After dipping your carved potato stamp in paint, press it once onto a scrap piece of paper before making your final print.

This removes excess paint, preventing blobs and ensuring a crisp, clear, and evenly coated image every time.

(Especially useful for detailed stamp designs or when printing on fabric and textured paper.)

Mood boards are important because they visually capture the style, tone, and feeling of a project before you begin, helping you stay consistent and inspired. They act as a creative roadmap, guiding color choices, materials, and overall aesthetic. In short, they turn abstract ideas into a clear visual direction.

-Plain white cotton tea towels

-2 medium-sized potatoes

-Christmas-themed cookie cutters (e.g., star, Christmas tree)

-Red, green, and gold fabric paint

-Paper plates

-Kitchen knife

-Cardboard or thick paper

Use a knife to carefully cut a potato in half lengthwise, creating a large, flat surface for your stamp.

Press a cookie cutter firmly into the flat side of the potato. Then, use a knife to carefully cut away the potato from around the outside of the cookie cutter to leave a raised shape.

Squeeze a small puddle of each color of fabric paint onto a paper plate. Keep the colors separate so they don't mix.

Lay the tea towel flat with cardboard inside to prevent bleed-through. Dip your potato stamp into the paint, then press it firmly onto the tea towel. Repeat to create a pattern.

Let the tea towel dry completely for at least 4 hours. Once dry, place a thin cloth over the design and iron on a medium-hot setting with no steam to set the paint.

If you got this far don’t stop there. You probably have all kinds of different cookie cutters. We’d love to see some different designs! If you come up with something cool please don’t be shy! Send a picture to [email protected] or post on your socials #fivestepstudio