Skip to main content

DIY Tutorial: Embossing on Velvet with Rubber Stamps

With the holidays fast approaching, it is time to start thinking about gifts for the holidays! Velvet is a popular fabric around the holidays and there is a really fun project you can make with velvet and rubber stamps. It is super easy and a lot of fun.






You will need: 
- Velvet (Silk/Rayon, Rayon/ Acetate or 100% Acetate Velvet with a nap)
- Rubber stamp of your choice
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Water spritzer bottle






1) Preheat your iron to the cotton/ wool setting. Iron any creases out of the velvet.

2) Place the rubber stamp face up on the ironing board. Spritz the rubber stamp with water. It should just be damp. Pat with a paper towel to remove any beaded water from stamp. Lay the velvet, right side down, onto the stamp making sure it is in the place you want it. Spritz some water on the velvet. Do not saturate it.



3) Place the iron on the fabric/stamp, holding it in place for about 10-20 seconds. Hold the iron as flat as possible. Try not to teeter the iron back and forth, otherwise you will get imprints from the edges of the mounting block.

4) Lift up your iron. If you see a faint imprint of the stamp on the back side of the fabric, it is finished! Another way to tell that it is finished is you should not see water residue on the back of the fabric. If you see some, place the iron back on the stamp for about 5 more seconds.





5) Now it is time to reveal the magic! Carefully pull up the fabric from the stamp. You should see an iridescent imprint on the velvet!



Few Tips: 
- It is best to use a new, clean rubber stamp. I really wanted to use the peacock feather stamp, and only had a used one. If you want to use a used stamp, clean it thoroughly. Otherwise when you spritz it with water, the dye will come off on your velvet.

- Other types of stamps can be used, but test on scrap velvet first. Unmounted rubber stamps will work well. The foam stamps shown in the supplies picture can be used, but use with care, as you do not want them to melt onto the velvet.


I was curious to see how velveteen and stretch velvet (polyester/ lycra) would work out with this technique.
Here is what I found:

Embossing on Velveteen (100%  Cotton) 


The embossed area turned out nice, but there is not as much of a sheen. The left picture, the holly berries, also shows an imprint of the mounting block. This is why I would not recommend the foam stamps, unless you are going to hold your iron straight when pressing on the stamp. The peacock stamp turned out nicely.


Embossing on Stretch Velvet (Polyester/ Lycra)


I did not personally like the way the design turned out on the stretch velvet. Some of the design showed up, but the eye of the peacock was not defined. I would not recommend using stretch velvet.

Once you found the stamp and fabric you want to use, think of all the gifts you can make using this technique. Imagine a beautiful scarf with embossing all-over. Make a velvet blouse and adorn the bottom of the sleeves with embossing. Or try the same thing on the bottom of a skirt! And one last idea---make a Christmas stocking with embossed velvet. The possibilities are endless. How are you going to use this for the holidays?

~ Julie

Comments

  1. This is really neat

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a fun thing to do. Did this years ago & had forgotton how much fun it is till I saw this. Thank You for posting !!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really like this technique. I will be perfect for crazy quilting! Thank You so much for taking the time to post this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can't wait to try this. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a really amazing technique! Thanks Julie for sharing this great post. I'm so much eager to try this. I believe that velvet fabric is one of the best fabrics. Feel on the skin is amazingly soft. I'm so much likely to wear velvet dresses whenever there is a party or any special occasion within my family. Where ever you use velvet, it's just amazing. Use it as bed sheets, furniture or anywhere. I've decided to get velvet fabric for our furniture this year.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have a 90% polyester, 10% spandex dress I want to emboss. Is the process the same? Will the image hold? Thanks for your help, great tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure the answer because I've never tried. But I feel like it may not work because the nap of the velvet is what makes the design in the velvet possible. Good luck!

      Delete
  7. can you use this process on fleece?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure, I've never tried it. If you try, let me know how it goes.

      Delete
  8. so crafty. I am sure the fabric has so many choices of fabric for this kind of project.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful! But I'm guessing that it's not permanent?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Workwear Ready

I'm excited for my first post in 2023! At the beginning of the year, I recently went back to working in person so now I am looking to make and wear pieces that I can wear to work.  The goal is to be functional but also very fashionable since I am a fashion design professor. I saw this blue denim fabric and knew I wanted to make some pants; I just wasn’t sure what kind.  I decided to make Mimi G x Simplicity S8985 View B pants.  I liked the oversized flare look, I just made one slight modification to them by adding a pintuck along the front.  This was easy to add since the waistline was called to be slightly gathered to fit.  The fabric had a hand closer to linen and was very lightweight which was great and very satisfying to sew.  I lengthened the pants by 3” and finished with a 2” hem. The top I used Simplicity S9707.  It’s an oversized partial button down top.  I decided to create a high low hem by combining two different views.   I loved the print of the fabric but honestly as s

Made By A Fabricista: A Denim Set for Spring

Happy Friday All! I am ecstatic to share my latest make that I had on my to make list for a while.  My goal for the month of February was to sew a mini vacation capsule for a trip, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to. I was able to make 3 of the 6 pieces including this denim set. When this beautiful denim fabric arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have been wanting to recreate a linen look I made a few years ago using the Montoya coat pattern with a few adjustments.  I created VIEW A without the peplum and lengthened it by 6 inches. Instead of sewing the tie inside the seam of the top like I did here, I wanted to make it separate so that it looks like a jumpsuit. (Read the blogpost here ). Moreover, my body has changed and I needed to cut a size larger so that I can rock it as an open vest or a top tucked in. I love the way it turned out but wish I had extended it by 8 inches instead of 6. For the pants, I went to my tried and true simplicity 8605 pants pattern and

Made By A Fabricista: Three Spring Basics – With a Twist

Hello Sewing Friends! By the time spring rolls around I am ready to pack away my winter wardrobe and wear my warm weather clothes. Since I don’t go into an office setting – and I like to be comfortable - basic essentials in my wardrobe include t-shirts, cardigans and knit dresses. The Cardigan The idea of sewing elevated basics came about when I spotted this fabulous FTY knit with a sequin floral and scrolls pattern.  With sequins for daytime being a spring 2023 trend, I decided to use the fabric to sew a cardigan. This is not your typical cardigan. Not only did I choose a sequin knit, but I chose what I consider to be a unique pattern, the Cascade Dress from The Sewing Workshop (now out of print). I have sewn it a few times but never with sequin fabric. My cardigan is actually a top that is designed to button down the front but I made a few small changes to the pattern. I lengthened the front by four inches, removed the front plackets, and added a button and fabric loop at the front n