DIY Network

Birthday Girl Gift Bag Learn how to make potato stamps to use on paper gift bags. From "Craft Lab" episode DCLB-141

Guest Bethany Mann joins host Jennifer Perkins and demonstrates how to carve a potato stamp of a skull and stamp the design with acrylic paint onto a paper bag.

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Turn an ordinary potato into a stamp and create your own unique birthday gift bag like this one.

Birthday Girl Gift Bag

Project designed by Bethany Mann.

Materials:

paper grocery bag
thread
acrylic paint
potato
ribbon
glue
scissors
sewing machine
paring knife or carving tools
disposable plate
sponge brush
alphabet stamps and inkpad, optional
card stock, optional

Figure A

1. Cut the gusseted sides and bottom off of the grocery bag leaving only the front and back with handles attached.

2. Turn the front and back of the bag so that the printing is on the inside of the bag. Sew together using contrasting thread and zigzag stitch on your sewing machine (figure A).

3. Cut potato in half. Using a paring knife or carving tools "draw" a skull on the face of the potato with the point. Make the image bold and use the natural curve of the potato as the top of the skull. The jaw of the skull looks best if you cut in quite a bit from the top and square it off. Cut off any potato below the jaw line so you can gauge the placement of your stamp.

4. Using the tools, carve out eyes (vary the size), nose, and lines for the teeth.

5. Put some acrylic paint on the plate and thin with water, or acrylic medium, only slightly.

6. Use the sponge to paint the face of the potato evenly and perform a test stamp on a piece of paper. If you like what you see stamp onto the surface of the bag.

7. Recoat the surface of the potato for each impression for best results.

8. Make small bows for the skulls. Trim and glue in place.

9. Allow the bag to dry.

10. Stamp birthday girl tag and affix to bag when dry.

11. Fill and thrill.

RESOURCES :

Assorted Wrapping Papers
Iota
Website: www.everyiota.com

GUESTS :

Bethany Mann
We apologize no contact information is available.