There’s nothing quite as special as having your baby wrap all her little fingers around just one of yours. And creating a bronze cast of her handprint or fist is a great way to preserve every tiny detail of her little hand for years to come.
Creating a bronze cast is relatively easy and inexpensive. Most craft stores carry an array of kits that include everything you need. But, before heading to the store, we’ve got all you need to know to help you preserve her little handprint forever.
You can choose from a variety of kits that let you create a mold of one or both handprints or even your baby’s entire hand, and send it off to be cast in bronze. But that can take several weeks (up to eight, in fact) to get the finished product back. It’s also costly, ranging from $100 to $300 depending on the size, number of prints, etc.
A quicker and cheaper way to do it yourself is to cast your baby’s hand in plaster and embellish it with a bronze finish paint. It’s hard to tell the difference between the print that’s made of bronze, and the one that’s painted. And, the unexpected bonus: the painted version won’t tarnish.
There are a variety of kits to choose from, from ones that enable you to create a flat handprint, or a mold of just one or both hands. And, don’t worry if she curls his fingers into a fist. The molds that create whole hand casts capture every fingernail and detail – and, trust us – you’ll cherish those “every” memories when she’s no longer little!
The supplies:
- An old sheet or drop cloth or newspaper to protect your work surface
- Mold kit that includes bronze finish paint (or gold or silver, if you desire)
- A stained pine, wood, cherry, oak, mahogany or marble base
- Brass name plate (optional)
Preparation:
Make sure your baby’s hand is clean and dry and dress her in something you won’t mind dirtying. Because it’s hard to work with just one hand at a time while holding your baby, set her in her highchair or carrier to make sure she doesn’t wiggle out of your arms.
Finishing up:
Depending on the type of mold, apply finish paint within 24 to 72 hours. Then, feel free to personalize your baby’s handprint by selecting either a matte, semi-gloss or glossy finish. Embellish away by mounting the handprint on a wooden base or, if you cast both hands, on two separate bases to create bookends. Handprint plaques make a great addition to the nursery wall and serve as a treasured keepsake when your baby gets older.
Read More:
- How to make a plaster casting of your baby’s handprints
- How to bronze your baby’s footprint
- Mold your baby’s memories
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