I have a strong attraction to the beach - love it - and it’s been too long since I’ve traveled there. Maybe that’s what motivated me to create pillow coverings and kitchen towels with everything seashore? 

Well, whatever the reason - it was a fun, easy-to-do DIY craft project and they turned out amazing. This would be a great project to try with the kiddos!

But this project was just so quick and easy! I think it’s the perfect hostess gift or perfect if you’re lucky enough to have your own beach house or condo (Jelly!)

Let me tell you how easy this was, y’all. And I'll show you, too! Watch the video tutorial right here.

If you like to follow written instructions, read on because I’ve broken it down for you - adding in some timestamps from the video so you can watch a step if you need to. Or watch the video (under 19 min) AND read through the instructions. That’s what I’d do, for sure.

Without further ado and with some clickable links:

➸ IOD Decor Stamp “Seashore”

➸ IOD Decor Stamp “Bohemia”

➸ IOD Decor Stamp “Block Typography”

➸ IOD Decor Stamp “Swoosh Typography” 

➸ IOD Decor Inks in Oceans Deep, New Grass, and Mixing White

➸ IOD Ink Mixing Bottles

➸ IOD Brayer

➸ IOD Thin Mount, 3rd Generation

➸100% Cotton Plain Flour Sack Towels

➸ White wipe cloths

➸ Iron and thin washcloth

I used an IOD First Generation Typography stamp for some of my letters on the towel but I’m recommending the IOD Swoosh Typography Stamp for your project. It’s in stock, looks great with the Block Typography Stamp, and you’ll use it over and over again.

Don't forget - all the products used in this project are listed above in the supply list. Click on them and you'll go right to that product to order.

Before starting, gather the supplies and get ready to blend some ink. Using an IOD Ink Mixing Bottle, combine one part New Grass, one part Oceans Deep, and three parts Mixing White IOD Ink. Keep the Oceans Deep handy because we’re going to use a second ink blending technique.

Next, grab a flour sack towel (min 4:36) and unfold it. I buy 100% cotton, large (36” x 36”) wholesale, but you can get them at any big box store. Here’s a Pro Tip: you must use 100% cotton to successfully stamp ink on the fabric. Man-made fabrics are a “resist” and they won’t take or hold the ink at worse or the ink will wash right out.

Unfold the towel and lay it flat so the creases create a center point to use as you layout the design. Add to that the IOD Thin Mount with grid lines (5:28) which helps keep the project design straight.

Peel off the individual shell stamps from the IOD Seashore Stamp and lay them out on the surface of the towel. Let your creativity take the wheel! Compose your design any way you like - just leave room for the letter stamps to be added. Mine went into the middle of the towel.

Starting with one-half of the towel, I made sure to add the coral, seahorse, and conch shell stamps to my design, filling in with clamshells and spiral shells. Once the design layout was balanced, I grabbed the thin mount (6:32) and used the straight lines on the grid to guide me before I placed the stamp on the fabric.

Press straight down and the stamps, lying sticky side up (the side without the details), adhere directly to the thin mount. (6:46) Doing this will maintain the design layout and you can move on to adding the ink.

I use a plain acetate sheet to blend my inks and here’s where I’ll show you a second technique for blending them to create a marbled, almost variegation with the colors.

On the acetate sheet, lay down a line of the ink we pre-blended in the mixing bottle. Now take the Oceans Deep ink bottle and dot the green ink line with the blue. (7:53) Don’t blend the colors once the blue is laid onto the green. NOTE: you can also do this in reverse with the blue ink line first and then dotted with the blended green.

Next, take the IOD Brayer and roll it into the inks, trying not to blend the ink colors together as you roll. This technique creates gorgeous color variations (8:41) to roll onto the stamp. 

Don’t be afraid to get plenty of ink onto the brayer. When stamping on fabric, you want the ink “juicy” on the brayer as it will be absorbed into the fabric.

Roll the brayer with light pressure onto the relief side of the stamps on the thin mount. If any drops of ink get on the surface of the thin mount, take a wet wipe and clean it off. IOD Decor Inks don’t dry immediately, so taking the time for this step won’t affect the ink stamping.

With the ink applied to the individual stamps, flip the thin mount over and use the center point (created by the folds in the flour sack) as your orientation for where the grid lines should go. (9:26) Once it’s lined up, lay it down and don’t move it again or you’ll get blurred and muddy imprints.

Next, take the IOD Brayer and roll it into the inks, trying not to blend the ink colors together as you roll. This technique creates gorgeous color variations (8:41) to roll onto the stamp. 

Don’t be afraid to get plenty of ink onto the brayer. When stamping on fabric, you want to have the ink “juicy” on the brayer as it will be absorbed into the fabric.

Roll the brayer with light pressure onto the relief side of the stamps on the thin mount. If any drops of ink get on the surface of the thin mount, take a wet wipe and clean it off. IOD Decor Inks don’t dry quickly so taking the time for this step won’t diminish the ink stamping.

Using the typography stamps, lay out the phrase in the center of the design - or place it wherever you want to it. Your project - your design! Once it’s in place, use the thin mount as you did with the Seashore stamps, and then turn it over to apply the ink.

Next, flip the thin mount over and, using the grid lines, place it where you want before making contact with the fabric.

Using one hand to anchor and one hand to gently tickle the details of the stamp onto the fabric. Then gently lift off the thin mount and get ready to move onto the IOD Bohemia Stamp for the border of the towel. 

Again, using a crease as the centerline, the design of the Bohemia stamp can be placed perfectly in the center. (16:37) Ink is applied with the brayer, as before, but this time without using the thin mount. Repeat the process of inking the stamp, placing it on the border, and pressing down all the way around the edge of the design surface.

As you read through the instructions, note where I’ve shared tips and best practices for stamping on fabric. Tricks like rolling the ink on “juicy” and anchoring the stamp with one hand while gently rubbing the stamp down with the other.

Well, here are more tips that will make a world of difference for your ink stamping projects. 

⚓️  Don’t stretch the fabric out as you’re stamping. This helps create a clean, detailed, and crisp image.

⚓️. When you’ve finished stamping your project, let the ink dry for 24 hours before heat sealing the ink (to prevent fading or washing out.)

⚓️. Heat sealing does not mean throwing your towel (or other fabric projects) into the dryer. To properly heat seal, use a hot iron, lay a thin washcloth on top of a section of your inked design, and press the iron down onto the washcloth. 

⚓️  Keep the iron moving, gently, in a circular motion across the design for several minutes before moving onto the next section.  

And that’s all there is to it! This is a great stamping project for kids, too. If you love the beach like I do - it’s my happy place! - grab these IOD seashore-themed stamps and make something wonderful.