stamped spoon garden markers tutorial

I love vintage silverware.

I found this selection of spoons and forks for a quarter a piece at a garage sale last summer.

I even loved their vintage patina.

I knew that I wanted to try to make stamped silverware like we are seeing all around craft stores, handmade shops, pinterest and etsy.

I love having a garden and we are very excited about starting our garden this year.

These stamped spoons will be garden markers in our garden in the spring.

 To stamp your spoon, you have to start by flattening it.

I used a hard surface, a rag {that you don't care gets destroyed} and a hammer.

I actually found that it was easier and worked better to hammer flat the silverware on this metal clamp that my husband has in his shop.

Working on wood didn't flatten the spoon as easily, using hard metal did.

Enjoy getting all of your aggression out and hammering the crap out of those spoons.

Here are two spoons that have been hammered, and two that haven't.

 Once you have flat spoons to work with, 

take out your steel stamp set.

I picked this one up at Harbor Freight.

Place your first stamp letter and get ready to hammer it down.

Take your hammer and give your stamp about 10 good hits.

See this metal plate that my husband made me?

It makes hammering the letters so much easier and much more crisp.

Once you have all of the letters and words written on your stamped spoon,

you are ready for the next step.

It's hard to see the stamped letters on the spoon right now, but we are going to fix that.

You will need a black sharpie, a cotton ball and nail polish remover.

Take your sharpie and color in every nook and cranny of the stamped letters.

Use a cotton ball dipped in nail polish remover to remove the excess marker.

The sharpie will stay in the deep grooves making your letters pop.

And that is how you get your stamped spoon garden markers.

Can't wait to plant a garden and use these!