How to Make Stamped Metal Jewelry
To start making stamped metal jewelry, you just need some metal blanks, jewelry stamps, and a few other basic supplies. You can get plain round blanks or buy them in fun shapes from a jewelry supply store. Once you've selected the blank and stamp you want, secure your blank in place on a metal stamping pad with some masking tape. The tape will also help define the placement of your stamped design. Hold the stamp firmly in place on top of your blank, then hit it 2-3 times with a metal hammer to imprint the design on the blank.
Gather your materials. Stamping letters and shapes into metal blanks for necklaces, earrings, and bracelets is the mainstay of making stamped metal jewelry. Although you will need to invest in some special items to get started, you will be able to use these items over and over again. Before you begin, you will need: Metal blanks in the material of your choice. Try starting out with aluminum, since it is cheaper than silver and copper. A set of stamps. Opt for a set of lower case stamps in a font that you like. A hammer. A hammer with flat edge and a ball peen on the other side is ideal for texturing metal. However, a plain household hammer will work just fine if you are just getting started. A stamping surface. You can purchase a metal stamp pad at craft stores. Masking tape. Permanent markers or acrylic paint in the colors of your choice. Rubbing alcohol. Paper towels. Choose a blank. Decide which blank you want to use to create your design. Metal blanks come in lots of different sizes, shapes, and metal types. You can create basic circular tags or holiday themed shapes, like a snowman or Santa Claus. To help you decide, consider what you want to stamp onto the blank and what type of jewelry you will be using the blank to create. For example, if you are planning to stamp a phrase onto the blank, then a larger blank will work best. If you are planning on stamping just a shape or initials onto a blank, then you can use a smaller size. Select your stamps. Next, pull out the stamps that you will need to create your design and line them up in the order that you will need them. This can help to prevent typos and make it easier for you to complete the project quickly. If you are planning on stamping a phrase on the metal blank, then just pull the letter stamps for one word at a time. Holding the stamps up against your blank may help you to decide which ones will work and which ones will not. Try positioning your stamps on the blanks to get an idea of how well they will fit and how you might arrange them Apply masking tape to use as a guide. Before you start hammering, it is a good idea to use masking tape to define the area where you want your stamps to go. Place your blank onto your metal surface and then apply a strip of masking tape going horizontally across the center. You can use this like the lines on a piece of paper as you stamp the metal. Some people also like to use a ruler and pencil to draw notches on the masking tape. This can help you to be even more precise when you are stamping the metal. If you want your letters or symbols to appear in multiple lines, then start with the first line and then remove the tape after you have imprinted those letters/symbols. Then, apply tape for the second line and imprint the letters and/or symbols for that row. You can also use the tape to secure the metal blank into place on your stamping surface. This will help to prevent it from slipping around as you hammer in the stamps. Hammer in your first letter or shape. To imprint the metal with the stamps you have selected, you will need to place them onto your metal blank and hit the top of the stamp with the hammer three times. Make sure that your stamp is facing the right direction and properly aligned before you begin. Hold the base of the stamp right up against the ridge of the tape with one hand and hit the top of the stamp with the hammer in your other hand. Give the stamp two or three good whacks with the hammer and no more. If you imprint the stamp too much, then it could warp or otherwise damage the metal blank. You may want to experiment with your first tag to see how the imprint looks depending on how many times you hit it. You may find that hitting it once is enough for some types of metal. After you hammer in your first letter or shape, repeat the hammering process with the rest of the shapes. Choose your permanent marker or acrylic paint colors. Adding color to the letters and shapes that you imprint in the metal will help them to stand out more. To add color to your letters and symbols, you will need to use a permanent marker, such as a sharpie, or acrylic paints. Choose the colors that you want to use before you begin. Black works well for most designs, but you could also use red to emphasize a heart shape that you have imprinted, or go for red and green if you have created a Christmas design. If you are using acrylic paint, then you will need a fine tipped brush as well. Color in the indented areas. When you are ready to add color to the letters and symbols you have imprinted into the metal, trace the marker or paint brush along the indented parts of the metal. However, do not worry if you go outside of the lines. Make sure that the color is dark and that there are no unfilled spots. Try not to use too much paint if you are using acrylic paint to fill in the indents. This may result in clumps of paint in the grooves of the metal, which may look sloppy. Start with a small amount of paint on the brush and add more as needed. Wipe away excess color with rubbing alcohol. After you finish coloring in the indented areas, apply some rubbing alcohol to a clean paper towel. Use just enough to make the paper towel damp. It should not be dripping. Then, wipe over the areas you just covered. This will remove the marker from the areas that are above the indentations. You may need to wipe the metal two or three times to get all of the excess permanent marker off. When you are done, the only place that marker should appear is in the indented areas of your metal tag. Tape down your piece. After you have added letters and symbols to your metal piece, you may decide to flatten out the shape a bit more or you may want to texturize it using a special hammer. Before you do either of these things, tape your metal piece to your stamping pad. Use a couple of strips of masking tape to hold the metal in place. If you need to see the edges of your piece, then you can also tape down just one edge, or you can use an object like a clothespin or pencil (eraser end) to hold the piece while you hammer it with your other hand. Hammer it flat. To flatten out a piece after you have finished adding letters and shapes, secure the piece in place and then hit the piece with the flat edge of a hammer. Start on one side and work around the piece until the shape looks how you want it to look. Flattening a piece after it has been warped may test your patience, but try not to rush if you get frustrated or you may damage the metal. Use a texturizing hammer. If you want to add texture to a metal tag after you have added letters and/or symbols, then you can use a special texturizing hammer to do this. If you have a ball peen hammer, then try using the ball peen to create a bumpy texture. A riveting hammer can also create some interesting texture. Even if you do not have a special hammer, you can use letter stamps to create texture in your metal. Try using X's and O's to texturize your piece, or experiment with other letters and shapes for texture. Hit the metal with your hammer in different places and with different levels of force. Do this all over the metal to create a textured look. Complete your piece. After you have finished designing your metal piece, you can add a necklace or bracelet chain, or attach it to an earring base to make it wearable. Use pliers and a jump ring or two to attach your piece to a chain or earring base. If you blanks are not pre-punched, then you will need a metal punching tool to punch holes in them. You can find these in craft stores. Your piece is ready to wear, or to give someone as a unique gift. 
Gather your materials. Choose a blank. Select your stamps. Apply masking tape to use as a guide. Hammer in your first letter or shape. Choose your permanent marker or acrylic paint colors. Color in the indented areas. Wipe away excess color with rubbing alcohol. Tape down your piece. Hammer it flat. Use a texturizing hammer. Complete your piece. 