it to protect your hand and prevent it from slipping around. If you make a mistake, just start again; potatoes are cheap.
The cutting parts of the process should only be done by adults, as sharp knives are necessary. Children can wash the potato and draw the design, and use the stamps when they are made.
