I’ve seen so many custom calligraphy stamps online that I thought
I would give it a DIY try with my own design. It is a time-consuming process, but I figure I saved about
$40. And over two hours, that
means I just got paid $20 an hour.
Besides, I enjoy working with my hands on detailed work.
SUPPLIES:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCI3eEe1hwvEEAtH4v4cnfgamLvfB_lCRJ6HZc1tyaMrZyU0eMBsS6ywfOQvqofY3g_LZqrSBobyJPZIYL7_1DNxQNnAO1s16BKjXLmRZjWdpbhqpmYcJ7HpPtT0Z1YDei0-t6gzF-H0k/s280/Limefish-Studio-Simply-Handwritten-DIY-Custom-Stamp-Supplies.png)
► Calligraphy pen, ink and paper
► Graphite pencil
► Rubber carving block or hard erasers (erasers are better for
detail work)
► Craft knife
► Carving needle (I use a livestock needle - you can pick these up
at a Tractor Supply Co or similar store)
► Wood block
► Strong glue (I use E6000)
► Strong reading glasses (optional)
► Ink for stamping
THE PROCESS:
(1) Using the
dimensions of your eraser, design your custom stamp using your calligraphy pen,
ink and paper. I was unable to
find a large hard eraser in local stores (they sell some online), so I made do
with a relatively small one. I
made our surname in calligraphy with the rest in block. If you can find a larger eraser or wish
to use a carving block, which can be purchased at craft stores, you will have
more design leeway.
(2) Take your
graphite pencil and trace carefully over your design. You will want to make sure you do this relatively hard since
the pencil will be transferred to your carving block.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoHwcCWyYHBNOoP3A_h3m4ZhQ_7KFt4jCjJWm0wotEsTMhAEJ0CjEcnu9fBYLD2fa_zWAV44fTyoLJSMqWFf7SqgLN0ggV7Gpexb_i7yecS8PLX57XgX76GvK9Nrv6VVn4EJQQWCMzfG9/s280/Limefish-Studio-Simply-Handwritten-DIY-Custom-Stamp-Pencil.png)
(3) Take the carving
block and place it over your design, being sure that you have your alignment
correct. Making sure that your
paper doesn’t shift, rub the paper over the block so that the pencil dust will
transfer to your carving block.
You will now have a reverse image of your design on your block.
(4) Begin carving
around your pencil design. I first
use the craft knife to take the edges and larger sections out. Then I take the needle and carve around
the details of the lettering. You
will NOT want to carve straight down next to a letter. Begin at the edge of the letter and
carve away at an angle so that your stamp is stronger. Trust me - I made this mistake on my
first stamp. Charlottesville only
has one L on that one.
(5) Test out your
stamp and make sure you didn’t miss anything, like the little sections of a’s
or o’s. Those are easy to
miss. If you did miss something
and cannot see through the ink, you can simply wash off your stamp with a
little water.
(6) Once satisfied
with the stamp, mount it on a wood block with some heavy duty glue. This will ensure that you have even
pressure when applying it to your product.
(Ta-Da!) Now that you know how, get creative and design addresses,
monograms, symbols or anything you can’t find at Michael’s for a couple
bucks. These can also make a very nice
housewarming gift!
This is so incredible and impressive! Thanks for sharing!! I have to be honest though, there is no way I could handle something so detailed haha.
ReplyDelete