Baby Handprint Crafts

Make Your Own Baby Footprint Stickers

Here's what you'll need:
- a dozen blank sheets of paper
- baby safe ink (available here, or you can use any child-safe ink that will wash off with soap and water)
- a sponge or paint brush to apply the ink
- towelettes handy for quick clean up
- a relaxed, rested, happy baby who's willing to co-operate


First you'll need your baby's footprint or handprint on the paper. This may require a little practice. Try holding your baby a few different ways while pressing their foot or hand against the paper sheet. After a few tries you'll know which way is most comfortable for both of you.

When you've got the printing movement down, paint your baby's foot with the sponge or brush and press their foot down on to the paper. It may take a few tries to get a good print - that's what the extra paper is for.

When you have a few good handprints, clean the ink off your baby's hands and feet and let them rest for awhile.

While your baby rests, take a look and the imprints you made. Pick a favorite, but be sure not to smudge the ink - it may take several minutes to thoroughly dry.

The next thing to do is to digitize the image. If you have a scanner - great - just scan the image at home. If not, bring the imprint to a Kinko's and ask them to scan the image for you. Get it in both ".jpg" and ".tiff" formats.

Buy some printable label or sticker sheets and print the image on them. Online stores tend to have a better selection if you want something special, like a three inch circle, or a colored background. I prefer Avery labels because the templates are pre-loaded into Microsoft Word, so I don't have to worry about the imprint image going over the edge of the sticker. Once the labels are printed, you can cut them in a regular paper cutter, or with a pair of scissors. Or leave them as is.

If you want special paper or really high-quality stickers, you'll want to have them printed. Most printers will charge between $200 and $300 for a custom run. You may find that printing 100 stickers is just $20 less than printing a thousand. This is because the set up costs for the printers are so expensive.






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