How to Stamp With a Rubber Stamp and Ink Pad

Stamping is a very simple technique that can be used for almost all arts and crafts projects. Learn how to stamp with a rubber stamp and ink pad to decorate cards, gifts and scrapbooking pages. With stamps galore in your favorite art shop, you’ll be able to embellish all your projects with this easy technique.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rubber stamp
• Ink pad
• Paper or card stock
• Flat working surface

1. 
   Ink the stamp

   Press the rubber stamp onto the ink pad. Make sure the entire stamp surface is covered with ink.

2. 
   Press down firmly

   Press the rubber stamp down on the paper or card stock, making sure that you apply pressure evenly over the whole stamp.

3. 
   Lift stamp cleanly

   Lift the stamp off cleanly to prevent any smudging or smearing.

4. Allow the ink to dry before you continue with your project.

5. You may want to practice stamping on a piece of scrap paper before you dive into your project.

6. When stamping multiple images with the same stamp, apply ink to the stamp each time.

Tips & Warnings

• Store ink pads upside down so when you turn them over to use them, the ink pigment is concentrated right at the top of the ink pad.
• Stamping is a great way to introduce children to arts and crafts.
• Rinse your stamps with water and allow them to dry before using them in another ink pad so you don’t transfer colors between the ink pads.