How to Make an Easy Foam Stamp for Stamping on Fabric
Karen C and Pam W
Here are the supplies you will need:
1. Craft Foam that’s at least 2 mm thick – often comes in sheets with an adhesive back. OR a clean foam meat tray from the grocery store (for this option, you will also need some double-sided tape to adhere the stamp components to the backing).
2. Scissors (Not Your Fabric Scissors) or small craft knife.
3. Some sort of backing for the stamp components. Corrugated cardboard from boxes cut to size, acrylic blocks, or wooden blocks all work well.
4. Masking tape to make a little handle for your block (Optional).
5. Paper and pencil to plan your design.
6. Tracing paper if you wish to trace your design from another source (Optional).
Instructions –
1. Plan out your design, keeping in mind that
a. The design you place on the backing will be a reverse image of the design that will print.
b. Raised surfaces (i.e. the foam at full height) will print, whereas areas with no foam or foam that has been indented to provide details will not print.
2. Use tracing paper to trace an existing shape or drawing. If you use a soft lead pencil, you can flip the tracing over onto the foam sheet and rub gently with something blunt to transfer the design onto the foam.
3. Draw directly on the foam and use scissors or craft knife to cut out. Your design can be comprised of a number of small pieces (i.e. squares or circles) or a larger piece with cut outs or etched designs.
4. Cut a piece of backing slightly larger than the design, following the contours of the design.
5. Peel the adhesive backing and stick on or use double sided tape.
6. If needed, mark the top of the backing to indicate the top side of the stamp or as an alternative, make a print and affix the print to the top of the stamp backing to be able to pick out the stamp at a glance.
7. If desired, pinch a piece of masking table to make a small handle and affix to the backing so that your hands stay clean when using the stamp.
8. To print using the stamp, use one of the following methods to apply THIN coats of ink or paint to your stamp. Then place the stamp in place and press firmly and evenly to make sure the entire stamp surface has contact with the fabric or paper. Lift (or peel if needed) the stamp off the fabric or paper without smearing and let dry. Reapply ink or paint for each image, unless you are looking for faded prints in your overall design.
a. Use a stamp pad that’s made for fabric. Lightly dab the stamp onto the pad (or vice versa) to achieve a light even coating.
b. For paint – either fabric specific paint or acrylic paint combined with a fabric medium – use a fine piece of sponge or a dabber to apply light coats of paint to the stamp. To avoid a muddy image, it is helpful to dip the sponge/dabber into the paint and then dab a few times on a piece of paper or palette to avoid putting too much paint on the stamp.
9. Clean your stamps with a damp rag or baby wipes after printing to keep the images clean.