Make Your Own Stamp

For a while I've been hunting the internet for the perfect stamp for me to use that is either the same or very similar to the design I have on the invites. Unfortunately there has been no such luck but I did come across http://www.theartfulcrafter.com/stamps.html where I got the idea to just make my own damn stamp. I've been sitting on this process for a while and testing it out but here's what I've come up with.

Materials you will need:

















*cheap erasers (look for the multi-packs from Walmart for the back to school sales)
*x-acto knife
*toothpick, dental tools, or some small picking/prodding object
*fine grit sand paper
*printout/hand drawing of your design (works best with less detailed and thicker designs)
*pencil
*LOTS of patience

Step 1:
take printout/drawing of your design (make sure this is not your master copy) and trace over it in pencil so the design has a lot of pencil lead.

Step 2:









flip the design over and put it on the eraser, then rub on the back of the paper so the pencil lead transfers your design on to the eraser. If your design is bigger than the eraser then you might need to glue some of the erasers together. I recommend using super glue to stick them together but try not to get the glue on the surface of the eraser or you might have problems later getting the ink on to the eraser for stamping. After transferring the pencil lead on to the eraser, darken the lines with your pencil or a pen so you can see your design better.

Step 3:
with all the cutting skills and patience you have slowly and carefully cut out your design; this is why the bigger, simpler design works best. If your design is complicated like mine, be prepared to make small cuts and start over when or if you cut it wrong. While cutting, try to keep a little more of the eraser than you need because you can always cut away the eraser parts but you can't add it back on (well you can but it's a very messy process and you might as well just start over). Also remember to try not to cut underneath the design for the outline or else you might end up accidentally cutting off your design like I did at one point. Use the toothpick/dental tools to help you clear out the cut pieces from the smaller areas. The web site recommends cutting the inside of the design out first, but I found either way works.

Step 4:










test out your stamp, correct where needed and cut away the background parts for a cleaner image. Use the fine grit sandpaper to smooth the edges BUT if you have one of the crappier erasers they might just fall apart from sanding, so TEST it out on the eraser before you try it on the design.

Step 5:
TA DA! Enjoy