Taking your baby footprints throughout her first year will not only a fun project for parents but you’ll also create a lifetime memory for you and your baby. You can make your own wall art and all you need is a set of four 8 inches x 8 inches canvases, acrylic paint in four vibrant colors and paint sponges. If you’re not an artsy-craftsy person, you can also look for a kit, but believe me that this DIY project will be fun and will pay off for the time you spend painting those canvases on your own. (says a mom who would apply a coat of paint on anything she lays hands on if it weren’t for a hubby to tell her to take it easy).
Start by painting the canvases, one color for each canvas. Apply 2 coats of paint on each canvas, don’t forget to let the paint dry in between.
Sure you can leave the canvas white but colored, they are a great complement for a white wall nursery, for instance. After the paint dries out, you can start the most interesting/messy part: applying a bit of paint onto the sole of your baby’s foot and make the print.
Apply pressure from behind the canvas so that you get a better print: lesson learn after recording my baby’s left foot (see red canvas). Second attempt with the right foot was better but then Victor moved his foot. Do one foot at a time so it doesn’t get too messy because the baby will definitely move a lot. And use a sponge to paint the baby’s foot. A paintbrush will tickle the baby , which will trigger even more movement. Finish by adding the age of the baby or the date, your choice. I went for the age: 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.
The prints we created for our oldest turned out so nice that I decided to make the same for our second baby, as well. Same but slightly different, so instead of painting the canvas in one color I chose a pattern. Unfortunately it wasn’t the happiest choice as I couldn’t manage to keep a straight pattern. If you admire them from the distance, they look nice, but please, don’t get closer….
When taking the footprints for my first baby I remember thinking that he moved a lot….well, it was nothing compared to my second. The 3 and 6 months canvases look as if it’s an alien’s print. I must confess I blamed my husband for not holding his foot tight enough so I gave it a try. The first canvas is the better out of two attempts.
At least his footprints come with a story 🙂
Marvellina
Friday 27th of February 2015
Well, at least I see five toes there ;) These are nice. Artsy and colorful. I only did the newborn one and not with paint, with clay. This is much better I think.
Non Toy Gifts
Friday 27th of February 2015
It depends what foot you look at :) The right one has only 4 toes...This project was right up my alley with all this painting.