20 Creative Ways to Use Your Dater Stamp

Getting your new year's dater stamp in the mail is an exciting moment. We want to make it even better. Did you know this professional stamp can be used for more than just business needs and piles of paperwork? You can have fun and get crafty once you realize just how versatile your new tool is.

When it comes to celebrating special occasions, milestones, and more, dates are an important thing to remember. Use dater stamps to add that sentimental detail. The sharp look of the precise lettering makes your own designs really stand out.

Let these 20 ideas inspire your next DIY activities.

• Make homemade wrapping paper by cutting up paper bags from the grocer and stamping them with your dater stamp. The simple date format and brown background create a vintage look. Add a pretty accent by using a textured ribbon in the color of your choice.

• Design personalized birthday cards by adding birth dates in a funky pattern. Choose from patterns like basic stripes or create a background with a heart in the middle. It doesn’t have to be overly ornate to look great. The fact that you took time to tailor a card for the recipient will show how much your care.

• Are you jumping on the Polaroid trend? It’s such a fun and easy way to capture memories, so that pictures don’t just live trapped in the digital universe on Facebook or Instagram. Date your Polaroid pictures or Instapix so that you remember when you snapped each instant of your life adventures.

• Decorating for a birthday party? Before you head to the party store, or freak out at the last minute, see what everyday items you might be able to use. Grab blank white (or colorful) napkins and other paper goods then add the birth date to them. Making little stars can be cute. If you have paper bags, these can also be transformed with stamps to make favor bags.

• Track leftovers and opened dates with daters. Designate when food is opened or what the used by date should be. For frozen items such as baked goods and casseroles, it can be easy to forget the date. The clear reminder can help you keep track of leftovers you bring home and food or sauces that expire quickly.

• Are you transforming your planning habits with a bullet journal? This DIY organizational calendar can bring order to your life, but also requires a good deal of drawing and decorating. Speed up your weekly layout creation with your date stamp. The uniform look of each impression can balance the scheduling chaos that can build during busy time periods.

• When it comes to making and keeping workout or diet goals, many people have success with strategies that involve tracking food and planning ahead. You can use your stamp to make worksheets or plan daily meals. Having a place to write commitments and then crossing off met goals helps you stay motivate The record with the date will help you celebrate each achievement and step towards the bigger goals.

• Sending out a picture of your new bundle of joy? Add a dater stamp flourish to birth announcements. Want to learn a secret stamp hack for the baby announcements? Use tape or a 3 x 5 card to cover up part or the stamp, then change digits to include the weight, length and birth time.

• Make your own version of the baby milestone monthly cards used for that oh-so-cute of first year photos. As every month goes by, you can design cards and use the dater stamp to create an adorable border, and then write how many months have passed in the middle of the card.

• Kids love to create their own personal masterpieces. From stick figures to pictures of the house, their skills expand as they grow older. Add the dates to their artwork so you can treasure it long into the future.

• You know the A+ math test your child brought home? They studied so hard for it. Give it a date stamp and put it on the fridge for all to see. When the kids bring home special pieces from school you want to save, easily add the date with your stamp.

• Creating your own save-the-dates and wedding invitations? Use your dater stamp to make sure the date for your nuptials is front and center. It can be a modern, vintage or even steampunk look depending on the kind of stationery you choose. The boxy font for the month letter and numbers will give a polished feel to each design.

• Speaking of wedding planning, that important date is something you’ll want to see everywhere. Don’t hold back. Use the power of the stamp to decorate engagement party napkins, bridal party favors and more. You can also use in your personal wedding planning binder. Simply change the date to add important tasks, phone calls to make and when items need to be completed or purchased by.

• Making an Anniversary card for your spouse or parents? Personalize your DIY look with a stamp featuring the date when that knot was originally tied.

• Create a “word of the day” or “message of the day” type lunch box note for your kid. Put one note in every day - save and at the end of the year put them all together.

• Create graduation announcements with a focus on the date of the ceremony. DIY graduation cards can be a sweet way to share this historic achievement with friends and family.

• Are you a scrap booker? Putting together albums with family or travel photos takes a lot of time and attention to detail. Date your scrapbook pages with photo and mementos to remember the date of significant events.

• Do you have a memory box? When you receive heartfelt notes and cards from the people that love you, add the date then tuck away in this special place to reserve for looking at in the future. You can also take these messages from loved ones and store them in a time capsule type box.

• The holidays are coming and there are so many items to buy as the countdown to Christmas begins. Create your own advent calendar – you pick out the bells and whistles – using the dater stamp. A personal message about truth and love for each day of the season could be how you complete each significant day.

• Date homemade goods that you will be using as Christmas gifts, such as canning jars with jams, jellies or spreads. Or, if you make nonperishable snacks or bath scrubs, you can mark jars with Dec. 25^th.

With plenty of ideas to choose from, it’s easy to see how convenient using daters can be. Order the basic date only stamp or one of the Trodat Pro Series, if you know yours will get serious use. You can even order an option that includes a custom text box where you can add a business name, your family last name or a cheerful message, depending on how you plan to use your stamp.