If you like the look of stamping, you can always purchase various stamps at local craft stores. Unfortunately, not only can these be expensive, but the store-bought versions also may be restricted in their pattern selection. So why not make your own stamps from discarded computer mouse pads? The foam rubber material on the mouse pad makes for an excellent stamp base.
Materials:
old or unwanted mouse pads
pattern of your choice
tracing paper
blunt pencil and regular pencil
utility knife
blocks of wood
white glue
paintbrush
acrylic paints of your choice
foam core (optional)
acrylic paint sealer
Steps:
- Draw a pattern on a piece of paper or remove it from a pattern book.
- Using tracing paper and a blunt pencil, transfer the design onto the bottom of the mouse pad. Go over the transfer with a pencil, if desired, to reinforce the outline.
- Using a sharp utility knife, cut out the pattern.
- Lay out the pattern on a piece of wood.
- When you are satisfied with the placement, use a lead pencil to outline the pieces onto the wood.
- Cut the wood piece down to handling size if desired and glue the mouse pad pieces in place on the block of wood. Let dry.
- At this point, your stamp is ready to use. Before stamping on the final surface, practice on a piece of cardboard or scrap piece of cloth.
- Once you are ready to stamp and have decided on paint color, spread paint lavishly on the stamp using a paintbrush.
- To stamp on cloth, lay the cloth down over a sheet of foam core or similar surface. The foam core will bend and help take in the stamp so that the print comes off better.
- When all desired images are stamped, let dry and spray with an acrylic sealer.
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