Make a postage stamp

Perforated paper

Pattern along Path

• Using the Rectangle Tool draw a rectangle:
  
  
• And with the Ellipse Tool a circle (keep the Ctrl key pressed to get a circle):
  
  
• Select the circle and then the rectangle:
  
  
• And put the circle on the path defined by the rectangle (Effects > Generate from Path > Pattern along Path). Ensure copies are Repeated, the deformation type is Snake and adjust the space to fit the size of your circle:
  
  
• You will get a contour made from circles for your rectangle:
  
  
• Select the contour and substract it (Path > Difference) from the rectangle:
  
  
• This is the perforated paper:
  
  
• Change its color in something paper-like, white or something near white (a very light yellow for old paper):
  
  
• For a shadow which will make the paper more visible duplicate the shape and make the copy black:
  
  
• Put it at the bottom of the stack and move a little to the right and down:
  
  
• Slightly blur the shadow and if you want adjust its transparency:
  
  
• Optionally, for increased realism rotate it a little:
  
  

Tiled Clones

• With the Ellipse Tool create a circle:
  
  
• Create tiled clones (Edit > Clone > Create Tiled Clones). Leave the symmetry as simple translation and change the Shift X Per column and Shift Y Per row to something to fit the size of your circle (here I used 20%). Set the number of rows and columns (here 6x8) to get the desired size of the stamp:
  
  
• The result is a grid like this:
  
  
• Select and delete the inner circles and leave only a border like this. Select all and unlink the clones (Edit > Clone > Unlink Clone). Select all and make an union (Path > Union).
  
  
• Draw a rectangle at the desired size and put it under the border made from circles:
  
  
• Substract (Path > Difference) the border from the rectangle:
  
  
• Change its color and add a shadow:
  
  

Align and Distribute

• Create a Rectangle:
  
  
• And a circle:
  
  
• Select the circle and create a lot of duplicates (Edit > Duplicate). The number depend on the circle size and rectangle width (here I made 18 circles):
  
  
• Select all the circles and the rectangle:
  
  
• And use the Align and Distribute dialog (Object > Align and Distribute):
  
  
• Align the circles (relative to biggest item, which is the rectangle) evenly by horizontal:
  
  
• Select the circles, perform an union (Path > Union) and move the result at the top edge of the rectangle:
  
  
• Duplicate and move the copy to the bottom edge:
  
  
• Make two more copies, rotate them by 90 degrees and move them to the left and right edges. Adjust their position as needed:
  
  
• Substract the lines of circles from the rectangle (Path > Difference) one by one:
  
  
• And get the perforated paper:
  
  
• Change the color and add a shadow:
  
  

The postage stamp

• Import or make on the spot whatever image or drawing you want to put on the stamp:
  
  
• Make sure it is in a rectangle:
  
  
• Add the issuer name (here I used "Posta Romana" - "the Romanian Post") and the denomination (I used "2 bani", the moral equivalent in the Romanian language to the English "two cents"):
  
  
• My stamp image was too simple so I added more texture to the background:
  
  
• Draw the paper, a rectangle, and put it under the image:
  
  
• Using one of the ways described above transform the rectangle in perforated paper and you are done:
  
  

Done