7 Cool Ways You Didn't Know Stamps Could Be Used

Did you know that there are several unlikely ways that you can put stamps to alternative uses? All you have to do is put on your DIY hat and get to work. Start by taking out the rubber crafts stamps you usually use for cards and envelopes. Then choose one of these fun, creative activities to make a new designs from your favorite stamp dyes.

1. Creating New Soap

Do you have leftover bits of soap bars sitting around your home? Check bathroom sinks, bath tubs, showers and kitchen sinks to find leftover soap. Gather these old bits of soap and melt them in a double boiler or the microwave. Use non-stick cooking spray on a mini-muffin pan or another mold of your choosing. After the soap molds have cooled for 8-12 hours, you can gently press your stamp into each soap to get a unique impression.

Many styles of stamps will give soaps an intriguing look. Make preppy, square soap with the letter return address stamp. Add an earthy design with a tree stamp, or advertise for your business with logo stamps.

Explore tutorials online to find more soap recipes. You can always add ingredients like natural exfoliates such as coffee grounds or oatmeal. You can also enhance the smell of your new soap with household spices or essential oils.

2. Nail Polish Decor

Create gorgeous nail art by using your stamps to create ink impressions or textured indents. Watch this awesome nail stamping video to learn how! For the method in the nail stamping video, you will need to get nail stamping ink. Start with dried, painted nails. You can either purchase materials designed for nails specifically or re-use your crafting goods. While regular rubber stamps and ink are a bit harder to manipulate, most inks are fairly forgiving. This allows you to start over on any nail you mess up.

For textured looks, stamp nails that have not yet dried with a dry, wood block stamp. Make sure to clean the stamps with acetone to remove the excess polish. The acetone can wear away at the rubber, so be sure to use stamps you no longer need.

3. Handmade Candles

Similar to re-purposing soap, you can use old candles to make new, stamped candles. You can purchase a set of 8 or 12 candle wicks directly from your local craft store. To make your new candles, gather old candles stubs and put in a heat safe dish. Heat the wax from old candles over the stove or in the microwave. You can use old glass jars, shot glasses, recycled candle holders or mason jars to mold your new candles.

You can use stamps to decorate your new candles with by making indentations into the wax while it is heated, or you can use tissue paper and quick drying ink to transfer stamp images to each candle surface. See these step by step candle craft directions to using rubber stamp ink on wax surfaces.

If you really enjoy decorating candles, you can get materials to emboss candles with shimmering text.

4. Icing Cookies

Did you know you can use food coloring as stamp ink for cookies? It's pretty exciting to take your crafting hobbies into the kitchen and create a tasty, beautiful snack. To be safest, it is best to use stamps that have not been used with stamp ink before. Gather your favorite holiday rubber stamps to make festive Christmas cookies. Find your favorite snowman or Santa Claus rubber stamps.

You can also use heart stamps to make Valentine's Day treats. The sky's the limit when it comes to decorating cookie icing with stamps. Make designs for different occasions all year long. With simple food coloring gently stamped on white, dried cooking icing, you can make stunning desserts.

5. Foam Art with Cappuccinos

For every amateur barista who has tried to make foam art and failed, welcome to the painless world of stamping foam! Once you've perfect your frothing technique, you will have a beautiful bed of white foam to add a stamp impression into. You are not limited to coffee beverages either. You can stamp foamy beers with cool designs too! To make designs really stand out, use food coloring that will show a sharp contrast on a white background.

To safely create these delicious designs, use stamps that have not been used with ink yet. Making sure you have a food safe ink is an critical part of successfully pulling off this creative endeavor.

6. Cheese Logo Stamp

Looking for a way to add that extra something to your charcuterie board? Your cheese display will stand out once you put a stamp onto a slice of brie! If you make your own cheese, you can also add stamp designs while waiting for the cheese to set. Whether you are an artisan cheese maker looking to brand your homemade cheddar or goat cheese blend or trying a cheese recipe for your wine club, using stamp designs will make your fine cheeses stand out.

You can even create a unique stamp design with your brand name, website address and logo. Customize a logo stamp to start making cheese creations at Simply Stamps.

If you want to learn how to make your own molded clay stamp for decorating cheese and butter, check out this fun cheese stamp how-to!

7. Food Coloring & Easter Stamping

Get ready for spring by making your plans for Easter early! Put your rubber stamps to one final use by decorating hard boiled eggs with floral stamp patterns. Watch this video tutorial from Martha Stewart Living to see how you can use ColorBox Fluid for making Easter eggs.

Simply Stamps has a whole line of embellishment stamps that include floral patterns as well as house plants and succulents.