How to Design Your Own Ink Stamp
The variety of stamps available from craft stores and office supply stores is wide, but the stamps are often expensive and many of them come in complete sets. Whether you want to make a custom ink stamp in a design that you cannot find, you want to save money or you just want to get creative, making your own ink stamps can be a rewarding experience. You will need to transfer your design onto a rubber carving block and carve it with carving tools.
Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Rubber carving block (or block pencil eraser for smaller stamps)
- Linoleum carving tool with blades (sizes 1 to 6)
- Ink pad
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose an image or a phrase that you would like to make into a stamp. Use your own signature to make signing documents easier or a decorative stamp to add a creative touch to your scrapbooks or greeting cards.
-
2
Draw your image or wording onto your rubber carving block or block pencil eraser with a pencil. If you are drawing words onto the stamp, draw them backwards so that the stamped image will read correctly.
-
-
3
Attach a size 1 linoleum blade to the end of your carving tool and twist the end of the tool to grip the blade into place.
-
4
Carve along the outside of your pencil lines with the blade. The size 1 blade will make small enough cuts to remove extra rubber from around intricate designs and tight angles.
-
5
Switch the blade size in your carving tool to a larger blade scoop. Use a size 3 or larger. Remove a layer of rubber with your carving tool from the entire area of the block or eraser until the only raised area is the design you drew with your pencil.
-
6
Press your stamp onto a stamp pad to ink it and press it onto a sheet of scrap paper. If you are satisfied with the way the stamp transfers ink, leave it as it is. If you are not completely satisfied, use your carving tools to correct any crooked lines or remove areas in the background that should not show.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Stempel mit Stempelkissen image by astiandesign from Fotolia.com
