We had a great weekend around here and I hope you did, too. We didn't do much, besides hanging out with family. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law have been in town; Brookie came up here for the Fencing Junior olympics. We took advantage of the family in town and celebrated Felix's FIRST birthday with a party on Sunday. I'll share details with you tomorrow.
![isly-design-celebrate-p-valentines-treats-4](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.melissaesplin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/isly-design-celebrate-p-valentines-treats-41.jpg)
For now, I'd like to show you a little detail (and tutorial) on how I did the
polka dots on Penelope's Valentine's treats. I really like what
Joke did with her confetti cups on
Oh Happy Day, but I didn't have the time or motivation to go out and get a stamp, so I made do with what I had on hand.
Above is the stamp I made for Penelope's Valentine's. I didn't have wood or rubber on hand, so I just made do, and you can too!
![isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-7-finished](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.melissaesplin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-7-finished.jpg)
Learn how to make your own stamps (for almost nothing) after the jump!
• SUPPLIES •
- scissors
- leather (or craft foam sheets)
- wood blocks
- glue
• INSTRUCTIONS •
Cut your leather (or foam) to the desired shape. Make sure that they’re smaller than your wood blocks.
![isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-3-glue-and-reinforce](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.melissaesplin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-3-glue-and-reinforce.jpg)
Glue leather (or foam) back onto leather. Allow glue to dry before trimming it out.
![isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-5-stamp](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.melissaesplin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-5-stamp.jpg)
Once your shapes have been trimmed out of the second layer of leather, rub leather (or foam) on the ink pad.
![isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-6-stamp-on-wood](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.melissaesplin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-6-stamp-on-wood.jpg)
Stamp the top of your block with your shape. Place leather shape inked-side down and apply glue to the back of it. Place the wood block on top and allow the glue to set before using.
![isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-7-finished](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.melissaesplin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/isly-DIY-stamp-set-tutorial-7-finished.jpg)
Stamp away! I know I'll be having a lot of fun making patterns with these basic shapes.
Make a set of 4 basic shapes for the perfect gift. I used leather because that's what I had on hand. I suspect next time I'm at the store, I'll be purchasing some foam sheets and see if I can do more detailed stamps. I'll report on my success (or failure). Click the button below to download the printer-friendly version of the tutorial.
![](http://melissaesplin.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/screen-shot-2009-11-19-at-111014-pm.png)
• TERMS OF USE •
This tutorial/freebie is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. I love getting shout outs from around the web, but please, link with love. Do not copy this text, publish more than 1-2 photos or outright steal this idea for commercial publications. If you would like to use this tutorial for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!