Metal Bracelet Stamping
Now that spring has “sprung”, it’s time to hang up those bulky winter coats and switch them out for your favorite spring attire – and don’t forget about accessories!
Once you have your stamping supplies all lined up, this metal bracelet is the perfect way to get in some practice if you’re a beginner. Plus, it can make for a fantastic gift for a friend or loved one!Metal Stamped Bracelet
- Supplies
- Metal Stamping 101
- Choosing Your Stamps
- Using a Guide
- Hammer Pressure
- Metal Bending
- Stamp Your Bracelet!
- Design
- Stamping
- Adding some Color
- Bending / Shaping
- Design
- Stamping
- Adding some Color
Supplies Needed
- Aluminum metal bracelet blanks (I used 3/8″ size)
- Metal stamps (letters, designs)
- Bracelet bending bar
- Bending pliers (optional, but recommended)
- Enamel or oil-based paint marker
- Stamping guides (optional)
- Stamping hammer
- Steel block
- Pencil or pen and eraser
- Lint-free cloth or paper towel
Metal Stamping 101
Choosing Your Stamps
When it comes to choosing your metal stamps, it is very dependent on the type of blank you will be using as well as the design of your project. For example, you don’t want to use a 6mm letter stamp on a ¼” (6.35mm) aluminum bracelet strip unless you are at a skillfully advanced level. This would leave you with virtually no room for alignment error and could make your design look too squished. Also of importance is the font type that you choose for your project. If you are going for a more classy, modern look, then using a typewriter font may not be the best choice.
Whichever stamp you choose, just be sure to take the size and style into consideration.
Using a Guide
Using a sticker guide for aligning your letters makes the entire stamping process so much easier! Not only do these handy stickers help in keeping your letters straight, but it also helps you to determine where you want your designs to be placed on the blank. Definitely a must-have for beginners and experts alike!
Hammer Pressure
Hammer pressure, meaning how hard you strike the stamp, takes a bit of time and practice to perfect. It also depends on the metal upon which you are stamping. Harder metals such as stainless steel, require a heavier hand; but stamping a softer metal like aluminum is much easier with a bit of a lighter pressure. This handy chart from ImpressArt is a great go-to reference guide to get you started!
I printed this chart off and laminated it so that I can refer back to it as I need to!
Metal Bending
The next important skill to learn is metal bending. Using some handy tools makes this learning process so much faster and easier!You can purchase either a metal bending bar or bending pliers – or both! I like to use both tools to help me perfect the curve of the bracelet.
To save some money, you can technically use a curved household object, such as a small tin can, however, I have never tried this so I cannot confirm how well it works. I highly recommend purchasing a bending tool to avoid the likelihood of dents or blemishes on your finished project. It’s definitely an investment worthwhile.
Stamp Your Bracelet!
Now that some of the stamping basics are out of the way, let’s get to the fun part…making your bracelet!
Design
The very first step is to figure out what type of design you would like to see on your bracelet. You can choose to make it simple, with text only, or you can really get in some practice by trying an edge-to-edge design – the choice is completely up to you! Just remember to consider the size of the stamp during the planning stages.
My mother-in-law asked me to make her a bracelet, and as I know she loves bumblebees and dragonflies, I decided to make her a bracelet that has a pattern of both.One of the useful aspects of the bracelet sticker guides is that you can write on them, making the planning process so much simpler. To do this, first, align the guide on your metal blank. Now just grab your pencil or pen and start drawing and/or writing where you want your letters/designs to be.
You don’t have to be an artist here, just a rough sketch of shapes or letters will suffice.
Once you have your design all laid out, you can begin to stamp.Stamping
Gather all of the stamps that you plan to use to decorate your bracelet, then, remove the protective layer from one side of your blank only. Next, take your blank (with the protective layer face down) and place it on your steel block.
Stick your bracelet guide on the blank at the correct location for your designs. Take your stamp and ensure that it’s facing the correct way, then place it on your blank. Now gently slide it (try not to scratch the surface) until it just touches the bracelet guide. If you are using the ImpressArt brand, their stamps usually indicate the correct position to stamp with the logo on the right side.
Once you are ready, take your hammer and give it a good punch on the top of the stamp. Voila! You just made your first stamped design!
Continue this same process for all of your letters and/or patterns until you are completed.
Adding Some Color
To complete the look, you can darken your newly stamped designs with an enamel or oil paint marker. This helps to make your bracelet really look finished. Of course, this is a completely optional step, so if you prefer your designs to have a more subtle, subdued look then that is fine too! It really just depends on your own personal preferences.To use the marker, simply color over the stamped areas in multiple directions, ie: diagonally, horizontally, and vertically. This will help to ensure full coverage.
After about 3 to 5 minutes, wipe off the marker with a lint-free cloth (or paper towel) and allow it to dry for another 15 minutes or so. This might take a little bit of “elbow grease”, so don’t worry if you find it is a little harder to remove. If you are really struggling with removing the excess marker, you can dab a very small amount of warm water onto a paper towel to help. Just be careful to not saturate it, you don’t want to remove the paint inside the stamped designs.
Voila! Your designs are now complete!
Bending / Shaping
All that is left to do now is to shape and fit your bracelet.
As I mentioned previously, I like to use both the bending bar, as well as the bending pliers. First, Take your bracelet and place it in the holding slot of the bending bar tool, then bend it over the curve until it is completely around it. Repeat for the other side.
This will give the basic shape to your bracelet, but as you can see, it’s not perfect…yet!
To correct this, take out your pliers, and starting from about an inch and a half from the center, press your pliers down in small increments.
You will see the bracelet starts to get an even better, more finished curve.
Repeat for the other side and you’re done!
Keep on Crafting! 💖
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