DIY String Stamps

Stamps are simply wonderful for anything from making your own cards and decorating scatter cushions to printing wrapping paper and personalising a piece of clothing with fabric paint. But gosh, they’re expensive! So why not make your own?

You will need:

• Thick durable string
• Wood glue or superglue
• Craft paint (optional)
• Small wooden block at least 2cm thick and size of your choice
• Sandpaper
• Permanent marker

Now to make your stamp:

• Use the sandpaper to smooth the edges of the wooden block so it won’t hurt your hand when stamping.
• Step 2 is optional – paint the block in a colour of your choice, simply to make it pretty!
• Start off by drawing your stamp pattern onto the wooden block with a pencil. Remember to choose a simple pattern that you can easily create with string.
• Once you’ve designed your stamp pattern, lay your string onto the design to measure and cut the lengths you’ll need.
• Set the string aside and draw lines of glue onto the wooden block, following your pattern lines.
• Carefully lay the string onto the glue and press it down to stick. Leave your stamp to dry overnight.
• Lastly, use your permanent marker to draw a replica of the stamp pattern on the back so that you can easily identify it when it’s sitting in a box with your other homemade stamps – because you’ll be making a lot of these!

Original images and their credits available on Pinterest