Writing letters in this digital age makes it all that more important for letter writing to be more artistic & personal. Give your letters & stationary a steampunk flair with these 2 simple DIY stamps!
Geared Up! Stamp
Materials & Tools:
- Square block of wood
- 3 gears (mine here are reproduction gears that you can purchase at Michaels--these work best because they are flat)
- Hammer & 3 nails (the nail heads should be large enough so that they hold the gears in place)
- 3 rubber washers (should be roughly the same width. See second picture below)
Steps:
1) Arrange your gears on your wooden block. Once you have them arranged as you desire, (using your nail) mark where you will hammer each gear into the wood.
2) Take a gear and place the rubber washer underneath it. 
Then hammer the gear in place with a nail. Be sure to hammer the nail straight so that the head is not crooked (because it makes stamping a little more difficult). Repeat for the other 2 gears.
3) Begin stamping!
Steampunk Spring Stamp
Materials & Tools:
- Square wood block
- Wire cutters
- 20 gauge wire
- Spring
Steps:
1) Cut a length of wire using your wire cutters (if you do not own a pair of wire cutters, use a pair of toenail clippers). I cut mine about arm's length.
2) Thread the wire through the spring and around your wood block. 
Pinch the wire tight around the edges of the wood and pull the wire taut through the spring each time. 
3) Once you've wrapped all of the wire around your wood block & through your spring--wrap the loose end of wire to another piece of wire to secure it.
4) Being stamping!
As always, Happy making!