I love old fashioned crafts because they're easy and fun and because our ancestors created them. Potato stamping is a wonderful family activity. It is featured it in my historical romance novel, Amelia Island's The Goodbye Lie Trilogy set in 1882 in north Florida. In the story, the Dunnigan children are kept occupied with this activity so as to protect them from the frantic goings-on by the adults around them.
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potato stamps with paint
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completed T shirt
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Caution: Since a knife is needed for cutting the potato, an adult must be present to supervise.
Paint. Read the label on the paint before applying it to make sure you're using the correct type for the object you will be stamping. If stamping on wood, acrylic (washable) paint will work. Poster or acrylic paint is good for paper. Use fabric paint for fabric. Be careful of water color paints because they may be too thin. The outline of your stamp might look blurred.
Always test the consistency of paint and the coverage of your stamp on a paper towel or rag or wood scrap, whatever is similar to your intended finished product.
Once the paint on your design is completely dry, heat set paint on fabric designs with an iron set on high. Stroke the iron over the picture while it is covered with a protective cloth (like an old pillow case) for three or four minutes. Do not scorch and DO NOT USE STEAM.
You'll need:
Sharp knife (for adult hands only)
1 large fresh potato, at least 3" in diameter to make two stamps
Pencil for outlining pattern on potato or cookie cutter
Paint - see notes above
Paint brush, sponge brush or cotton swabs
Aluminum foil or paper plate for paint palette
Paper towels for blotting and testing stamp
Multi-colored felt tip markers (optional)
Glitter (optional)
Beads (optional)
Buttons (optional)
Thin ribbon or lace for bows (optional)
Pencil with new eraser for dots (optional)
Wash the potato to remove any dirt and pat dry with paper towels. Do not peel.
Cut the potato evenly in half using a large knife to make a clean cut. It needs to be as flat a surface as possible without ridges - these will show when you stamp.
Decide on what image you want to stamp. A simple pattern will be easier to cut into the potato than an intricate one. If making initials, make them block style, bold and backwards! Save the complicated snowflake-type shapes for when you've mastered the easy stuff.
With the pencil, trace or draw your pattern free-hand on the cut side of the potato, or press a cookie cutter 1/4 inch into the flat white surface of the potato.
Cut away the area outside the stamp so that the stamp protrudes by at least ¼ inch. I found it was best to cut away small sections at time, being careful not to let the knife slip under the actual stamp part, or it will fall off.
Squirt a small puddle of paint on the foil. With a brush or cotton swab, paint the stamp portion of the potato, making sure the stamping surface only is evenly covered. Wipe off any paint that slops over the edge. You want a crisp outline.
Test your stamp on a paper towel to see how much paint and pressure are required before you actually begin stamping your project.
To change colors using the same stamp design, wipe away any excess paint from the stamp and paint on a new color.
Let the paint of an already stamped design dry before partially stamping over it with another color if that's the look you desire. If you want the colors of the paints to blend, then quickly stamp the new color over the color used just before it.
Get creative. Personalize items or decorate wrapping paper, book covers, picture frames, stationary, brown bags as gift bags and lunch bags. Stamp gift tags, envelopes, refrigerator pictures, T shirts, paper and cloth napkins, tablecloths, doll clothes, etc. If you can think of it, you can decorate it.
Embellishments for T-shirts or fabric purses:
Sprinkle glitter on the paint while it's still wet so it will stick.
Glue tiny beads, buttons (sewn on fabric) or ribbon bows (safety pinned for removal for washing if necessary)
Outline the stamp with a marking pen or paint a boarder around each stamp pattern or random stamps on the object you're making so it will stand out.
Spatter paint - Dip an old toothbrush in gold paint or any other color and run your finger along the bristles from tip back toward you, while pointing the toothbrush at the object you're decorating. The paint will speckle the surface. Practice first on a newspaper to test the technique and discover the coverage you want.
"Necklace" look (as in photo above) - Repeatedly dip the flat new eraser of a pencil into paint and dab it onto a shirt in a draped pattern to resemble the beads of a necklace. Make it a choker or a long necklace, whatever appeals to you.
If you cover your potato stamps in cold water in the refrigerator, they will keep for a day or two.
Enjoy!
