With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we know how challenging it can be to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Whether you’re looking for you mom, sister, best friend or even yourself, one thing is for sure; you can never fail with a sentimental gift. We found the perfect recipe for a DIY craft you can make with your kids that will leave footprints on Mom’s heart for years to come.
Have you ever seen those expensive clay footprint kits at the craft store, or even tables set up at the mall with “professionals” who will imprint your child’s hands and feet for a small fortune? The following is a simple and completely non-toxic recipe to make these imprints yourself!
What You’ll Need:
- 1 Cup of Salt
- 1 Cup of Flour
- 1/2 Cup of Warm Water
Mix
Simply mix the three ingredients together until you have a smooth, doughy consistency. When you’re done, roll out the dough and separate it into sections for each imprint you are going to make. Line a baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper and shape the dough on the sheet. You can shape it into a circle, heart, rectangle – whatever you desire.
Imprint
Assist your child in placing his hand or foot into the dough, making sure to press down hard enough to get a good imprint. You can also do this with your pets’ paws if they are willing to cooperate.
After you have the imprints set, you can take a toothpick or small knife and write your child’s name and the date, or the recipient’s name. If you plan on hanging your imprint, be sure to use a straw to poke a hole at the top where the ribbon will go. If you have leftover dough, you can use cookie cutters to make little ornaments. This is a fun activity for children to participate in.
Bake
Once all of your imprints and ornaments are placed on the parchment paper-covered baking sheet, place it in the oven at 200 degrees F for 3-4 hours. Oven times may vary, so be sure to check it often. Once it is hard, you’ll know it has thoroughly baked.
Cool
Let your pieces cool off on a cooling rack.
Decorate
Then you can use food coloring to paint them if you desire. This is also a fun activity for children.
Display
You can hang them with ribbons or frame your footprints. You’ve just created the perfect sentimental gift for Mom this Mother’s Day, using just three simple ingredients!
