My First Christmas

When J was seven months old, we went to a plate party where an artist used hand prints and foot prints to make wall hangings, plates, platters, etc.  At the party, we painted J's foot and made a 'My First Christmas' wall hanging.  I wanted H to have one, so I decided to do my best to make my own interpretation.  I am not a naturally artsy person by any means and so I was a little worried.  Overall, I think it turned out well!

What you'll need:

Self Hardening Clay

Wax paper with a square drawn onto it

Paint and Paintbrush

Glossy Clear Coat paint

Ribbon

I made a quarter of a batch of Self Hardening Clay and rolled it into a ball. 

I rolled it out and then cut it into the square shape that I had already pre-measured.  Two holes were cut out in the top (I used a chopstick to punch through).  It then sat to dry for over two days. 

I painted H's foot brown and gently pushed it onto the clay.  Before the paint dried, I cleaned up the smudged paint using a napkin.  I would recommend lightly painting the feet because she ended up with too much paint on her toes.

I then painted her foot print into a Rudolph shape and decorated the rest of the square.

I added H's name and how old she is at the top of the square and wrote 'My First Christmas' at the bottom.  I used a Sharpie but black paint would be much better if you are going to gloss coat it.  Jon and I discovered that Sharpies bleeds when covered with the acetone of the paint!

After the gloss coat dries, I'll thread my Christmas ribbon through the holes and hang it up on our wall!  These home-made items are definitely my favorite decorations.  I love they way they capture this moment in my child's life.