Linocut Stamp Tutorial

This is an old favorite of mine: Making your own stamp from a linoleum block. I recently made my own stamp for item tags. I did my first lino print in 4th grade, and it's always been a favorite of mine. I documented the steps of my process so you can make your own.

1. Items needed:
-Linoleum block (found at Hobby Lobby or any other art supply store)
-Lino cutter (found at Hobby Lobby or any other art supply store)
-Mirror-imaged stamp design (very important!)
-Sharpie
-Pencil
-Wide pencil (optional)
-Wood block for mounting (optional)
2. Shade over your design on the back of the paper. I used the wide pencil to make it faster.
3. Now flip your paper over (right side up) and trace over your design onto your block. 4. Use your Sharpie to fill in the design before the pencil smudges too much. Everything that is shaded black is where you don't want to cut.5. Now get out your cutter and cut away! Be careful with the cutter, because the blades are sharp, and you may cut more than you mean to if you're not careful. 6. Now test your stamp! If you see anything that you don't want stamped, get your cutter and take those spots off.7. Your stamp is done! You can glue the lino block to a piece of wood to make stamping easier and keep your block in good shape. Otherwise, it may crack in half after it has been used for a while. I haven't mounted mine, and it's still fine. I use a Speedball ink roller to print my stamp, and it saves a lot of time and makes it easier to get a good print.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your stamp-making! If you have any requests for tutorials, leave a comment and maybe I can help!