DIY Stamped Goodie Bags

These goodie bags stamped with a hand-carved hibiscus stamp were my favorite Hawaii-theme birthday party detail. They were so easy to make and they won't go straight to the trash or recycling bin as plastic or paper bags might. 
To customize a few goodie bags you'll need a free hour and the following supplies:

Speedball Speedy Carve Block
Linoleum cutter with V blade (a craft knife will also do the trick)
Ink Pad (I used Color Box Archival Dye in Fireberry)
Pencil
Scissors
Goodie Bags (I got mine at Walmart in the Weddings/Party Supply section. They didn't cost much more than mini paper bags!)
First, you'll need to draw the image you want onto the Speedy Carve block with a pencil. 

If you're not feeling creative, use clip art. Print out the image at the desired size and draw over the design in pencil. Then press the image facedown onto the block. Hold image in place while rubbing the back of the paper (a coin or even your fingernail will work). The pencil marks should transfer easily. 

When transferring an image onto the block, remember that the image will print in reverse. This is especially important if you're stamping letters. Before you print out letters from your computer, flip them horizontally. With my word processing software, I need to type the letters into a text box before I can flip them. 
 Now it's time to carve out the design. Whatever you carve out will appear as white or negative space when you stamp. If you're using a craft knife instead of a lino cutter, you'll need to hold the knife at an angle as you move around the parts you want to cut out. 
 Use a pair of scissors to cut out your stamp. 
 Take the stamp for a test drive on some scrap paper to make sure it looks as amazing as you thought it would. If needed, go back and make a few more cuts. 
Now you're ready to stamp the bags. Ink up your stamp, place it facedown on the bag and press firmly on the back. Make sure you press down on the entire back surface of the stamp. And keep the stamp perfectly in place. 

If you are stamping fabric that is anything but white or off-white, I recommend using a dark color ink pad. It will show up much better than a pastel. 
How about that? Now you can re-ink the stamp and go to town on the rest of your goodie bags. In no time, you'll have some super cute and unique favor bags. 
I hope you try this out for your next party! Or how about making a cupid or heart stamp and filling them with candy for Valentine's Day? These would also make cute favor bags for a wedding.
See you next time!

Comments

Popular Posts