Rubber Stamps To Make In Your Own Design

Do you have a design you like that you would like to use as 

an accent? Maybe a spiral, irregular little stripes, a checker board, 

triangles…….

You can make your own stamps and accent everything from walls to pillows to shower curtains, valences, furniture……

This project is easy to do and you can use the stamps over and over again. Let's get started.

Supplies you need ti make your own stamps:
1. Large puzzle pieces, the foam kind children use
2. Ball Point Pen or Pencil
3. Sharp craft knife, paring knife or enamel cutting tool

 Or buy Chunky Foam Stamps-MANY STYLES!

Step 1.
Clean the puzzle pieces. 

Step 2.
Using the smooth non printed side of the foam draw your design. Decide what part of the design should print and what part should be negative with no print.

Color in the part that will not print.

Step 3.
Take your very sharp knife and cut along the line that separates the negative and print part of your design. Cut straight into the foam. Do not cut all the way through.

After you have cut the outline of your design you are going to cut the negative away by carving it out.

Step 4. 

Clean up your stamp. Be sure you don't have any foam fragments or little tails. Cut them away. You may even need to use fingernail scissors.

Step 5. 
You are ready to stamp!     Still need stamps?  Check out these:

 Seashells Stamps Set Of 3

Now, paint your piece of furniture:

Supplies you need: 

1. A piece of furniture. This happens to be an old blanket chest. You can use a table, chairs, any piece of furniture you like. You may want to stamp a design on an old dresser instead of painting your design. (See the Zany Dresser with Copper Drawer Pulls Project).
2. Paint or Varnish Stripper and or palm sander, medium grit sand paper and fine grit sand paper.
3. Old tee shirt rag or tack cloth and brown paper bag cut into eight inch squares.
4. Paint in the colors you want to paint the base - your piece of furniture. This chest has two colors, denim blue and a soft turquoise. The 2 oz. Craft acrylic paint will work.
5. Paint brushes. Two inch foam brushes with wood handle. One half inch flat artist's brush.
6. Paint for your stamping. This can be the same colors you painted the base and other accent colors. This chest is stamped with the two base colors and a red accent.
7. Something to practice stamping on. Either paper or wood.
8. Your own design rubber stamps.
9. Non-yellowing polyurethane if you want to seal the top.


  

Painting Instructions

Step 1.
Prep for painting. Your furniture piece should be smooth. Either dip and strip your piece or sand it. This chest was pretty stubborn. I didn't want to dip it because of the cedar inside so I used my palm sander. After you have sanded get all the grit off with a damp tee shirt or tack cloth. Then take your brown paper bag and get the last of the fine grit off.

Step 2. 
Paint your Piece. Look at the piece of furniture for any inherent detail you may want to emphasize or take advantage of. This piece had a sort of diamond cut out in the front with straight carving at the base. The way the top fits with the lip was another nice detail. Notice how the details are used to create natural places to change color making borders and an interesting design.

Is this just more than you want to fool with?  Check out the great 

Painted Furniture at Homevisions

Step 3.
Two colors of base paint were used on this chest. A denim blue and a soft turquoise. These same colors are in the toss pillows used in the family room. Paint your whole piece.

Step 4.
You are ready to stamp! 

Don't have a stamp yet?  Huge selection.......

 Chunky Foam Stamps-MANY STYLES!


Let's get started stamping!

Stamp the piece you just painted or what ever you like.

Step 1.
Be sure what ever you are going to stamp is clean and dry.

Step 2.
Look at your piece of furniture. Look at your stamps. What colors do you want stamped where? You may even pre site the stamps on the piece before you start by taking the dry stamp and seeing how it will fit where. 

Step 3.
Using your acrylic craft paint fill a one half inch flat brush with your paint. Paint it on your stamp. Stamp on a practice piece of wood or paper. Then stamp on your furniture. You should get several stamps before you have to repaint the stamp. 

If you are using the same stamp with different colors on the same piece, it is easiest to stamp all of one color at a time.


Step 4.
Switch colors. Clean the stamp in warm tap water. You may need to use an old tooth brush or tooth pick to get the paint out of the cracks. Let dry.

Step 5. 
Continue stamping until you have your piece done.

Step 6.
Add any details you need with a paint brush.

Step 7.
Apply non-yellowing polyurethane to the top if you like.

Step 8.
Ta Daaa! You have a great piece of furniture all your style. Your new Art Object for your home!

Use your design stamps everywhere. They are easy to make. Several can be combined for a variety of styles.

Enjoy! These little stamps are a designer trick you can use over and over again. 

Find supplies online:

  


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Let me know how your stamps and stamp projects turn out….This project is fun….and you can use it over and over. Send me a photo!

Click Photo to see more ideas

Until next time!

Bye for now,

Vickie

Art Objects For The Home 
www.inoutdecor.com
mailto:vickie@inoutdecor.com

Another free decorative craft project you might like is to jazz up an old buffet or dresser with wire and bead drawer pulls. Check out more free craft projects here.

P.S. Get great decorating tips and projects in our occasional newsletter "InOutDecor.Com Decorating Tips"  Subscribe here!


ALL OF OUR PROJECTS ARE EVIDENT OF OUR PERSONAL APPLICATION OF THE STEPS INVOLVED, WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THE OUTCOME OF ANY SUBSEQUENT APPLICATIONS AS WE CANNOT CONTROL THE APPLICATION OF THE STEPS BY THIRD PARTIES. **SAFETY AND CAUTION MUST ALWAYS BE USED WHEN ATTEMPTING ANY CRAFT OR PROJECT.