How to Make a Baby Footprint Keepsake

Your baby's tiny feet are only going to stay small for a little while; in the blink of an eye she'll be outgrowing her baby shoes and you'll be shopping in the big kids' footwear department. It will be hard to believe her feet were ever so small. Fortunately, you can preserve an image of her adorable tootsies with a simple, salt dough keepsake that you can store away for later or display with your knick-knacks.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 cup salt
  • Medium-size mixing bowl
  • 1 cup flour
  • Shallow bowl
  • Wax paper
  • Baking sheet
  • Rolling pin (optional)
  • Cookie cutter, fondant cutter or small, sharp knife (optional)
  • Cloth
  • Acrylic paint

Instructions

    • 1

      Pour 1 cup of salt into a medium-size mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of flour and mix the ingredients together. Add 1/2 cup lukewarm water and use your hands to knead the "dough" until it's smooth. When it's done, the dough will feel stretchy.

    • 2

      Separate the dough into two pieces; the second piece will allow you to make a second footprint or a hand print keepsake, or provide you with a backup in case the first one doesn't turn out as you'd like.

    • 3

      Press one half of the dough into the bottom of a shallow bowl. This will create a smooth, round shape for the keepsake. Pull the edges of the dough away from the bowl gently and then flip the dough out of the bowl and onto a wax paper-covered baking sheet. Alternatively, roll out the dough to a thickness of approximately 1/2 inch. Use a large cookie cutter to cut out the shape of your choice or cut out the shape with a fondant cutter or small, sharp knife.

    • 4

      Press your baby's foot down firmly in the center of the salt dough disc shape. Hold her foot steady as you press to help prevent her from moving her foot or wiggling her toes. Alternatively, you can press both feet down in the center of a larger disc to make an impression.

    • 5

      Wipe your baby's foot with a clean, damp cloth to remove any of the salt dough residue. The mixture is not harmful for your baby but it is easier to clean up the dough before it dries.

    • 6

      Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the baking sheet in the oven. Allow the keepsake to bake for approximately 3 hours. If the salt dough shape is very thick, flip it over after 2 1/2 hours and allow it to bake for another 2 hours.

    • 7

      Remove the keepsake from the oven and allow it to cool completely on the baking sheet.

    • 8

      Paint the keepsake with acrylic paint and allow it to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Fix a Diaper Genie
      Diaper Genie is a new parent necessity. Its ability to mask the unpleasant odor of baby diapers is priceless. When your Diaper Genie is not working properly, fixing it can become a top priority. Things Youll Need Phillips screwdriver I
    • How to Mount a Changing Table to a Wall
      Wall-mounted changing tables arent just for restaurants and malls. They can help parents save space if they have a small nursery or live in a small home or apartment. The changing bed folds up into the wall mount, keeping it completely out of the way
    • How to Test Baby Products for Free
      Parenting is an expensive business, especially in the early days when you need to buy a range of equipment, plus a seemingly endless supply of diapers, clothes and toiletries. Testing baby products for free eases the cost and also provides valuable i