3 fun ways to stamp without using rubber stamps

During the pandemic, we have been enjoying some art and craft action here at The Pen Company. After all, what better way to relax at home than by writing and crafting with the family?

A topic I don’t think we’ve touched on before on our blog is rubber stamping. Rubber stamps can be great for crafting and are available in three main types:

• Self-inking
• Pre-inked
• Wooden-handled

There are two categories of rubber stamp — business rubber stamps and crafting rubber stamps and, in this blog post, we’ll be focusing on the crafting variety.

While rubber stamps are a wonderful addition to many crafts, they can be costly to purchase, and so this article is dedicated to stamping without rubber stamps for all of you who are on a budget.

I think you’ll be surprised at the items you can use to create unique patterns and shapes on your projects.

So, let’s look at how to stamp without rubber stamps.

1.      Potato stamping

The potato is a classic stamping choice, and kids at primary school often use this method because it is easy to do and fun, too.

To create your stamp, you can either use a sharp knife (adults only) to cut a shape into the potato or press a cookie cutter into the potato and then cut away the surrounding pieces of potato that you don’t want to show on your stamp.

Once you have cut your potato, you will need to work fast, as once it starts to dry out, the stamping will become more uneven.

You can either use an old ink pad (as you won’t want starch in your favourite ink pad) or paint with your potato stamp. When it comes to paint, choose a thick one and either paint it directly onto the stamp with a brush or pour some onto a plate and dip your stamp in it.

Use fabric paint to open up a whole new world of project options.

2.      Fingerprint stamping

You were born with ten wonderfully unique stamps — your fingertips!

All you need in addition is an ink pad and a marker pen — we’d recommend the Staedtler Pigment Liners, or you might already have some markers to hand.

Press your fingertips into the ink pad and press down onto your paper. Then, take a pen and use it to create characters out of the fingerprints. Use the ideas above to get started.

So simple, but really fun!

3.      Bubblewrap stamping

If you’ve got a project that requires a simple stamped pattern, then bubble wrap is the perfect solution; however, you can also have a lot of fun with bubble wrap, too.

With the kids, cut out simple shapes from cardboard and then glue them to the bubblewrap (flat size to the cardboard) and cut the bubble wrap around the cardboard shape.

Next, you need to apply paint (or several colours of paint) to the textured side of the bubble wrap. Either use a paintbrush to apply the paint to the bubble wrap or pour the paint onto a plate and dip the shape into it.

Then, press the bubble wrap firmly onto your project, and you’re done!

Do you have any other ideas for stamping without rubber stamps? Let us know in the comments; it’ll help other readers.

If you love crafting, check out our recent blog post on how to create a traditional wax seal.