Rubber Stamps: A Brief History and Their Creative Comeback
We all love stamping.
It’s easy, fun, and instantly makes a journal page feel more you—but this creative practice has a fascinating history.
Its origins can be traced to ancient civilisations, where wooden stamps were used for both decorative and functional purposes, such as marking ownership or identifying goods.
This practice has especially rich cultural significance in Asia. In Japan, the use of stamps, known as hanko or inkan, dates back to ancient times. These personal seals were historically used to mark documents, contracts, and other important papers instead of a handwritten signature.
Decorative stamping has also first gained popularity in Japan, particularly in crafts and journaling.
The practice of using greeting cards, scrapbooks, and art journals has become a vibrant part of contemporary Japanese culture, with many stationery brands offering beautifully designed stamps that blend traditional and modern aesthetics. This context is important to understand as, in recent years, there has been a revival of interest in stamping as a creative outlet, with various Asian brands offering innovative designs and tools.
This has made the practice of decorative stamping accessible for personal expression and creativity across the globe. Today, stamping has found a new generation of enthusiasts, driven by social media platforms and online communities that celebrate creative expression and share techniques.
It’s clear that stamping is more than just a hobby.
It’s a medium for storytelling and artistic expression that continues to evolve and inspire. We’ve put together 10 creative ways to use rubber stamps in DIY projects to show you just how many creative possibilities there are.
1. Make Personalised Greeting Cards
Browse our collection of rubber stamps to create custom greeting cards for any occasion.
Nowadays, we are spoilt for choice with so many coloured ink stamp pads. This allows you to tailor each card to the recipient’s tastes, whether they love cute, vintage or elegant motifs.
Make your cards instantly recognisable by using a special stamp as your signature. Choose any stamps for this purpose – we give an honourable mention to roller stamps by Shachihata that create a simple yet effective decorative detail which can be coloured in as well.
Additionally, layering stamps and mixing techniques, such as heat embossing or water colouring, can elevate your cards, making them truly one-of-a-kind creations that reflect your artistic style.
2. Customise Gift Wrap
Transform plain, eco-friendly kraft paper into a one-of-a-kind gift wrap by stamping patterns or designs directly onto the paper.
This enhances your gift presentation, but also shows your thoughtfulness in crafting for a loved one. By choosing stamps that reflect the occasion, you can create a cohesive theme that elevates even the simplest gifts.
Depending on the style you are going for, we recommend using either one dainty stamp for that minimalist look, or creating a pattern for the entire wrap.
Additionally, by combining multiple stamps you can tell a little story or express the sentiment behind your gift. If you decide to cover a larger surface, practical self-inking stamps from brands like Midori are your best companion.
Remember, a stamp’s life truly begins once it’s pressed onto paper.
Colour it, shade it, write in it or around it to make it your own!
3. DIY Home Décor
Stamps can elevate home décor projects like plant pots, ceramic or wooden pieces.
We recommend using flexible acrylic stamp blocks that can be applied easily to curved or uneven surfaces and combining them with inks suited to the material you are working on. For example, always use alcohol inks on glazed ceramics.
Consider experimenting with different stamping techniques, such as layering colours or using embossing powders to add dimension and visual interest to your designs. You can make a beautiful, sustainable décor piece for yourself or a loved one by repurposing thrifted plain décor pieces in this way.
4. Decorate Art Journals and Scrapbooks
The obvious one!
Incorporate stamps into your journals or even work and academic planners to boost your storytelling and organisation. They can serve as borders, backgrounds, or focal points, adding depth and texture to your pages.
By mixing various stamp designs with photos and notes, you can create a vibrant visual narrative for your memories or memoires.
Choose from a variety of versatile rotating date, calendar, or to-do-list stamps to level up your planners or diaries.
Check out our blog about other planning and habit tracking essentials.
You will find an abundance of choices with our range of whimsical decorative journal stamps, including delicate floral and plant designs, animal and travel themed or stamps that depict simple everyday joys, like drinking coffee or tea.
5. Create Custom Labels and Tags
Design personalised labels for jars, gifts, or storage boxes using rubber stamps.
By incorporating patterns and fonts that reflect your style, you can create a cohesive look throughout your home that organises and beautifies your space. Whether it’s for spices in the kitchen or keepsakes in a craft room, custom labels make everyday storage feel special and curated.
Get creative with fun stamps with space for writing inside, such as a floral frame or even a cute lazy cat! If you are going for a functional, uniform look, check out letter font stamps by Kodomo No Kao.
6. Unique Fabric Designs
Fabric stamping is a great way to customise textiles.
Make sure to use fabric-safe inks to create unique patterns on tote bags, T-shirts, pillowcases, or table napkins, giving your textiles a fresh look. This technique enables you to experiment with various designs and colours, making a piece of clothing a reflection of your creativity.
Additionally, by upcycling old or plain fabrics into stunning personalised items, you contribute to a more sustainable approach to fashion and home décor, reducing waste while showcasing your artistic flair.
It’s a win-win.
7. Craft Seasonal Decor
Celebrate seasons and holidays by creating themed decorations with stamps.
From Halloween to Christmas, craft stamps can help you DIY banners, table settings, ornaments, and more, making your home feel welcoming and festive.
In our collection you will find craft stamps that can reflect each season of the year.
Involving family and friends in the stamping process can turn decorating into a fun and collaborative activity, fostering creativity and togetherness as you prepare for celebrations.
8. Bookmarks and Personal Library Stamps
Use any design to craft personalised bookmarks using cardstock and stamps!
This is a perfect project for book lovers, and they make thoughtful gifts for friends and family who enjoy reading. You can customise each bookmark with meaningful quotes, favourite colours, and unique designs, making them functional and cherished keepsakes.
We know this one is a little controversial...
But stamps can be a charming way to personalise your book collection too!
If it doesn’t make you clutch your pearls in horror, use a stamp to create a little vignette for your name, mark the date you added a book to your library, or craft a unique dedication if you're gifting a book to someone special.
A little ink never hurt a well-loved book, right?
9. Custom Party Invitations
Create beautiful and personalised invitations for your next gathering by including stamps into your design. Use themed stamps that match your event to create a cohesive look that will excite your guests.
For example, check out food themed stamps and add some fun to your next dinner party invitations.
10. Mixed Media Projects
Of course, you can combine stamps with other journal supplies like art pens, stickers, washi tapes, and watercolours for mixed media projects.
To take it a step further, add your favourite photographs, your own drawings, writing fragments or inspiring quotes. Try layering translucent elements like vellum paper or tissue paper over stamped designs to create more depth and texture.
All in all, just have fun with it—experiment, play, make a mess, and see where your creativity takes you.
We would love to see your creative stamp projects, so don’t be shy!
Questions? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us on Facebook, Instagram or via email at info@bookbindersdesign.com.au and send us your work! 😊
