Though
inspired by readily available hand casting kits, I'm too cheap and
ill-versed in such a medium to make a grandiose attempt at that kind
of keepsake. Instead, I resorted to the simplest way to make some
holiday child mementos: cardboard and paint.
The
idea is quaint and sound – Christmas ornaments with my three year
old great niece's hand print on them, four for each female relative.
I always keep a few pieces of cardboard on hand (which became quite
savvy to soak up after a water heater leak!) and cut a strip into
squares. Using a glue stick it was easy to smoothly apply a holiday
print fabric found in a Goodwill grab bag to the front side of the
cardboard. The back I left clear for my niece's name and the date,
because of course. Fortunately, there was just enough of this white
and green wreath print to fit the three squares and one larger
rectangle intended as an oversize, gift tag style ornament. Next came
the hole punch for a rustic tie at the top, but some of these went
through cleanly and others did not, leaving some corners delicate or
in need of touch ups because I turned the squares to be upright,
diamond style. Another shape like a heart or not exactly punching
holes on the diamond point might have been better placement, but it
was too late to turn back now! I knotted the twine securely before
tying on several dollar store bells each. I thought about sprigs of
greenery or festive florals, however that seemed a top heavy
distraction when the forthcoming hand print was to be the focus.
Instead, pipe cleaner curls in holiday red and green and recycled
ribbon saved from other gift baskets became hot glued bows.
With
the prep and decoration done, now it was time for the hand prints,
with yellow as our chosen paint because it is my niece's current
favorite color. (In these snapshots,
you'll notice she is wearing my paint smock – a retired nightgown
that I cut apart to draft its pattern before sewing it back together.
Have I edited the six months worth of vlogs where I turned said
pattern into a wearable nightgown mock up, satin nightgown, brown
dress, and housecoat? No.) Trying to keep things from being too messy
with a three year old, I poured the acrylic onto a paper plate and
used a small roller on her hand, testing a few prints on some
recycled packing paper scraps – which of course I saved and stuck
on my corkboard as my holiday hand print! It took a few tries to make
sure there was enough coverage and not a lot of globs between
fingers, but then there was nothing to do but slap her little hand on
the fabric and give it a moment press. I am so very tempted to try
and do this with the pets, but with my temperamental cats I know
better!
The
oversize tag where I wrote the to and from for the jumbo present that
my niece also wrapped unfortunately isn't my favorite. Purple was the
only marker that showed on the fabric, and though it compliments the
yellow, it looks too fuzzy to me. In hindsight, a darker fabric may
not show through the cardboard so much and might have really let the
subsequent yellow paint and any print pop. The cardboard for these
ornaments will probably bend, and I wouldn't put them near hot
holiday lights. Certainly, the found materials are cheap, but the
captured moment is priceless. None of the receiving family members
were worried about finite crafting, especially thanks to my
exceptional wrapping and ribbon curled gifts presented by said niece.
She drove in her Pumpkin
Car, played with her Cardboard
Castle – wondering why it didn't have a door? – and tried on
some of the costumes in the Victorian
Guest Room's costume closet. She said they were too big and I
gave her an old Simplicity pattern catalog to mark all the costumes
she wanted to make. I guess I need to get cracking now!
Granted
this holiday write up is belated. I had originally intended to do
this for Mother's Day 2023 just before the turbulence of the year
really hit when one of the mothers who previous received my
Memento Mori Sewing and deserved a hand print of her own
unfortunately passed. As my own health declined, August birthdays
also came and went so instead these hand prints became my only
handmade gift for Christmas. It's nothing new, but fortunately, this
one day, free, timeless idea can be for any occasion – birthdays,
valentines, an egg print for Easter or leaves in the fall.
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more including:
Cardboard
Halloween Banner
Mother
Christmas Costume
Autumn
Riding Habit