Crafting your own Chinese chop
Whether it’s a birthday card or their latest crayon creation, all young artists should have their own distinctive seal, or chop, to make their mark. Instead of signing your name, stamp your own chop to give your works their own special look. Traditionally, Chinese chops were carved from stone with chisels, but pens and styrofoam are a lot easier for young hands.
Materials:
Ball point pen or pencil
Styrofoam (try a take-out container)
Scissors
Glue
Wine cork
Stamp pad
Paper
Difficulty Level: Easy
Time: 15 minutes
Ages: 3-10
1. Using a pen or pencil, draw a simple symbol or letter on a piece of styrofoam. Pressing down with the pen will make an impression in the styrofoam. The indentation doesn’t need to be very deep; thick lines will make a better print. Remember that whatever you draw will print out backwards.
2. Cut a circle around your design in the styrofoam.
3. Glue the cut-out stamp onto one end of a wine cork.
4. Press the stamp onto a stamp pad to pick up color and then press your stamp onto paper.
Rebecca Kanthor has been living in China since 2002. She invites all who love knitting and crocheting, or those who want to learn, to join the Beijing Yarn Appreciation Club. E-mail rotogobo@gmail.com for more information.
