How to Make Your Own Ceramic Stamps
You can use many items to create a ceramic stamp. Carve an "X" into the bottom of a wood dowel and press it into ceramic clay. Let the clay dry and you have a stamp. Order a custom rubber stamp at a business supply store and use that to stamp your clay. Press an unusual stone with an interesting surface texture into clay and you have another stamp. There is no limit to the number of found objects or purchased items that can be used to stamp impressions in clay.
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Things You'll Need
- Polymer clay
- Wax paper
- Rolling pin
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Garlic press
- Craft knife
- Poly fill
- Baking dish
- Liquid polymer clay
Instructions
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1
Warm polymer clay in your hands. Put a sheet of wax paper on a work surface and knead it. It will become pliable. Polymer clay is a synthetic clay made from plastic. If the clay sits too long it becomes stiff.
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2
With a rolling pin, flatten a thin slice of clay on wax paper. Make the slab about 1/8-inch thick. Sketch a light drawing of your stamp design onto the surface of the slab using a pencil tip. Let's make a crescent moon.
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3
Put a ball of polymer clay into a garlic press---one you won't use again to press garlic---and press the clay through the holes. Take one of the extruded clay snakes and lay it out on top of the sketched design. Cut the clay snake with a the tip of a craft knife at the peaks of the crescent moon.
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4
Cut out the perimeter of the stamp with the craft knife. Cut about 1/16- to 1/8-inch away from the raised moon design.
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5
Roll out a large oval of polymer clay approximately 1 1/2-inches long. Cut it exactly in half width-wise. One half of the oval will be the handle of the stamp.
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6
Set the crescent moon and the half of the cut oval on a bed of poly fill in a baking dish. The poly fill will support the clay while it's baking. Put it in a conventional oven or toaster oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 250 degrees. Let the clay cool to room temperature.
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7
Take the tip of a craft knife and score the back of the crescent moon cut out and the flat cut surface of the half oval. Scratch multiple lines on both. These lines will help the two pieces stick together.
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8
Add a dot of liquid polymer clay to the back of the crescent moon over the scored lines. Place the scored face of the half oval on top of the liquid polymer and press the two pieces of baked clay together. If any liquid clay oozes out, wipe it away. Let the liquid clay dry.
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9
Bake a second time for 20 to 25 minutes at 250 degrees.
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Tips & Warnings
Make multiple stamps at one time.
Wet the face of the stamp before pressing it into ceramic clay so it doesn't stick to the clay.
Make sure the room is well vented when baking polymer clay as it gives off fumes.
