Hi friends! We are still in a heat wave in the northeast. I spent the afternoon at the lake with my sister and our kids, it was much better than staying home and fighting with my computer (I want to render a fabulous new stamp school video for you and it wants to come up with exceedingly new and clever ways to make me have a nervous breakdown. Good times.) The beach won this afternoon but now I am back fighting with the computer. I have decided that I am getting new software (and probably a bottle of wine.) Anyway, yesterday I made an awesome video, you know, the kind that just turn out well and I don’t have to edit anything. about making ombre ink-pads. It is cheap, you probably have the stuff you need and if not you can get the supplies to make about 12 for $10, roughly the price of one store-bought ink-pad. That’s cool! Watch the video to see how!
Video!
Supplies
- Student grade watercolors ($5 for a box of 18 Maries brand)
- Cut-n-Dry Foam (Ranger, $6 a 8″x10″ sheet regular price)
- Plastic packaging
- Tape
- A flat container like a plastic Tupperware, clam-shell packaging or take out container, use what you have!
- Old credit card or plastic spoon for spreading the paint.
DIY ink pad directions:
You can make the pads any size you want but I like to make mine 1 1/2″x4″, you can get about 12 from one sheet this way.
1. Glue foam to plastic packaging material.
2. Add tape handles.
3. Add paint on top and use a credit card to work the paint into the surface.
4. Stamp.
5. If the ink pad is to dry add a spritz of water and or more paint.
I hope you enjoyed this quick and easy DIY! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
I really like that idea! I have some cut and dry foam and seldom use it so now I will.
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Great idea and video. You know so many things and always seeing and hearing about them. Thanks. Edna
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Great idea and Tips!!! Enjoy the video!!! Thanks Lindsay hugs Liz x
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super!
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Awesome idea! 🙂
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Great D.I.Y. Ombre Ink Pads Lindsay! Grace from fb!
🙂
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What a fabulous idea. I’ve just used up a couple of sets of watercolours I’ve had for years by decanting them into ice cube trays after your post about making your own ink palettes. It works a treat and I’ll now get some use out of them. Need to buy some fresh ones now though to make some ink pads too. Thank you for the inspiration Lidsay.
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What a clever idea!!! Definitely going to try this…tfs
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Another fantastic idea! Thanks.
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wow, beautiful Ombre image!
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Fun idea!! I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for sharing.
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Good job Lindsay!!!! Thanks so much for your insight and cleverness!
Paper Hugs,
Jan
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Very cool ombre, outstanding use of watercolors, I learn so much from you. Testing Crayola Washable Crayons on clipboard with electric 3 temp heating pad. (I got it for keeping wilton candy melts warm while making edible cake layons.) Using canson mixed media paper and the colors go on smoothly with a nice rich color. Did you know, Washable literally also means WASH-able? CRAYONS that act like WATERCOLORS? Yup, the colors lifted like water based markers with a waterbrush. Amazing!
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It was so much fun watching this video!
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Hi Lindsay! I love your site and all your tutorials!!! You are awesome!!!
I have a question for you…I recently bought a reinker for my archival ink pad at your suggestion. Since I reinked it, the pad is sticking to the stamps. It almost seems like the ink was too thick. Maybe it was old??? Do you have any remedies for this? I was thinking about trying to add some gycerin but I didn’t want to mess anything up. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated!
I love your new stamp school series and of course the water color tutorials!!! (And actually all your tutorials! lol)
You friend from Massachusetts, Noahla 🙂
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did you get the ink that matched the pad you are using? I find that Staz-on gets sticky but other inks are fine and the reinkers last a long time. If it is archival ink the pad should feel juicy, not sticky. Are you sure you added enough ink to the pad?
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Yes, I got the ink that matched the pad. I think I added enough ink. It seemed that it was sitting on top at the end of adding it. Is there something I can add to it to thin it down a little?
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