Homemade Lick-and-Stick Stamps (Free Holiday Printables)
Make your own lick-and-stick stamps with gelatin! These homemade stamps are a fun way to decorate holiday cards, envelopes, and other paper crafts. You can use the free printable designs or draw your own, then brush the backs with homemade gelatin glue. Once they’re dry, just moisten them to make them stick!
I originally made these with my son, Eric, when he was little. What started as an experiment with leftover gelatin turned into a fun craft project that actually worked!
These homemade stamps are a great way to decorate holiday cards and envelopes. I’ve also included free printable designs for several holidays, along with a blank template for making your own.
How we started making gelatin stamps
I remember hearing when I was younger that gelatin could be used to make the adhesive on postage stamps. Years later, while making homemade gummy worms, I had some leftover gelatin and decided to give it a try.
Eric was little at the time, so I thought it would be fun to make our own stamps together. We could design our own pictures, brush the backs with gelatin glue, and see if they really worked!
Making our own stamp designs
When I first asked Eric to draw some pictures for our stamps, he enthusiastically drew one enormous picture instead! He was quite proud of his creation, but it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.
To help him understand, I drew a grid on another sheet of paper so he could make a different little drawing in each square.
Once we had our designs, I brushed the leftover gelatin onto the backs, let them dry, and cut them apart.
The best part was showing Eric that we could lick the back of a stamp and stick it onto an envelope. He was amazed that it actually worked!
You can make your own designs, too! Draw pictures, use family photos, or download one of the blank stamp templates below and decorate them however you like.
How to make homemade lick-and-stick stamps
Once you have your designs and gelatin glue ready, making the stamps is pretty easy!
Choose your stamp designs
You can draw your own stamps, use family photos, or print one of the free stamp sheets I’ve included below.
I like arranging the designs in neat rows and columns. That way, I can coat the entire sheet with gelatin before cutting the stamps apart. It’s much faster than painting each little stamp individually!
Prepare the gelatin glue
Make a concentrated gelatin mixture using the instructions in the recipe card below, or use a little leftover gelatin from making homemade gummies.
The trick is to use as little water as possible while keeping the mixture thin enough to brush onto the paper. Too much water can soak into the paper and make it wrinkle.
If the gelatin starts to thicken before you’ve finished brushing it on, gently warm it again or stir in a few drops of water.
Plain gelatin works fine, but you can add a little sweetener or food-safe flavoring if you want to make licking the stamps more fun!
Brush the gelatin onto the paper
Turn your printed stamp sheet over and brush a thin, even layer of gelatin onto the back. It’s much easier to coat the entire sheet at once rather than cutting the stamps apart first!
Eric wanted to help brush the gelatin onto our stamps, but he was still pretty young, so I let him give it a try before finishing the sheets myself.
Let the gelatin dry
Leave the sheet flat until the gelatin coating has dried completely. I left ours overnight, but drying time will depend on how much gelatin you apply and the humidity.
Cut out the stamps
Once the gelatin is dry, use scissors or a paper cutter to separate the stamps.
I prefer using a paper cutter because I can cut entire rows or columns at once. It’s especially convenient when making a lot of stamps for holiday cards!
Once you’ve cut the stamps apart, you can use them right away or save them for later. Store them somewhere dry, away from moisture, so they don’t accidentally stick together.
Lick and stick!
To use your homemade stamps, moisten the gelatin-coated side and press it onto an envelope, card, or other paper surface.
You can lick them like traditional postage stamps or use a damp sponge.
Just make sure your kids know these aren’t real postage stamps before they try mailing their masterpieces!
Free printable stamp designs
Don’t feel like drawing your own stamps? I’ve made a collection of printable designs for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day!
Choose between vintage-inspired illustrations and colorful, playful designs that are especially fun for kids. I’ve also included a blank template if you’d rather create your own stamps.
Each sheet has 20 stamps arranged in rows and columns, so you can easily cut them apart with scissors or a paper cutter.
Download the PDF for your paper size (A4 or US Letter) and print at 100% or actual size.
Watch us make these stamps
Gelatin Glue for Homemade Lick-and-Stick Stamps
Materials
- 1 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin
- 2 tsp. cold water or fruit juice
- 2 tsp. boiling water
- Sweetener optional, to taste
- Food-safe flavoring optional
Instructions
Make the gelatin glue
- Mix the gelatin with the cold water or fruit juice in a small bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes to bloom.
- Add the boiling water and stir until the gelatin dissolves. If necessary, gently warm the mixture over a double boiler or briefly in the microwave to dissolve any remaining gelatin.
- If you’d like, add a little sweetener or food-safe flavoring.
- If you’re using leftover gelatin from homemade gummies, gently warm it until it’s liquid enough to brush onto the paper. Add a few drops of water if needed, but keep the mixture as concentrated as possible.
Make the stamps
- Print one of the stamp sheets or make your own designs. Arrange them in rows and columns to make cutting easier.
- Use a clean, food-safe paintbrush or pastry brush to coat the back of the entire sheet with a thin, even layer of gelatin glue.
- Lay the sheet flat and let it dry completely. I left ours overnight.
- Once dry, cut the stamps apart using scissors or a paper cutter.
- Your stamps are ready to use! Lick the back or moisten it with a damp sponge, then press it onto an envelope or card.
Notes
This post was originally published on October 17, 2014. It was updated in October 2026 with new printable stamp designs, updated instructions, and new photo collages.
