This sweet little baby print is straight from our resident DIYer, Jess’s gorgeous home. We recently toured little Grey’s star filled nursery and feel head over heels for all the personalized details. From a ceiling that doubles as a masterpiece to pillows so lovely, you would swear they were store bought, and now this sweet DIY. A footprint turned keepsake perfect for your favorite toes. Get the full how-to below!
From Jess… I really wanted a quality print of my little boy’s feet; one that was inverse of the typical print so that I could remember how his foot actually looked and not just the indentation. I tried many DIY methods I saw on Pinterest, and for most of them I either couldn’t get a clear print to begin with, or the dough was too lumpy or crumbly too make a lasting keepsake. This quick, cheap method is tried & true, I promise it won’t let you down!
1-2 pkgs Crayola Model Magic clay (depending on how large your child’s feet are)
Plaster
Plastic cup
Plastic straw
Empty 2 liter bottle
Rolling pin
Wax paper
Fine grit sandpaper
Scissors
Baby feet
Lay a sheet of wax paper out on a flat cookie sheet or cutting board. Roll out the model magic until you have a flat shape large enough for the foot and several inches around it. You want it to be at least ¼-½” thick.
Get a clean impression of baby’s foot. This can be tricky. I found it easiest to place the wax paper & clay on the floor and then step baby onto it, using gravity to help the impression. Or you can have someone else hold baby while you gently press the clay onto baby’s foot, which can help you get an even impression. This clay is especially flexible and holds shapes well so it shouldn’t get distorted doing it this way.
Cut a ring out of the 2 liter bottle, about 2” wide. You can either place the ring directly around the foot if it fits onto the clay, or cut the ring, overlap it and packing tape shut to make a smaller shape. Or if you’re doing an older child’s foot, you could tape together two rings to make a larger shape. Position the ring into the clay around the foot and press down- you want it slightly submerged in the clay on all sides so that plaster won’t leak out.
Rub a little cooking oil on the straw and insert into the clay above the foot shape. This will become your hole for hanging later.
Mix a little plaster in the plastic cup according to the box directions, maybe half of the cup or so for a baby foot. Use your fingers to make sure it’s thoroughly mixed and there are no lumps. Pour the plaster into the mold, make sure it is at least ¼” thick above the clay. If it’s too thin when it dries, it’s more prone to breaking. If you don’t have enough when you first pour, you can just mix some more and pour right on top. Let dry overnight.
Remove the plastic ring from the mold and pop out the plaster footprint. The Model Magic isn’t sticky so you shouldn’t have any trouble removing the ring or the footprint. Let dry several hours.
Gently sand down the sides of the mold to get rid of any rough edges, and to smooth out the shape of the ornament. Gently wipe off any plaster dust with a dry cloth. Tie a string through the hole and it’s ready to hang! You will likely be able to make several copies with that one clay mold if you’d like to give some to grandparents. As long as the clay is soft enough to insert the plastic ring you can keep making them!
Design & Styling: Jess Blazejewski | Photography: Ruth Eileen Photography
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