How to Get a Newborn Hand Print
Prints or casts of baby hand prints and foot prints make delightful keepsakes of those wonder-filled early days with a new baby in the house. Craft stores and infant goods retailers offer a variety of kits to make these imprint keepsakes. You can also purchase your own craft materials to make a newborn hand print. You may need more than one "take" to get the perfect print from your squirmy and unpredictable newborn, but the result will be well worth the effort.
Things You'll Need
- Non-toxic, washable craft paint or ink
- Heavy-weight scrapbook or art paper
- Non-toxic craft plaster or modeling compound
- Shallow dish or plate
- Sleeping baby
Instructions
Make an Ink or Paint Newborn Hand Print
Pour the desired color of acrylic paint or colored ink into a small flat dish. Place a piece of the paper next to the dish. Hold the sleeping baby so you can reach her hand into the paint. If her hands are curled into fists, gently uncurl her fingers and straighten out her hand, and carefully press it into the paint or ink. Hold the hand flat and press it down firmly onto the scrapbook page or art paper in the desired position. When the print is complete, pull the baby's hand straight up from the paper so the hand print doesn't smear. Repeat if necessary until you have a clear, crisp hand print. Allow the paint or ink to dry completely according to package directions. When it is dry, finish the page as desired. Add the baby's name and birthdate in calligraphy, decorate or trim the page with baby-themed drawings or stickers or add a newborn picture of the baby to the page and frame it. Make a Plaster Newborn Hand Print
Pour a non-toxic craft casting or molding compound into a round or oval rimmed dish. Hold the sleeping baby so you can reach her hand into the paint. Uncurl her fingers and straighten out her hand. Press the hand down firmly into the molding compound and leave it there for one to two minutes. Press it in deep enough so the compound comes up just to the base of the hand, but not covering the fingers or thumb. Pull the baby's hand out of the compound in one clean, upward motion to avoid spoiling the hand print. Allow the compound to dry according to the package directions. Remove the dish backing from the dried cast, unless it is intended to be part of the finished project. Add a colorful ribbon to the front and a picture hanger on the back. You can also use a special paint pen or marker to write the child's name and birth information on the dried compound above or below the hand print.
