How to Make Scrapbook Rubber Stamps

Scrapbooking is a satisfying hobby for millions of people. You can take your scrapbooking endeavor to the next level by creating your own rubber stamps. All you need are high-quality rubber erasers and carving tools.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Staedtler eraser or carving block
• Pencil
• Carving or cutting tools
• Scratch paper
• Colored inks

1. Draw a design for your rubber stamps on your eraser or carving block with a pen or pencil. Pencil is preferred, because it allows you to correct mistakes and to fine tune your design before you begin carving.

2. When you begin carving, use a larger carving tool and cut out the background, or any of the parts of the stamp you do not want to be inked. Carving the larger, empty areas out first will make it easier for you to focus on the details and fine lines later.

3. Go from working with the large carving tools to smaller carving tools, focusing on finer and more detailed lines as you go.

4. Along the way in the process of carving your stamp, it would be wise to test your stamp design by inking the stamp and stamping it on scratch paper. Make sure you completely clean the stamp with a mild cleansing product before continuing to carve again.

5. Once you have finished carving your scrapbook stamps, clean them thoroughly to remove any rubber debris. Any material left on the surface will affect the quality of the image.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan to use letters or numbers in your scrapbook stamp, make sure you draw and carve them mirror-image of the way you want them to appear when stamped.