Trying My Hand at Metal Stamping

I have always admired crafters on Etsy and other sites that create metal-stamped jewelry. Being the type to leave no craft unturned and wanting to try my hand at this task, I asked my mom for a set of metal stamps for my birthday a few years back. Little did I know just how much more I would admire those types of crafters, as metal-stamping is a very precise craft that requires an extremely steady hand. How metal-stamping crafters are able to stamp names, dates, and quotes onto pendants with consistent pressure and uniformity, I will never know. In other words, I stick to one-letter stamping and often go through multiple stamping disks and plates before getting even one centered and looking the way I want it. For this particular project, I decided to create initial and birthstone charms for my sister and sister-in-law in honor of their little ones, Royce and Camdyn, respectively.

Materials:

-metal alphabet stamp set
-metal stamping disk (with hole drilled)
-small anvil -hammer
-necklace chain
-permanent marker
-steel wool
-craft epoxy
-flat-sided rhinestones

1. Line up the alphabet stamp of choice in the middle of the disk and hold it steadily

2. Using a small hammer, hit the flat end of the metal stamp repetively, making sure to hold the stamp steadily

3. Once the letter has been successfully stamped, scribble over the entire letter with a permanent marker

4. Using a piece of steel wool, rub off the permanent marking, leaving only the outline of the letter stamped darkened

5. Wipe off smudges and fingerprints with a dry cloth

6. Using craft epoxy, glue a rhinestone to the disk for decoration or, in this case, to symbolize birth stones

7. Add a split ring through the hole in the disk and string onto necklace chain to wear proudly