Inkless Handprints and Footprints - A Great Way to Create a Unique Baby Memory

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Inkless Handprints and Footprints - a great way to create a unique baby memory.

Inkless prints can be made using a great inkless paper & wipe technology which was introduced in the US for fingerprinting. It then became widely used in hospitals for identifying baby's by taking a print of their foot & so began a great idea. Hospitals started to send Mum home with a copy of these prints & now you can do them yourselves at home using an inkless print kit available from many US & UK online stores.

So how does it work?

That's a secret! You just wipe baby's foot or hand with the inkless wipe & then gently press the foot onto the coated paper. Within seconds a black footprint develops with an amazing amount of detail - every wrinkle & fold can often be seen. The wipe has no visible ink on it so no messy black marks are left on the hand or foot - amazing!

What can I do with my prints?

It is recommended to keep your original prints in a safe place away from sunlight as with all inks the print may eventually fade. Scan or copy the prints & they can be shown off in a huge number of ways:

• Create your New Baby cards with them & send everyone a very personal announcement card.
• Frame the prints alongside baby's scan picture or photo to create a timeline for baby.
• Give to grandparents having had the prints transferred onto a mug or clock.
• Have the prints put onto a mouse mat along with baby's date of birth & give to Daddy as a Father's Day gift.
• Take baby's prints just ahead of their christening & place them on a christening candle. This makes a memorable gift for god parents.

All in all taking baby's hand or footprints with an inexpensive inkless printing kit is a rewarding activity that can be used in many ways. This makes them a great gift idea & a joy to receive!

Jo Bale runs Creative Casting Ltd. See the full range ofwith something for all occasions on their secure online UK shop.

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Use of plaster in moulding children & babies hands & feet .

Julie found an article this week regarding the use of plaster as a moulding material for hands & feet.

This should not be done for several reasons, one of which is highlighted in the articles . A water & plaster mixture is exothermic - that is, heat is given off when the two are mixed together & this CAN cause burns if the mixture is in contact with the skin. Plaster bandage is usually kept slightly off the skin with a layer of vaseline & dues to being applied in thin layers tends not to give rise to the same issues as a tub of plaster mix does.

Have a read & you'll see why we only recommend taking moulds of children's hands & feet with aliginate - an inert, non toxic mixture which is fully biodegradeable. Plus, you'll get much more detail with alginate!

Plaster of Paris Hazard Alert
In an incident a girl was mixing Plaster of Paris with
water by hand, intending to make a plaster cast of
her hand. The mix became very hot, the girl suffered
serious burns and her hands had to be amputated.
The safety Data Sheet supplied with the product did
warn against making casts of the hand.
Although Plaster of Paris is used for setting bones,
in such cases it is never put in direct contact with the
skin and, in addition, it is used in relatively thin layer
so the heat can dissipate. In bulk the temperature can
reach 60°C or so.
Before using plaster of paris to make casts of the
children’s hands or feet, please check with the
product manufacturer that it is safe to do so.

Taken from the Northern Devon District Early Years and Childcare Newsletter, Summer 2007
Link to the original pdf document

Want to buy some alginate for your castign needs? We sell alginate in heat sealed bags on their own or in packs with casting powder & full instruction. Click here to see our alginate & plaster supplies. Data sheets are available for all our materials on request.

Fingerprint jewellery - a new area for Creative Casting

We are busy putting together our images for some new products & first up will be a range of silver fingerprint jewellery.

We will add pieces to the collection over the coming weeks but we are making the silver charm necklace below our first item as it has already been requested as a Valentine's gift by a few of our customers.This lovely personalised piece of jewellery comes complete with the snake necklace & ispresented in a gift box. Suitable for prints of children form 6 months old this idea has been growing in popularity all year. Fingerprint jewellery has been seen round the necks of a number of celebrities so why not take a look. Although there is no legal requirement to do so, all pieces can be hallmarked (at additional cost) if required as the are of the highest quality.

We look forward to showing you some of our own pieces when we get the photo's back!