Let's face it, when you hear "date stamps," you probably think about monotonous office tasks and stacks of paperwork. But we're here to tell you that date stamps don't have to be boring at all! In fact, they're one of the most versatile stamps around, and can be used for a variety of fun crafts and useful hacks.
4 Non-Boring Ways to Use Date Stamps
Different Kinds of Date Stamps
Not all date stamps are created equal, so it's important to know the difference. Heavy-duty designs are perfect for high-volume stamping, while lightweight, portable designs are ideal for inspections and small tasks. Self-inking mounts re-ink the rubber die into a self-contained ink pad before each impression, making them great for quick, repetitive stamping. On the other hand, a traditional mount is an economical choice and works well with special types of ink.
1. Creating Custom Gift Wrapping
Date stamps are budget-friendly solution to spruce up plain packaging and give a friend a custom wrapped gift every time. You can adjust the date to the specific occasion, whether it's a holiday, birthday, or the date of a party or event.
Supplies:
- ExcelMark S121 Self-Inking Mini-Dater
- Craft paper or plain wrapping paper
- Plain gift bags
- Tissue paper
- Ribbon, gift tags or other wrapping accessories
Directions:
Find a stamping pattern that fits your choice of packaging best, or just stamp all over for a random look (works great for tissue paper!). For more elaborate patterns, you can make light pencil markings as a guide and just erase them afterwards. The self-inking nature of the S121 mini-dater makes tackling quick (and lots of) stamping super easy. It also features an open base to help you align your impressions, as well as small ridges that show specifically where the date will stamp within the rectangle base opening.
2. Organizing Your Photos
As we ring in the new year, we've made a resolution to take (and print) more photos. But it's easy to lose track of when the images were taken. A quick stamp impression helps you organize your memories in chronological order. This is especially useful for those cute little Instax instant photos!
Supplies:
Directions:
Photos have a glossy surface that can make it difficult for certain inks to stick to. Because of this, we recommend using a Mark II stamp pad, which features quick-drying ink perfect for non-porous surfaces. Just dab the ExcelMark 1.5 Line Dater on the stamp pad and stamp your photograph!
3. Keeping Homemade Goods Fresh
When you shop at the store, the food you buy comes with an expiration date to let you know when each item goes bad. But when you grow or can your own food, it's easy to lose track of its freshness. By marking the packaging with the date you picked, baked or canned the food, you'll always keep that freshness in mind.
Supplies:
- ExcelMark 1.5 Line Dater
- Mark II Quick Dry Stamp Pad
- Canning jars / your preferred food packaging
Directions:
This is another project where the Mark II Quick Dry Stamp Pad and The ExceMark 1.5 Link Dater combo comes in handy. Just set the dater to the correct date, dab it on the ink pad & stamp. The ink will dry within seconds of stamping on metal or plastic surfaces.
4. Treasuring A Child's Artwork
Always know the exact date of your little one's creations! This is one quick hack you won't regret doing in the years to come.
Supplies:
- ExcelMark S121 Self-Inking Mini-Dater
- Your child's art!
Directions:
This one is pretty self-explanatory: Rotate your stamp's wheels to the date your child made the artwork and stamp! If you don't want the date to take away from the art, stamping on the back is a good alternative.
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