Baby Handprint Crafts

Baby Footprint and Handprint Christmas Ornaments

This is a must-have keepsake for all parents. Baby's first Christmas is very special, and should be memoralized for the coming years.

There are a bunch of baby print ornaments that can be made. We'll walk through making a plaster of paris cast and an imprinted clear glass ball.

PLASTER OF PARIS ORNAMENT
A flat disc of plaster of paris with a hole at the top for a ribbon. You'll need:
- one half cup plaster of paris
- a section of a large yogurt container (or any other plastic container) cut like a hoop about 2 inches high
- a flat pen cap or a small (1/2 inch diameter) tube with a flat end. The flat end of a pen will do in a pinch.
- a dish of one cup of water
- a dish to mix the plaster of paris in
- a stirrer for the plaster of paris
- towelettes for cleaning up
- a smooth plastic surface (to make the back of the plaster of paris disc)
- a happy, relaxed and rested baby with clean hands and feet

Place the hoop of plastic on a smooth clean surface that can be moved out of the way while the cast dries (trays work well). Then mix the plaster of paris, adding the plaster into the water slowly while stirring constantly. Continue adding plaster and stirring until the entire half cup has been added. The mixed should now be the consistency of a milk shake. If it watery, add more plaster of paris. If it is thicker than a milkshake, add a tablespoon of water, stir for a minute then test consistency again.

When you have the plaster of paris ready, pour it slowly into the plastic hoop until the plaster is about an inch thick. Wait about five minutes, then carefully and gently take your baby's hand and press it into the plaster of paris. The plaster should cover about half your baby's hand - ie, it should not quite reach the beginning of their knuckles - only the bottom half of the hand should be covered with plaster. If your baby squirms and ruins the print, try smoothing it back over with a spoon.

Release your baby's hand and clean it off. Wait another five minutes, then press the flat pen cap (or tube, or pen) where you want the hole to be. Be sure to press the pen cap all the way down to the plastic bottom. If you have a pen, you may need to hold it vertical for a few minutes. Otherwise the pen might fall over and mess up the imprint.

In 20 minutes the plaster of paris will have dried enough to remove the pen cap. Make sure the hold goes all the way to the plastic. The hole doesn't need to be completely free of plaster of paris; you can tap the edges away to clear the hole after it the piece has dried.

Let the cast dry overnight. In the morning, pop it out of the plastic hoop and clear the hole so it can fit a ribbon through. On one side of the cast you'll have your baby's handprint. On the other you can glue a picture of them, or you can cover the back with fabric, or you can paint the plaster.



BABY HAND PRINT CLEAR GLASS BALL
This ornament is faster to make than the cast. You'll need:

- a dozen or more clear glass ornaments that are big enough to fit a baby's handprint. The ornaments should be sturdy enough so that there's no worry of them breaking as you press your baby's foot against them.
- child safe acrylic paint in a variety of colors
- a few brushes or sponges to apply the paint (one for each color you're going to use)
- water to dilute the paint (optional) and to clean up with
- towelettes for more clean up
- a relaxed, happy baby with clean hands and feet
- an empty egg carton, or something else to rest the wet ornaments on until they dry

Paint your baby's feet and/or hands with the paint, then gently press the ornament against them to make an impression. Try not to rub or smudge the ornament. You can make more than one imprint on each ornament - sometimes it looks more festive to have several different colors on each ornament. If you're going to use multiple colors, make all the imprints you want in one color, put the ornaments aside to dry, clean up your baby's hands and feet, then move on to the next color.

Let the ornaments dry at least an hour, then they're ready to hang on the tree.


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