I came across this term yesterday and thought it was interesting. Baby Art seems to be another way to explain what it is we do here at The Keepsake Co. Turning a baby memory into a piece of art – I mean that is what we do isn’t it?

I guess this is why I love keepsakes so much as you can take something that could potentially look like any other persons keepsake and really make it your own. You could turn your lifecastings into art by framing them in a creative way. I have seen people backing their frames with samples of wall paper or fabric. I have seem people painting the castings in bright and wonderful colours. But it is not limited to baby castings, you could hang your baby impressions in a unique way to make a piece of art for the baby’s nursery.

Then we have our baby canvases. Obviously you can get them printed professionally with a baby photo or a collage but you can also buy a blank canvas and take bay hand prints and footprints in decorative ways. Why not involve the whole family? I have even seen people turning baby handprints into animals – how arty is that!

If baby hands and feet were not your ‘thing’ then you could always get a personalized piece of art commissioned for the little baby – something they can cherish for ever and know they were loved more than words can say when they were little!

Baby art can take so many forms really – what will you create to celebrate your baby?  I need to start designing mine and will share with you when I have done it. I would love for you to share your versions of baby art on the comments below!

Warmest wishes,

Victoria

There are so many options available to you when casting your baby’s hands and feet. You can cast them together, holding your hand, framed with siblings in a box frame or left alone and stored in a beautiful keepsake box.

You can leave them natural or finish them in a large array of colours and finishes. You can even upgrade them to solid bronze or silver for a very swish keepsake!

Here are some of our favorite baby casting kit images. Hover over each image for a little description of each photo.

I will post more soon, but hope something here inspires you when creating your baby casting

Victoria

x

These instructions are not meant as a replacement for our full baby casting kit instructions which come in the kits. These tips are here to give you other ideas on how to capture your little one’s casting if you struggle with the normal method (casting bag) which we cover in detail in the kits. I would not recommend following these baby casting techniques if you have not read the full instructions first.

Casting Bag

Mix the alginate 150grms to 300mls of cold tap water. Spoon mixture into the bag and then secure the bag around the base of the ankle (lower the foot into the bag as far as possible without touching the bottom). Use the bag to manipulate material around foot until set. You can see the material through the see-through bag so you can tell if there are any holes and can quickly try and get rid of them by manipulating the materials. When set it will simply slip off the foot.  The material in this technique will be like a paste so you can just move it around with your fingers through the bag to ensure you cover everything.

Casting Bag

Mix the alginate 150grms to 500mls of cold tap water until it is a smooth consistency (don’t worry about lumps too much – it is more important to move to the next stage). Spoon mixture into the bag , you wont be able to fit it all in to the bag so just spoon in as much as you can leaving about a 5cm deep gap at the top of the bag.  Lower the foot into the bag as far as possible without touching the bottom and secure the top of the bag securely around the base of the ankle (if there is someone else that can secure the bag around the ankle then this leaves both of your hands free to take the casting). Use the bag to create a firm ball of material between your cupped hands and then try and keep the foot within the middle of the ball you have created. If a toe peaks to the service move the ball between your hands around with the foot so you can see no skin thought it. It will then just slip off the foot when set.  The material in this technique will be in a runny consistency so please ensure the bag is tightly secured around the ankle as it will leak out and make a mess.  Doing this gives you more material to work with and takes longer to set.  You could use room temperature water with this consistency to make it set a bit quicker and to make it more comfortable for the baby.

Casting Container

Select a container that fits the foot into it with room around the sides, top and bottom but not too big as it will eat up all your material. It should be able to fit in about 600-700 mls of water I would say. Mix alginate 150 grams to 500mls of cold tap water. Pour into container and then lower in the foot. Tap the container to release any air bubbles trapped under the foot. Ensure the foot is covered in alginate within the container without touching the sides. Wait for it to set and then slip the foot out. Doing this gives you more material to work with and takes slightly longer to set.  You could use room temperature water with this consistency to make it set a bit quicker and to make it more comfortable for the baby.

Casting Cloth

Mix alginate 150grms to 300mls of cold water and then spread over a JCloth in the middle. Make it so it is at least 1.5-2 cm deep on the cloth. Press babies hand/foot in middle of alginate and then collect JCloth up around foot/hand so the alginate is covering the foot all around. Secure excess cloth around ankle. Squeeze and manipulate the cloth around the foot to ensure the material squidges into all the crevices. Wait for it to set and then slip the foot out.

I am sure there are more baby casting techniques, so if you have any you would like to suggest (or have any tips) please do get in touch!!

Have fun life casting!

Victoria

x

PS: to purchase one of our baby casting kits which includes our full detailed instructions please visit our baby casting kit section.

Baby Casting Kit

Some people are a little nervous when attempting their baby casting kit but take it from me is really is not that hard. Yes things can go wrong but you can always call me and I can try and help you over the phone. I also have a video of me using our baby casting kit from mixing the alginate through to unveiling the finished mould. View a full video  of the  baby casting kit process.

You can choose to leave your baby casting plain or paint it any colour you wish. We have seen photos of green castings through to more traditional bronzed baby castings. While our baby casting kits do not include paint we do supply them for an additional £1.99 in silver, gold or bronze. You can also use any acrylic paint to finish your baby casting. Why not get creative!

When you have finished your baby casting kit you could decide to mount your stunning hand castings in a frame or leave them loose. What ever you decide we really can help you create the perfect keepsake with a full range of frames and mounts. View our full range of Baby Casting Kits

The best thing about making this keepsake is you have no control over what the baby is doing with their hands or feet during the moulding process so when you unpeel your alginate mould from the casting stone you will sure to be delighted. Most babies clench their fists but I have seen some babies come out with fingers like the peace sign or a pointed finger. And the way the toes can remind the parents how their little one’s feet are when they are relaxed from unusual toe poses!

If you have any questions about choosing the right baby casting kit for you then please do not hesitate to conact me on 01749 344699 . Happy casting

Victoria xx