Handprint kits?

[mtrattner]

We received a handprint kit from Pottery Barn when DD was born. She is now one and we tried doing it and failed miserably. Anyone else have any luck doing this? Or have a better idea? How do you get a 1 year old to put their hand into mush (plaster) and not have them squeeze it between their fingers?

I love the idea so would like to do it even if I don't do it in the PBK kit. Thanks so much.

:) Melanie

[SarahK]

We've done them twice--both times it was more of a clay...definitely not a mush!! My mom gave us the Red Envelope kit when Katie was born and I love it!!

[hellosmiletoday]

We also failed at our first attempt. We need to do it again but havent gotten around to it, and DD is 17 mo already!

I did get some hand and foot prints on archival paper with washable ink.

[amp]

Well, my kid didn't squeeze it between his fingers, but we had to do it multiple times anyway. For us, the issue was that the mixture was too runny to get a good impression, so we kept doing it over and over, as it thickened, until we thought we couldn't get another good one. So while it was still loose/wet, we just tapped it on the table/counter, to make it level out and fill back in and retried.

It's not easy, but so worth it to get some kind of hand or foot impression! Good luck!

[Bearhut]

We tried for DD's first Christmas (she was 7 weeks old when we attempted) and failed miserably. Let's just say there was plaster all over her, me, my husband, the kitchen; then my husband thought he would get the tub out to start her bath and broke it in the process. After he spend about a half hour trying to fix it there was dried plaster everwhere!...it wasn't pretty.

She's almost two now and I still can't even get an ink print of her hand since she won't keep it flat.

I guess the clay is so much easier. But we never tried it.

Good luck...................Heather

[kboyle]

so far i've done the 1 yr tin and 2 yr tin and they both look pretty crummy. we had to keep thickening the plaster and retry a few times before i finally gave up and just let the last one dry.

i think ink prints would be easier, but we have tee plaster tins till he's 5.

[miki]

From what I've heard, the Pottery Barn kits suck. I would go to an art store or a crafts store and buy an air-hardening crafts clay. You can roll some out to fit the Pottery Barn containers and press your DD's hand into it. IMO clay is easier to work with than plaster.

Instead of a 3D print, for my DD's 1st and 2nd birthdays, I've taken her to a local shop where you can paint your own pottery. We did her footprints on a small tile for her 1st year and we just went to do hands and feet on a plate for this year. It was easy to do because these sort of prints are something that the shop does a lot so someone from the shop helps you get the right amount of paint and print the hands/feet onto the pottery so they look really nice.

[Bearhut]

What a wonderful idea. I think I'm going to check into that for the grandparents for christmas. Thanks!
Heather

[Emmas Mom]

I think we have those same ones! We've done it for DD's 1st & 2nd b-days too. They aren't "great" but you can see her print.

I like the idea of the "paint the pottery" store too. I may have to try that for #2. Live & learn. lol

[genndan100502]

Sculpey (a craft clay found at michaels or craft stores) is really easy to use, and either a coffee lid or a Viactiv box lid for a mold, it's perfect, there are ridges that make it look like it's framed. Bake for 15 mintues and you're done. no mess.

[mtrattner]

Oh good! I don't feel as dumb now that so many others have had problems. I was really looking forward to having these handprints. Had the kits for a whole year and then it didn't work I was so bummed. I will look for that clay and try putting it in the tin. I like the idea of keeping them all uniform.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas. I hope to find one that works.

:) Melanie

[Bearhut]

Hi -

I have the Sculpey Clay (specifically Super Sculpey) and I just rolled it out and there is no way that my DD can push hard enough to make a hand imprint. This stuff is REALLY dense!

Am I doing something wrong or is there a differenct clay I should be using?

Thanks so much.........I'm trying to make ornaments for the Grandparents.

Heather
Heather (Mom to Miracle DD)

[mtrattner]

I went to Hobby Lobby (like Michaels or Joanns) and found Crayola modeling clay. Super soft! I just shoved into the PBK tin and pushed DD hand right into the tin. No problems, no mess. I did it Saturday and it is still a little soft so I am hoping it will get harder.

Hope that helps!
:) Melanie

[miki]

The firmer Sculpey clays need to be worked for a while to become more pliable. If you keep kneading at it, it should become softer. But the Super Sculpey is made specifically for more sculpture like work. Sculpey III is softer right out of the package and also gets more pliable after kneading. You might give that a try.

[kahplayground]

Hi Melanie,

I know this is a bit late, but I thought I would post for others in the future. I have something similar and was able to get a perfect hand impression of dd on her first bday. I did it while she was sleeping! She fell asleep in the carseat on the way home one day. While my mom (grandparents were visiting which helped)was watching her, I mixed the plaster (the directions said toothpaste consistency, but I made it a little thicker). I then walked out to the car with the tin and plaster while my mom straghtened dd's fingers (she remained sleeping). I placed her hand on the plaster and carefully exerted more pressure on each finger one at a time to get a deeper impression (that woke her), I removed her hand and my mom was standing by with a wash cloth to clean her up. No mush and no problems with dd sqeezing the plaster btn her fingers as she was asleep (and she is not a sound sleeper at all!). It couldn't have worked any easier or better.

HTH anyone with this dilemna in the future.

Karin
Reagan 1/2005