How to make a perfect champagne cork shamrock stamp

If you’ve saved that champagne cork from New Year’s Eve (and I know you did) you can use it to make a perfect cork shamrock stamp! 

It’s easy to carve with an X-acto or craft knife.  When the cork shamrock stamp is ready it will have a myriad of uses.  Stamp all your correspondences.  Stamp up a few bookmarks for school treats for your child’s classmates.  Stamp some plain brown paper to create your own wrap for small gifts. 

Since you make this stamp from cork your image will have tiny open areas that gives your stamp a textured look. 

Materials:

Champagne cork

X-acto or craft knife

Piece of thin cardboard

Scissors

Pen

Ink pad (green, or any color you prefer)

Stamping items

Tiny bit of fine sandpaper

Champagne cork shamrock stamp

Instructions:

1.     First, make your pattern.  Begin by folding a thin piece of cardboard in half.  Then use a pen to draw a half heart on the fold.  The half heart should be measured ¼” on the fold line.  Finally use some pointed scissors to cut out.  Open the cardboard piece and you will have your heart stencil.

2.     Next, use the pen to draw the heart on the bottom (Flat end) of the cork.  Make three hearts in the shape of a shamrock.  Draw a curved triangle in the center for the stem.  (See photo)

3.     Now, use the craft knife to carefully cut around your design.  Work slowly, making small slits and slices.  Cut around the image about ¼” down.

4.     Then use a tiny piece of fine sandpaper to lightly sand any rough surfaces.  Your stamp is ready to use.

5.     Ink up the image with your preferred color and stamp using steady pressure.  Practice first on scrap paper before you stamp on your projects to the get used to the pressure and stamp.  Now you can use your shamrock stamp to make seasonal bookmarks, greeting cards and more!

Wasn’t that easy and fun?  Let’s connect on Facebook, Pinterest, G+, twitter, and more!  I’d love to hear your comments!

Note:  When working with a craft knife please be extremely careful, this is not a project for kids, but the kids will love if you make them a stamp of their own!

Valentine's Day Stamped brown paper gift wrap

Do you want to wrap your Valentine’s Day gift with unique yet thrifty gift-wrap?  Stamp brown paper to make your own.  It’s easy to stamp some brown paper using a simple heart stamp you make from a Styrofoam ball cut in half.  The Styrofoam stamp gives the wrapping a nice textured look.  Use red acrylic paint or substitute red sparkle paint for a flashier look.  Brown paper is an inexpensive alternative to pricy giftwrap and you can even use a recycled brown paper bag you get from the grocery store absolutely free!  What can be more frugal than that?  Top it all off like icing on a cake with a pretty Bowdabra bow.  Your gift will be almost too pretty to open…almost.

Materials:

·      Brown paper or recycled grocery bag cut open. 

·      Styrofoam ball cut in half

·      X-Acto or craft knife

·      Serrated steak knife

·      Paper plate

·      Acrylic paint in choice of color

·      Sharpie marker

·      Scissors

·      Ruler

To make the Bow:

·      Bowdabra Mini Bow Maker

·      Bowdabra Bow wire

·      1 ¼” wide wired red ribbon (I found a really pretty red ribbon with white dots on the edges)

·      Pencil or end of paintbrush

·      Tape or hot glue gun and glue sticks

1.     Cut the Styrofoam ball in half with the serrated steak knife.  Use the sharpie marker to draw a heart shape on the bottom.  Using the outline of the heart, cut all around with the craft knife inserting it about ¼” deep.  Next, insert the craft knife  around the sides about the same depth. Carefully remove small pieces of the Styrofoam from the sides to reveal the raised heart.  (See photo)  Work slowly around since Styrofoam cuts very easily.

2.     Prepare your brown paper by cutting a piece for your needs.  If you are using a recycled brown bag, cut it open, smooth it out and work on the inside. 

3.     Add some acrylic paint to a paper plate.  Dip the Styrofoam stamp in the paint and stamp in another area of the paint to remove any excess paint.  Stamp your paper with as many or as little hearts as you want.  Let dry.  Wrap your present.

Make the bow:

1.     Cut a 24-inch piece of bow wire.  Fold it in half and place in the Mini Bowdabra.  You will have a loop on one side and two pieces of wire on the other.

2.     Cut about 33 inches of 1 ¼” wired ribbon an insert into the Bowmaker.

3.     Make a loop about 2 ½.”  Make a matching loop on the other side.

4.     Continue to make another loop on each side for a total of four loops.

5.     Bring the rest of ribbon across with a small loop in the center and insert into the Bowdabra

6.     Scrunch down with the Bowdabra wand.

7.     Thread the two loose ends through the loop and pull tight.

8.     Remove from the Bowdabra and tie a knot in the back.  Fluff up the bow and adjust the center loop.  Use a pencil or end of a paintbrush to curl around the leftover bow wire and pull to the front.  Attach to the front of your wrapped gift with tape or hot glue. 

Note:  Although cutting these stamps are not for kids, the finished stamps are great for little hands.  Just have mom or dad cut the stamp and let the kids enjoy some stamping fun!

Recycled wine Cork I love you stamps

If you have some wine, champagne or sparkling wine corks lying around why not recycle them into wine cork “I love you” stamps for Valentine’s Day?  It’s quick and easy and they have a myriad of creative uses!  Use them to stamp your envelopes for Valentine’s Day.  You can surprise the kids by stamping their lunch bags.  And if you are really creative you can even make some letters for stamping monograms.  How about a star for schoolwork?  Since the stamp surface is cork, they have a textured look when stamped. 

Note:  This tutorial is not for children.  Please take care when using craft knives

Materials:

·      Wine or champagne corks

·      X-acto knife or craft knife.  You can get narrow blades for the X-acto, which makes it easier to cut around.

·      Stamp pads

·      Sharpie marker

·      For embossing – embossing power, embossing stamp pad, and heat gun

Instructions:

1.     Draw your letter and/or heart shape on the end of the cork. 

2.     Use a craft knife to carefully outline the letter or shape all around about 1/8” deep.  Use short in and out cuts. 

3.     Turn the cork on its side and cut all around about 1/8” deep. Remove the cork from around the heart.

4.     Working back on the end of the cork where you cut around the letter, use the craft knife to cut out small sections and remove.  When you have finished clean up any excess cork with the craft knife.

5.     Have fun stamping.  You can use regular stamp pads in the color of your choice or an embossing pad and embossing powder.  To emboss use an embossing stamp.  Sprinkle on desired embossing powder.  Tap off he excess powder and use a heat gun to set it.  Another technique is to stamp with gold or silver.  Then use a fine line sharpie marker to outline all around with dashes and dots.

Stamp

Stamp in embossing pad

Sprinkle on embossing powder

Shake off excess

Set with heat gun

Outline with marker