Easy DIY baby handprints

Soogerplum

Just thought I'd share this super easy craft with you ladies. They can make excellent ornaments for holiday gifts or keepsakes.

Salt dough recipe:

1cup flour (although I ended up needing just a little more to make it less sticky)
1/2cup salt
1/2 cup water

We mixed it, rolled it out, and pressed the girl's handprints in. I also did the baby's feet which was MUCH easier than a squirmy baby hand trying to grab the dough! I put them on a cookie sheet and baked them at 200 degrees for about 2 hours. They were still a little gummy so they'll need to air dry a few days. After they're hardened they can be painted.

I took a straw to poke a hole in the baby footprint before baking so that I can attach a ribbon to make an ornament. Super easy and cute!

Micavanaugh

So cute I think ill try this thanks for sharing!

JustCricket

awesome! thanks for the share! Hopefully I'll actually do this, because I really want it done! lol. 

CUBBIESMAMA3

Great idea! I know what the grandparents are getting this year!

Soogerplum

It was much better than the Plaster of Paris handprints in my opinion because with that stuff, you usually just get one or two shots before it's too late but the salt dough feels about like play-doh and can be re-rolled as many times as needed.

jht14

This is so cute. I'm going to try this with LO and give to the grandparents as part of their Christmas gifts.

SingleMom31

If you want them to *really* last, you can seal them with polyurethane or varnish from a craft store. The spray kind is the easiest.

herecomesthesun086

Ah such a cute idea I think this will be my project this evening love it!

RedBaramid

We're baking ours right now to give as Christmas ornaments to family this year.. I used a little heart shaped cookie cutter and put her feet on them! I liked how they looked wet so I hope they look as great baked. I'll totally share after I finish them up today!

megs2011

I'm so doing this

purplestarz

Alright. I'm gonna do this. I've been coming back to this thread for days. It's time to commit.

Edit: also thank you @redbaramid for the heart cookie cutter idea. The visual of her little feet in a heart sealed the deal for me.

ashaw512

I just got a bunch of cookie cutters from a friend!!! Thank you @RedBaramid‌

purplestarz

SingleMom31 said:

If you want them to *really* last, you can seal them with polyurethane or varnish from a craft store. The spray kind is the easiest.

Would you spray before or after painting? I'm not so crafty

purplestarz

bumwaters said:

Jen9608 said:

SingleMom31 said:

If you want them to *really* last, you can seal them with polyurethane or varnish from a craft store. The spray kind is the easiest.

Would you spray before or after painting? I'm not so crafty

I rolled them maybe half an inch thick. I had to bake for 1.5 hours just about. I flipped them halfway through. Had to use a spatula. Be careful. Definitely paint first. I painted mine with acrylic paint ($.50 at Walmart) and then finished with modge podge spray.

Thank you! Here goes nothin'...

purplestarz

@bumwaters not gonna lie, it was a challenge to get her feet positioned so they would fit inside the heart! They're not perfect, but I think they will be cute. Also I think my daughter has giant feet

herecomesthesun086

@Jen9608 I may have to steal your feet in the heart idea so cute!!!

purplestarz

@herecomesthesun086‌ I can't take credit! It was @RedBaramid‌'s idea that I stole, haha

Edit: fixed tag

CUBBIESMAMA3

I think that I might do this tomorrow with the kids. I'll have to find my paints. I had to hide them from my son, and I haven't painted in so long that I forgot where I put them.lol

RedBaramid

Ok I got wayyyy to into this so here are my mock ups on sub par pieces... I really like the black outlining so you can see what's going on from a distance and I am covering the backs with fabric...

RedBaramid

Also yall took the heart feet to an entirely new level I love it!

purplestarz

@RedBaramid‌ so cute! It's 7pm and I've decided after LO detaches herself from my boob we are running to JoAnn Fabrics for some paint!

purplestarz

Alright, time to AW. Here is the final product! Somehow this turned into a 3 day project. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out and I think I will make a couple more for the grandparents. Those Santa ones are pretty cute but not sure if I'm willing to attempt those or not! Mine would probably just end up looking like a creepy homeless bum.

Edit: also, I wrote her name and date on the back with a sharpie after they were painted. Some of them also have glitter paint on the back, but I stopped after doing that to a couple as then they REALLY (instead of only slightly) started looking like a third grader made them.

purplestarz

@bumwaters‌ report back if you think those are better!

RedBaramid

@bumwaters  You'll have to show us how they turn out!

Twinplus5

Can't wait to try this tomorrow ! I will have to dig for the cookie cutters but love the idea , so worth it!

herecomesthesun

Jen9608 said:

@herecomesthesun‌ I can't take credit! It was @RedBaramid‌'s idea that I stole, haha.

@Jen9608 You've got the wrong herecomesthesun. I had no idea there was another one. She's herecomesthesun086.

purplestarz

Whoops, fail!

bainidhedub

Totally doing this. I think I'm going to be brave and try to make a paint-print inside the foot-print after it bakes.

herecomesthesun086

There's another herecomesthesun? Well anyways lol I still have not had the chance to do this I've been trying to make the time ... Hopefully over the next few days I love the heart idea and the Santa hands

herecomesthesun086

@wanderingstars23 let me know what you find out about the ornaments cracking I still haven't done mine and if there is a way to prevent this id love to know

purplestarz

@WanderingStars23‌ I noticed one of my five ornaments is cracking on the back. No idea why. It came from the same batch.

ashaw512

Just finished mine! DH's birthday is Monday so they are his present!

jaime52005

Ugh pic won't upload

braybee

Can't wait to try this, everyone's look great! And @Jen9608‌ gets the award for cleanest oven!

purplestarz

@braybee I wish I could say it's always that clean, but we had a maid service do a deep clean of the house before LO arrived which included scrubbing our oven I've just managed to keep it mostly clean for a couple months!