Have you ever needed a quick little gift for someone but wanted it to be useful and personal at the same time? Today, I’ve got a project for you that would be perfect for a hostess gift, a housewarming, or a new neighbor gift. You could even personalize it for a bridal shower or other special occasion. Everyone needs serving spoons in their kitchen; why not make one special and personalized and then include a favorite recipe too? Take a look!
Materials:
{some of mine were provided by sponsors like ImpressArt; all opinions are my own}
– large serving spoon
– ImpressArt Premium Metal Stamps {I used Newsprint}
– Hammer
– Steel Stamping Block
– Painters’ Tape
– Black Permanent Marker
– Jewelry Polishing Cloth
– Tag {Cardstock, Ribbon}
– Burlap Flower
– Scissors
Step 1: Tape your spoon handle to the steel block.
Step 2: Place a line of tape near the center of the handle to help you align your letters.
Step 3: Stamp your message onto the handle.
If you’re new to metal stamping, it might seem like an intimidating task, but it’s actually really simple. Just place your stamps where you want them, one letter at a time, and give a good hard tap on the top with your hammer. I found that for this project, I needed to hit harder than what I’m used to for my jewelry projects to get a good clean impression, but one tap still did the trick. For step-by-step photo instructions on how to do basic metal stamping, check out my Stamping 101 post, then come on back here!
You can stamp any message you like, or use the recipients’ name to make it personal. I chose the phrase, “always lick the spoon.” I mean, come on, we’ve all made cookie dough, right?
Step 4: Color in your letters with permanent marker and rub off the excess with a jewelry polishing cloth.
Step 5: Write a short, simple recipe on a tag and tie it to the spoon. Add a burlap flower or other accent for decoration.
My tag and flower were both from the David Tutera collection, but you could easily make your own. For the tag, just use a punch, some card stock, and ribbon. To create the flower, all you’d need to do is cut a flower shape out of a piece of burlap, place a button on a piece of wire, and stick it through the center of the flower.
The recipe I chose to include is the simplest one I know, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ. If you wanted to include a longer recipe, you could tie on a full size recipe card instead of {or along with} the tag.
That’s all there is to it! I love coming up with a gift that’s actually useful…the recipient can use the serving spoon as well as enjoy the recipe for years to come!
Is there a hostess in your life who would enjoy a gift like this? A new neighbor? A friend who moved to a new home?
Laura Kelly says
I love this. I am having so much fun with my Impress Art stamps too!
Grandma says
What a cute idea…everyone can always use another serving spoon…
Rachel says
Help! I’ve tried to recreate this on 2 different spoons, and neither turned out great. 🙁 Part of the problem was that I wasn’t getting clear stamped letters due to the slightly curved surface. Do you have a particular brand you used that you recommend? I have loved recreating your projects that you post, so I hope I can master this one as well. Thanks!