DIY Button Stamp Tool Tutorial – A number of months back, I came across a bucket list of things I'd like to try that I had made years ago and forgotten all about. I was so thrilled when I browsed through the list and realized that I had done all but one item on my list. Strangely enough though, I had just signed up to take a pottery class – the one missing item from my list. After my first class, it quickly occurred to me that I had fallen in love with what was to become my new hobby. The tactile, hands-on, fingers in the clay thing and the scent of damp earth seemed to fulfill something in my life that I didn't even know I was missing. One class turned into three classes; three classes turned into nine classes, and now I've just signed up for an advanced pottery class for the fall.
At some point in my research for pottery ideas, I noticed that many of the potters and studios have their signature stamps that they put on all their work. I loved this idea the moment I saw it. I'm still a beginner potter and don't quite feel like I can use my own signature stamp yet but I still love the idea of having a little extra detail hidden somewhere on the clay piece. One day I popped into a second hand shop and I came across this amazing bag full of antique buttons. For a mere $2 I bought the bag full of buttons and rushed home to figure out how to turn these into stamps. The process is pretty easy and I have to say I couldn't believe how sturdy and durable these clay stamp turned out. These texture tools are great for pottery clay, polymer clay and the kids will love them for play dough and plasticine.
DIY Button Stamp Tool Tutorial
Materials:
- Buttons
- Polymer Clay (Sculpy, Fimo, etc)
- Nylon string (fishing wire will work)
- Knife
- Cookie sheet with parchment paper
Directions (see photos below):
- Using a 4″ nylon string, find two buttons (similar size works best) and tie the buttons together.
- Roll out a piece of polymer clay and form into a cylinder shape. Make the size of the clay a little shorter than the nylon string with the buttons when pulled taut. The role of clay should also be a little fatter than the width of the buttons.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a slit down the length of cylinder of polymer clay but only half way into the cylinder.
- Pulling the buttons taut, slide the nylon string with the buttons on the ends down into the slit.
- Gently squish the two sides of the cylinder polymer clay together and slowly roll the clay until the clay squishes down to meet both buttons and fills the space behind the buttons.
- Carefully place the button stamp tool onto a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake using the polymer clay baking instructions (I baked mine for 20 minutes at 275 degrees).
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Download your easy to make DIY Button Stamp Tool instructions here.
