making stamps with a no.2 pencil
Howdy! I told you this tutorial was going to be about making stamps out of pencil erasers…right?
Well, let’s cut to the chase. I saw this tutorial on Creature Comforts a while ago, and thought it was a fantastic idea. It’s an easy and cost effective way to spruce up cards and packaging. I tried it over the weekend and had a lot of fun using the stamps to make little cards.
Did I mention that this is a great way to use old no.2 pencils you have lying around? Yup, even if the eraser is dried out and leaves streaks on your paper when you try to erase. The only caveat is that the erasers need to be new (never used), so that you can have a flat stamping surface.
To make your stamps, you will need:
-no.2 pencils with new/unused erasers
-X-acto knife
-ballpoint pen
-stamp pads
-paper, or something else to stamp on
-a damp paper towel
steps
one
Take your ballpoint pen, and draw out the desired stamp shape on your eraser.
I made a triangle and a heart.
*I also tried doing this on the big white eraser you see in the images above, but it didn’t work out for me. The erasers were too porous for the stamp pads I had, and the shapes that I stamped out looked more like blobs than hearts. Perhaps I should try with a larger design or a different kind of eraser next time.
two
Using your x-acto knife, carefully cut the excess eraser away, leaving just your shape.
You’ll want to cut down to the base of the eraser, where the metal piece is. I made the heart by cutting right angles to get the general shape, then shaving down little pieces of eraser to give it a more rounded shape.
three
Admire your fancy work. Then bust out the stamp pads.
It’s time to go stamp happy! Make sure your damp paper towel close by, so you can wipe off the stamps when you switch colors.
I ended up making a bunch of different patterns using my stamps, then went back with a Micron pen to add accents. I thought this one (below) would make a cute name card for a dinner party. (Or in my case, a tea party that has pb&j.)
So there you have it – stamps from a no.2 pencil! The more you use them, the more ideas you come up with. I promise!
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[...] this year, my pencil-eraser stamp tutorial was Freshly Pressed on the WordPress homepage. I got a crazy amount of comments on my blog that [...]
[...] first Create project was making stamps out of pencil erasers. I had originally seen the idea here which is where you should also go if you want a full tutorial and tons of photos. Plus, her results [...]
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[...] the odd biscuit before it is baked. Interested in making your own rubber stamps. Have a peek at whollyKao’s tutorial. Showing you how to make. The cutest stamps. With nothing but a No.2 pencil. Share [...]
What a fantastic idea! I just love being able to repurpose items for new uses.
Courtney @ http://myyearinpins.wordpress.com/
Reblogged this on smileyxan and commented:
cool!
Reblogged this on Et Que Cette and commented:
I love this idea for homemade stamps from erasers. WhollyKao did an awesome job of explaining the how-to so I’ll just leave it to her! Have you ever tried something like this? Are you into paper crafts? I’m definitely going to give it a try.
really really awesome
Très belle idée, bravo!
That is sooooo Neat!
hahaha i use to do this when i was in elementary school.
Good Memories
[...] has a beautiful blog, WhollyKao (the pencil eraser stamp tutorial is on my to-do list – it’s such a great [...]
Love this! What a great idea!
[...] of this blog? Esther Kao is all about crafting and she recently posted a fun and simple tutorial on making stamps with pencil erasers. It wasn’t written this week, so it’s a bit of a cheat, but it was featured on Freshly [...]
Such a cute idea!
lovely and brilliant!! im gonna make some for myself <3
I love your pencil stamp prints. They look really feminine, cute and sophisticated. I will be viewing your blog quite often
Such a cool post! Thank you! – Tori Johnson from http://www.thesTORIbook.com
[...] Membuat stamping [...]
Very pretty and i love paper, note cards and hand made things! such a cute post, love it! have a wonderful day!!!!
Thanks for sharing this! Really nice!
It’s cool!! But I wonder if I can cut the eraser well. The pattern might be awful if I can’t…
Amazing!
simple but effective! this is a great idea
[...] just got some blank cards to decorate for different occasions and this little project goes along [...]
u clever economical pencil nerd u.
wood. rubber. ink. imagination. giving spirit. thoughtful to others. caring.
so much can be said of what you just created and shared.
thanks for blogging.
rock on: https://horiwood.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/stan-walker-music-wont-break-your-heart-music-video/
such a cute idea!
superb like it so much…
This is such a great idea! I love the Happy Birthday banner one. I wonder how difficult it would be to make a star. Hmm… Oh also, you have lovely hand-writing. The curvy cursive lettering makes the cards look that much better. Nice job and congrats on FP!
I love this! I’m not that crafty, but I think I can manage this trick
thanks!
Amazing! I love that!
Whoo! Just reading this made me feel like a kid again! I LOVE stapms!
So simple and nice. I think I try to hard to be fancy and don’t get even near to the type of quality results that you showed by just using a pencil
i love this! definitely a great way to spruce up cards, name tags … or anything! what a creative idea – and your photos are lovely!
This is so wonderful! Thank you for sharing. I love simple creative ideas like this. You can add such a nice touch to card while not breaking the bank.
Now I know what I’m spending my summer doing!
Reblogged this on a date with dhalia and commented:
Hey guys!
Haven’t been sharing in a long while – but I came across this today and it made me go whooo!
so check it out.
Also , make sure to check out cupcakesandcashmere.com; Emily is one of my all time favorite bloggers
gorgeous idea….definately going to borrow it for my card making
So simple but it works so well!
Fantastic idea! I’m gonna try this! Lovely cards too!
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love this! What a clever idea, this will come in handy when getting ready for my daughter’s first birthday party… personalized stationary here I come! thanks
Reblogged this on Alisha Ng and commented:
Unbelievably cute idea. Only thing I’ll need to pick up for this are stamp pads. I’ve always loved making cards but after my move to a new city, I have zero materials to work with. It’d be very nice to get back to DIY activities!
Reblogged this on yellowbonebeauty and commented:
this is so cute <3
i absolutely love this !!!!!! great idea
This is brilliant!
This is witchcraft.
your post caught my eye on Freshly Pressed. That’s a cute tutorial and a great idea for using up all those cheap pencils that keep coming into the house, but are no good to write with! Thanks for the fun idea, and I would be interested to see if you experiment with the wax seals! now I’m off to check out some more of your posts!
Such a wonderful creative idea! Love it
they are so dainty and cute, very original idea!
These are sooo cool and very creative! i liek it
I’m gonna go and find some pencils! If I don’t have stamp pads can I use watercolours or acrylics or would it be too dense??
Hi there,
I think acrylics might work, if you put on a really thin layer. You might even have to ‘paint’ it on to the eraser with a small paintbrush…otherwise it’d get thick and goopey on the paper. And the other downside is the drying time for paints vs stamp pads is longer. But def worth a shot, if that’s what you have at home!
Thank you
VERY cool.
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Wow, I never thought about that before!
[...] the link Pencil eraser stamp tutorial Goodnight. ♥ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
Awesome… I will try it… I’m a teacher so I need this things!!! thanks for posting that
Reblogged this on anyenglishblog and commented:
This was great!!! a good idea and not expensive at all…
Cute idea. Congrats on getting pressed! I would like to repost this idea on my site Marti Ink under the “creativity” section this coming weekend.
Great Idea! I’m gonna use it on my letters!
This is a great idea. A lovely way to make small stamps and be able to use them easily
What a nice idea to make such a small stamp of a pencil. I really like this!
This is such a great idea!
Fantastic. Can’t wait to try.
These are so pretty and it looks quite easy! Off I go to make a bookmark in work!
Reblogged this on Beautiful world. by Katherine S..
Love it!
lovely idea! thanks for sharing. i’ll definitely give it a try. : D
What a super idea! Thanks for sharing. Like your art work too. I’m sure I must have several old pencils whose erasers were never used. Will be starting a new scrapbook soon, so will try out these stamp ideas.
so pretty yet so easy to do! cant wait to start carving my erasers!
amazing!
que buenas cosas haces!!
We used to do this in school Sometimes, tagging our friends in the back of the neck. Funny! Great blogging as I have not thought of this in years.
Reblogged this on Scribbles and commented:
I tried this and it was awesome!
Cute! I thought I was the only one doing that since I was a kid. Great post!
How wonderfully creative!
That’s so much fun!
wow super idea even i would like to make some……………..nice blog
Superb. Am gonna give a surprise to my little daughter by making it with her. She’ll so love it!
Reblogged this on Isla & Magnolia.
sounds simple, and since I don’t ever use the eraser at the back of my pencils, this is a great idea. I can draw & stamp away, 2-in-1, great! Thanks!
sweet & simple. the best.
Oh I am going to try this! Thanks for the idea!
I think my boyfriend made me these before. He told me they were stamps but I never used them. And they do look like eraser material!
Great idea and your photos are wonderful!
Soooooooo cute. Loooooove it!
I used to do this as a kid when I was bored in class! Who knew I was so cool?
Except I wasn’t nearly as creative with my designs. I typically stuck to happy faces and such. Thanks for sharing!
so cute!
Awesome!! Congrats on being FP’d!
Haha nice post! I stumbled upon this a few years ago in sixth grade (you know, when you’re bored and start playing with your stuff in class). But still, great idea.
Great idea! There are several pencils that come home from school, holiday gatherings, and kids’ parties. Most of them have special designs (such as the most recent pastel bunnies and eggs for Easter). These decorated pencils are pretty, but the graphite is too loose inside the wood, so they always break whenever you sharpen them. This has always left these pretty pencils un-usable… That is, until now! Thanks for giving me an idea of how to make these pencils useful!!
So true about those ‘holiday’ pencils! Either the graphite is bad, or the eraser is more plastic than rubber and won’t erase anything anyways!
I remember we used to do this back in junior high. We thought it was cool back then, but I haven’t seen it again until now. Pretty neat.
So refreshing! As I’ve always told my kids…technology is good but it won’t hurt to know the basics. Love your blog!
A very creative way to make stamps! Why spend a handful of money for minature stamps when you can use something inexpensive, like a pencil, to make one of your own. Thank you for sharing the idea!
wow!!! What a treat! Thanks for the idea.
I wanted to say thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog today. You guys made my day!
Very cute and ingenius idea.
val
valentinedefrancis.wordpress.com
This is incredibly adorable! Sometimes, for fun, I would draw shapes on my erasers with pen and stamp it on paper. Kind if like your idea, but not with the same effect. Anyway, congrats on being on FP! I will have to try this sometime.
Must try this!!
I’ve seen this done before, such a great idea!
What a great trick and so cute! Thanks for sharing.
pretty cool, now I can use all those old school pencils for something
You can also use crayola watercolor markers instead of stamp pads.
I didn’t know you could do use those. Great idea!
Very cool! Congratulations on being freshly pressed!
Reblogged this on These are a few of my favourite things… and commented:
This is a lovely tutorial by Esther on her blog “whollyKao” for making stamps with pencil erasers. I’ve seen this before, but this is by far the most beautiful! Thanks Esther!
So cute! We’ll definitely be trying this out
Congrats on being freshly pressed-we’re following!
2chicgurls
http://www.2chicgurls.com
Have fun with it! And thanks for following
Reblogged this on giabutterfly.
This is dead clever. Thanks for sharing. I never use regular #2 pencils so now they have new life.
super cool. thank you.
Cool. Great idea.
This is such a great idea! This would be a perfect addition to my classroom, perfect for little arts and crafts.
great idea!!
And just when I was about to throw away all of my #2 pencils. Congrats on being Freshly Stamped…ooops, I mean Freshly Pressed.
Mr. Bricks
Thats pretty awesome. and nice pics too…
Funny idea! As children we only used to make stamps from raw potatoes. Thanks for posting!
ahh! adorable. must look for unused pencils.
Thanks for sharing. Those triangles on the place cards are adorable, plus I really like that I have everything at home already to make these. Cheers! jodi
I used to do that as a kid (write some words on my eraser and then “stamp” it). Except for the cutting shapes out of pencil erasers part.
So I’ve seen this before, but your graphics are so gorgeous you make it fresh again, so well done!
This is perfect! Now I have to go try it out on “calling card” labels for my knitting.
Thanks for the awesome tutorial!
Stamped calling card labels for knitting?! So great! I’m a knitter too, and something like that sounds like a fun little thing to add to finished knits. Thanks for stopping by!
I have to give credit where it’s due – I didn’t come up with the calling card idea! I got it from yarn bombing blogs. Yarn bombers often leave little stamped cards like that on their artwork. But it works just as well for those of us with craft fair stands, Etsy shops, etc!
I can’t wait to get started making stamps.
Reblogged this on Homemade Body and commented:
DIY Making Stamps with a No. 2 Pencil
Those cards look great, simple yet effective..
awesome DIY project! can’t wait to use this on my card projects! thx for sharing!!
well now, isn’t that clever! I might have to try that in my own little corner… : )
http://www.elizabethselena.wordpress.com
http://www.inlumenphotography.com
cool! I’m gonna pin this on pinterest!!!
very creative
magnificent
Nifty idea
My kids will love these
This is very interesting, I never thought about using erasers for stamps. Do you think for a bigger one it would be better to use those big pink ones rather than those porous ones? ‘Cause they’re… you know… not porous. But yes, this is very cool, and I’m curious to try it out.
Hey Amy,
you’re probably right about the pink erasers being better stamps. The white one I used soaked up the ink and wouldn’t stamp right. Will have to test that out sometime!
really adorable
Absolutely adorable and not so hard to make. Thanks for sharing!
such an amazing idea
it is so simple yet has such a cool effect and also it reflects back the lovely colours of the stamps against the plain background of the cards 
thankyou for sharing
keep smiling
This is such a good idea! I’ve been looking for a way to make stamps for my cartoon, and I’ll definitely try this! Thanks for the tip
What a wonderful idea, and such cute cards!
Cute, very cute!!
great idea – EVEN I might be able to do this………well, maybe I should let someone else wield the exacto
knife! ; )
Reblogged this on 8BIT.
this is awesome!
Try a ‘pink pearl’ eraser. There texture is closer to erasers on the ends of pencils. Good luck. Nice idea.
Cool, thanks for the eraser tip. I’ll try that out next time!
pink pearl erasers work best, but even the dollar store ones work. Have fun.
wow! so creative..love it!
What a great idea! The cards you designed are beautiful.
It’s brilliant and so easy! Love this.
Lovely post and beautiful photography!
Great idea! My daughter would love that….thanks!
this is amazing! i’m gonna have to try this DIY!
http://www.beckspick.com
clever!!!
Reblogged this on Inspired Motivations and commented:
This is such a great way to make your own cards or dress up letters and envelopes!
Good idea!
i used to to do this all the time in elementary school. they mostly consisted of colouring the whole eraser blue or red and then tatooing friends, but same idea. its neat that they can look so cute!
Ha ha oh so nifty!
I will try it. Thank you
Ohh this is perfect, I’m going to try right away! I’ve made quite a few stamps out of corks, which work quite well too, but these look better! Thank you so much for sharing
x
http://www.cinnabarstar.wordpress.com
great post <33
Reblogged this on 1001 Dicas de Artesanato.
cool
Reblogged this on lovedufromthestart.
This is an awesome idea!! Thanks for sharing
very creative. nice!
nice! thanks for the ideas!
that’s soooo CUTE!!
Really lovely! I must try this sometime
Excellent repurposing! Your photographs are very good too. Congrats on fresh press (and on your creativity).
So dainty and pretty, how sweet!
Adorable! Those cards are lovely.
Congrats on being freshly pressed!
lovely idea! love it…
What a great idea! I love the way you creatively arranged the triangles and hearts. What kind of paper did you use for your cards?
Thanks Samantha! I used a linen cardstock (it’s what I had at home). I’m guessing you can use watercolor paper too, to give the card texture.
awww such a great idea and so cute too! I love designs and your ink pads /insert <3 stamp
Delightfully whimsical
[...] My tutorial on making stamps out of pencil erasers made it to the WordPress homepage (i.e. was Freshly [...]
simple but amazing ^^ simple is the best!!!
I like it. You should write something about how to make your own seals ( a bit bigger than a no. 2 pencil), for wax-sealing letters and things like that. I’ve always wanted to start wax-sealing letters and such with my own symbol
Hmm DIY wax seals. I’ll write that down for something to try in the future and let you know if it turns out. Thanks for the idea!
Awesome
Look forward to it!
This 46 year old, married, father of two just made a heart eraser out of his pencil in about a minute and a half, and is stamping everything. (And I can’t believe I just typed that out loud.)
Bravo! Your comment made me smile. Hope you’re having fun with it!
Thank you this is great idea… And congratulations on being Freshly Pressed. I am glad to meet you and with your amazing blog. With my love, nia
Thanks for the kind words, Nia
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
You are welcome, I loved your blog and creative ideas… Thank you, Love, nia
This has taken me back to Grade 5 when I used to use a marker to color in my pencil’s eraser, stamp it on my page and then draw in a little happy face in the imprinted circle. My teacher that year had this awesome happy face stamp and this was my inventive way of copying her. (gosh that sounds pathetic now that I’m older…hahahah)
Great post… and I love the finished products!
Janet
BRILLIANT!
Thanks much for sharing!
Wow, so easy and with supplies that I already have at home. Even better! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
Wow! Cool idea. I should try this sometime.
cant wait to do this with my stepdaughters !!!!
Cute!
that’s so awesome.. love it!
How fun. Thanks so much for sharing this technique. And congrats on Freshly Pressed.
Hugs,
Kathy
I’m in awe of anyone wielding an exacto knife on so small an area. One slip and….
Great idea!
I know! You have to be pretty careful with it, since the xacto knife cuts through the eraser pretty easily!
Cute outcome. I made an eraser stamp while I was in middle school using big eraser. I used the steadler eraser, cause it’s dense enough & sturdy. Lovely idea using the no. 2 pencil eraser.
Reblogged this on Cool Oasis.
Try a Pink Pearl… Great ideas!
Yeah, that’s a really cool blog! thanks for the help
Great tutorial!
Our little girl loves stamps and all thing craft so this is one to add to the holiday project list! Thanks for sharing and congrats on being FP!
Super fun! Thanks for sharing this easy and cost effective hobby!
Those are so cute, such a good idea!
Very lovely idea!
Reblogged this on karmaninja.
<3
These are class
could be used for so many different things
Reblogged this on Jaggi.
I think you are from Make-Simple-Things-Extraordinary-Club!!!
ingenious
I love how this darling idea fits into the “make do” creative ethos that I’m such a fan of. Can’t wait to try this out.
Beautiful creations! Amaze idea, and congrats on hitting FP
A very clever use for old pencil erasers. You deserve an extra pat on the back for achieving this without losing your fingers – it looks like a skilled operation. It should be possible to buy the same type of eraser as a full sized one rather than the porous type one you tried. They’re certainly available in the UK, we call them rubbers over here:-)
These are wonderful must-tries.
good idea
Brilliant idea!
Such a lovely idea. Simple and beautiful
Wow! I have got to try this!
Thank you for the inspiration!
What a great idea! Such beautiful little note cards. Thanks for sharing! : )
Simple but really cute! Smart thinking
This is so cool and cute! This is such a brilliant idea! Wanna try this one soon!
Reblogged this on VodkaLatteandLobster and commented:
This is just so creative!
I absolutely adore this creativity!
I am going to rush back home and try this!!!
Looks very pretty!
OMG I’ve been storing up years of pencils marking every occasion waiting for you to post this! I now have a weekend project! Can’t wait! Really cute Happy Birthday pennant card! I may have to sincerely flatter you by imitating that one! I’ll give you credit though!
lovely idea….
cute, easy project! love the cards!
[...] how cute is this?! If you want to try it out, you can check out the tutorial for it on the blog Wholly Kao. She has made some really cute cards using this technique. xo [...]
Those look great – I love the hearts balloon
Thanks Julia! Too bad I didn’t make these 2 months earlier–then the heart balloon would be perfect for Valentine’s!
I like this idea. I’ve been making eraser stamps for several years now, but haven’t tried it this small. I’ve got a pack of pencils here, so will be trying this soon.
Have fun! It’d be neat to incorporate both your full sized eraser stamps + the pencil eraser stamps!
Ohhhh this is SOOO cute!! I might have to make some!
Made some of these stamps so mentioned you in my blog!
Glad you liked the post. Have fun, and thanks for stopping by!
Such a good idea! The cards look so cute.
Such a good idea! The cards are so cute
Thanks!
LOVE IT!
I agree completely. I shall construct one during my history class tomorrow.