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By Cody Lee ·

How to Sign and Date Wood Gifts

Put your name, the year and the wood on every gift you make: where to sign it, pencil or pen before or after finish, a steel stamp for a batch, and testing on scrap first.

Made in my shop

Reading time
About 2 min
The maker's name CHAPUIS stamped in capital letters into a dark reddish wood surface on an old piece of furniture
Inspiration image: Estampille de Jean-Joseph ChapuisImage: "Estampille de Jean-Joseph Chapuis" by Mamienfr, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized; this version is also CC BY-SA 3.0.

Old furniture makers stamped their names into their work, and that’s why we still know who made it. A gift you make this Christmas deserves the same. Your name, the year and the wood take a minute to add, and years from now they’ll matter to whoever has it.

Pick a spot that stays out of sight

Sign the underside, the back or the inside of a lid, where it won’t fight the look of the piece. On an ornament, the back works. On a small keepsake box, the bottom is the usual place.

Write what you’ll want to know later

  • Your name or initials
  • The year, or the full date
  • The wood, such as “walnut and maple”
  • Who it’s for, if it’s a one-off gift

Pencil or pen: before or after the finish

Sand the spot first, so the writing doesn’t skip over scratches; our sanding progression tip covers when to stop.

  • Pencil: sign the bare wood after sanding, then finish over it. A soft pencil holds up well under oil or clear finish.
  • Fine-tip permanent pen: ink can bleed into bare wood, so put on one seal coat first, sign on that, then add your topcoats over the writing.

Swipe sideways to see the whole diagram, or tap it to open full size.

Order of work for signing with a pen: sand the spot, put on one seal coat, sign on the sealed wood, then brush or wipe the topcoats over the writing
With a pen, sign on a seal coat, then topcoat over it.

Use a steel stamp for a batch

If you make a dozen of the same gift, a set of steel letter stamps or a custom maker’s mark stamp is quicker than writing each one. Clamp the part on a solid surface, wear safety glasses, hold the stamp square and give it one firm hammer blow. Stamp before you finish, so the finish seals the letters too.

Test on scrap first

Try your pencil, pen or stamp on an offcut of the same wood with the same finish. Some finishes smear ink, and soft woods take a stamp deeper than hard ones. A scrap test tells you before you mark the real gift.