Keepsake hand casts plaster or clay?

[eyeamviolet]

Has anyone successfully done plaster or air dry clay casts of kids hands?  We want to do casts of the kids to remember how little they are.  They've been here a year already so the clock is ticking.  Clay/plaster must be easy and not messy and have a good finished product that will last forever.  Suggestions for brands?

[Polliwog]

I'd probably just pick up a kit from a craft store. You can find coupons for AC Moore and Michael's all the time.

[pumpkingirl71]

We did hand prints on a platter at a paint your own pottery store.  It came out great!  I have to say, even that, with the help of a professional, was hard for my daughter.  She was two and had sensory and ADHD issues.  Plaster or clay would have been too much.

[eyeamviolet]

I ended up ordering air dry clay kits from castingkeepsakes.com  I did want input but, got impatient waiting.  I had considered buying one of the ink kits and doing a print instead of a mold.  But, I like the idea of a larger more solid piece to hang on the wall or maybe even put them in shadow boxes.  

     I am a little worried about whether the kids will hold still for the mold.  Supposedly this kind you just press their hand into it so you don't have to hold it there for long like plaster.  If it doesn't work I will try something else.  With 3 of them I'm not sure we could afford to go to a make your own pottery store.  Not to mention my worst case scenario nightmare of having to pay for all the stuff I am imagining they would break.  The phrase "like a bull in a china shop" comes to mind.  

[pumpkingirl71]

Originally Posted by eyeamviolet 

With 3 of them I'm not sure we could afford to go to a make your own pottery store.  Not to mention my worst case scenario nightmare of having to pay for all the stuff I am imagining they would break.  The phrase "like a bull in a china shop" comes to mind.  

Yeah, I did have anxiety that a tantrum could bring down the whole store.  But it was actually pretty cheap.  They only charges us one studio fee, not one per person.  I would ask before committing, though.  Paint your own pottery can get really expensive.

Good luck with the plaster molds : )
 

[RedOakMomma]

Try using sculpey (you can buy it at most craft stores, art stores, and I've seen it at Target).  You can re-do it as many times as you like until you get a print you want, then you bake it to harden it.  You can sand the corners, paint it, whatever you want.  It's very forgiving.  I've made handprint ornaments out of it many times, or larger circles for the older kids.  Just make sure that you buy some that's not too hardened.  Some of their colors (it comes in many pretty colors) are harder than others.