Father’s Day Gift Idea Countdown #8: Picture Frame with Hand & Footprint Ornaments

I have to thank Jenny Benedict from Fb for the inspiration for this Father’s Day gift idea. She wanted to frame a picture and separately give him hand or footprints. So, I started thinking… Why not combine the ol’ framed pic and the hand/footprints ideas, but make the prints on dough and hang them from the frame? Brilliant!

-First, choose a wooden frame. It can be a frame you find around your house, or one you buy. Make it cheap, but make sure that it is wide enough to support a small nail.

-Print out a picture that you want to give your husband. Mine printed out with a big white space on the bottom, so I wrote “Daddy!” in the empty space. No one will ever know it was a mistake!

-Next, lightly hammer in your nail. It doesn’t need to be pushed in deep, because it will only need to support the low weight of our cooked salt dough. This is how small my nails are.

-OK, let’s make our hand and footprints! I used the recipe from Rainy Day Mum with eHow Mom‘s cooking technique. You can find the recipe and instructions at the bottom of this post. I tried the microwave technique from Rainy Day Mum both on normal power and defrost. Here’s how it came out… bubbly — not so good.

 -So, I used the oven method, and they came out great!

-Lastly, insert ribbons into each of the holes you made in your imprints and hang from the nails on your frame. I made the hand higher than the foot for dimension. BEAUTIFUL!

Salt Dough Ingredients & Other Items:

•  1/2 cup salt
•  3/4 cup flour
•  2 tsp. cream of tartar (I skipped this and it worked fine)
•  1/2 cup water
•  Poster paint and paintbrushes (optional)
•  Clear nail polish (optional)

Instructions

1) Mix ½ cup salt with 1 cup flour in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly add ½ cup water, stirring as you pour.

2) Knead the mixture with your hands until you have a firm, blended clay dough. Add a tablespoon of flour if the dough is sticky. Add a tablespoon of water if the ingredients feel too dry.

3) Roll the clay dough out onto a floured cutting board until it is about 1/4-to-1/2 inch thick. For my 3-1/2 month old son, I used a wide mouth cup (blender bottle) to make a circle. For his foot, I used a bigger piece of the dough and then cut around the print afterward (don’t forget to leave a space for a hanging hole). For older children, let them make a print and then cut around it with a knife.

4) INFANTS: If you are alone and don’t have someone to help you lift your infant over the dough, put the dough on a small plate or the lid to a snack or oatmeal container. The lids work well, because they have a little ledge that will prevent the dough from falling off. Press the dough into your child’s hand, fingers splayed (easy to say, right?) until an impression appears. I brought the dough up to his hand and while holding his hand on the dough, I uncurled his thumb from underneath. I then pressed each finger individually into the dough. He didn’t move his other fingers. I guess his hand was stuck to the dough. 🙂 You can do the same for the feet. They are a bit easier, because the toes are shorter.

4) TODDLERS: Have them do the prints first and then cut around them. You will have to press each finger and toe into the dough. Don’t forget the entire foot, too. You’ll have to press down or use their body weight to get a nice deep heel impression.

5) If you choose, you can etch your child’s name and a date into the clay dough with a pencil. For a newborn, etch the date of the child’s birth. For older children, etch the date the handprint was made, and the child’s age at the time. Press a small hole through the clay dough at the top if you wish to hang the handprint after it dries.

6) Carefully transfer the clay dough onto a cookie sheet with a spatula. Insert the cookie sheet into a preheated 100 degrees Fahrenheit oven on the center rack. My oven’s lowest setting is 170°. It worked fine.

7) Bake the imprint for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the clay in the oven for 2 additional hours.

8) Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Check the bottom. If it isn’t cooked, turn it over and put your oven on the lowest degree for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the dough sit in there for an hour or two. Set it in a dry place until the dough is completely dry to the touch. This may take up to 2 days.

9) Smooth away any cracks in the clay using a paintbrush dipped in water. Paint the handprint with acrylic paint when the clay is dry. When the paint dries, you can apply lacquer or clear nail polish for a shiny look.

Adapted from: eHow Mom and Rainy Day Mum. See above for links.