- Create dry embossed raised or indented images on the face of your handmade cards with rubber stamps. You'll need to wet the card stock slightly with a cloth and then press the stamp into the damp fibers of the card stock. The result is an indented image that matches your stamp. You can bring the dry embossed image to life with watercolors, colored chalk, acrylics or ink. You can make any type of card with this dry embossing technique and stamps that include words and images to represent the occasion. For example, to create baby announcements, combine a stamp with the image of a rattle and letters to spell out your child's name and date of birth. You can make your own thank you cards to match the type of gift you received with stamped images of wedding bells or a birthday hat.
- Get crafty and create embossed plant markers with rubber stamps and copper sheeting. Emboss the copper with the names of your plants by pressing the stamps into the sheeting. Place the sheeting over a rubber surface like a mouse pad so the stamp can easily form the impression. Once you have your plant name dry embossed into the copper, cut around the words with tin snips or sharp shears. Nail a hole in the top so you can hang the markers onto a small shepherd's hook you can make with 18-gauge craft wire or soldering wire. To make the hook, cut an 8-inch length of wire and curve it on one end with your fingers to make a hook. Curve the end of your hook up to make the hanger with round-nose pliers. Hang your plant marker and insert the straight end of your hook into the ground.
- You can create door hangers and gift tags with another dry embossing technique using a stylus and a stencil. A light box is also helpful if you plan to emboss the image onto card stock. Place the stencil on the light box and lay your card stock on top. Turn on the light and the image will show through the card. Follow the stencil and make the embossed indentation with a stylus or some other blunt-ended object, like a crochet needle. Embellish the gift cards with ribbons and other decorative craft supplies. To make metal door hangers, you can trace the outline of the stencil as it sits on top of metal sheeting. Complete your dry embossed image or words before you cut your metal to fit the space. Hole punchers in a variety of shapes are available for paper projects; punch a hole in the card and secure it to your gift with ribbon. Hammer a nail to make a hole to hang the metal door decoration.
