DIY Stamped Necklace (Video Tutorial)

Mother’s Day is a few weeks away, but if you enjoy gifting handmade, then you’re probably already planning ahead!  I’ve got a great gift idea today – it’s a classic keepsake: the hand-stamped mommy necklace.  These are really popular, and can also be a bit pricey, so there’s a big draw in learning the skill for yourself and gifting something not just personal, but something stamped by your own hands!

Don’t get me wrong, if you’ve been checking these out on Etsy or elsewhere, they are worth every penny of the designer’s time!  You will want to practice a little bit first.  It’s not difficult, it just takes a steady hand, and that’s a skill you will develop!

I’ve been stamping for 2 1/2 years now.  My earliest tries were terrible, and I very nearly quit!  But I did keep working at it, getting a little better each time.  Finally, I developed a system and technique that worked for me.  Once I figured out a few tricks, I improved really quickly.  I am happy to share what I have learned with anyone looking to get into the stamping hobby to hopefully help fast-track your stamping skills.

See, back when I started, NO ONE wanted to share the technique.  Well, I blew the whole secret by posting a beginner’s metal stamping tutorial (sorry stampers).  At the time (2 years ago) there weren’t tutorials out there.  Today’s post is a video tutorial, but if you want more detail or you prefer the photo step-by-step, please feel fee to check out my original beginner’s metal stamping tutorial.

What you will need:

• Stamp set – any font you love is fine!  I recommend a 3mm set.
• Steel bench block
• Stamping hammer
• Masking tape or stamp straight tape
• Pencil, permanent marker, and polishing cloth
• Optional dapping block and punch set
• 3/4 inch aluminum circle blanks
• Metal hole punch
• 18″ chain
• Beads, head pins, round nosed pliers, wire cutters for making charms

I know what you’re wondering next, because it’s the question I get all the time:

Where do I get all this stuff?

I partnered with Goody Beads to make it easy.  First of all, they are an ImpressArt retailer, which is my favorite line.  Second, they worked with me to set up a beginner’s stamping category in their online store – I personally hand-picked every item in this category as my recommendation for beginners.  And third, I love working with them!  I have an affiliate relationship with them, meaning if you visit them using any of my links, you can make a purchase that supports my blog at no extra cost to you, and it keeps me in supplies to bring you even more great free ideas. You can easily buy everything you need to get started by visiting the beginner’s stamping category at Goody Beads.

Update: Holy cow. So many of you checked out the collection I put together that Goody Beads ran out of stock in just a few days. They will be restocking shortly! I’m going to give you a list of what you need, to make sure you have everything. If they happen to be sold out, just wait another day or two. But here’s what you’re looking for:

• Rubber-bottom bench block
• Short-handled stamping hammer
• Stamps: my recommendation is the ImpressArt economy set for true beginners, but if you fall in love with another font, by all means – give it a try! 3mm is a good size for most projects.
• Stamp-Straight tape
• Nylon hammer
• Dapping Block and punches (this is optional for beginners, though I do use it in this tutorial!)
• Small metal hole punch (I chose the screw-down punch for beginners because of its cost-effectiveness, but a hand punch works beautifully too, it’s just a little more expensive)
• Round aluminum blanks – size 3/4 inch are perfect for this project, but any size works fine!
• Polishing cloth

Now – are you ready to get stamping?  This video will walk you through it!