Custom recycled UK stamps

This is an instructable telling you how to turn your old UK stamps into custom stamps with your own images on. You CANT post these stamps on their own however you can stick them NEXT to a real stamp to post.

I decided to do this becase there arent really any ways you can make your own stamps for the uk, in the US you can order them from places like zazzle.

Royal Mail do special stamps called smilers (http://tinyurl.com/smilers) but they charge about 7 pounds (about $11) for a pack of 10.

My way is cheap (costing you literaly nothing as you will have most of the parts allready) and GREEN because you are recycling your old stamps instead of just binning them.

If i had a laser cutter then i would print them onto card and laser cut the wavey edge but as I dont then i will enter this competition !!!

Please comment but be nice as this is my first instructable.

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Step 1: Suff you will need

- Old UK postal stamps
- Nail Polish Remover (Methalated Spirits also work)
- Craft knife
- Cotton buds (or Q-tips)
- Paintbrush (optional)
- Glue (Ignore the double sided tape!)
- Masking tape
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Printer
- Photo editing software (any)
- Inkscape or similar

lunastyx says: Nov 24, 2012. 3:15 PM

Very, ver clever!

sioux gardner says: Aug 2, 2011. 1:50 PM

What a fun project - I never guessed that the stamp design could be removed so easily!

andy1984 says: Oct 7, 2010. 5:21 AM

http://customprint.savagelondon.com ordinary mortals a chance to buy the same sort of gear that celebrities wear!

farzadbayan says: Jul 27, 2010. 11:34 PM

Nice . My problem is look-like "bylerfamily" !

whizzkidtom (author) says: Jul 28, 2010. 3:01 AM

I dont know wether this would work with stamps from other countries? You might have to give it a try on some old stamps. To get an old stamp off an envelope just cut round the stamp leaving a 1 cm border and then fill a bowl with boiling water. Float your stamp on the bowl of water and after a while the heat and the water will melt the glue on the bottom of the stamp allowing you to peel it away from the paper! This is much better than using new stamps!