A Crafty Celebration.

My Nana's 75th birthday was something special. Very special. After all, this precious woman practically raised me. A homemade gift was definitely in order.

I've seen several kits online that allow you to press your child's hands and feet into clay and put them on a little frame. But after seeing the outrageous price tags for some of these kits (really - $30 for a glob of clay and a cheapy frame?!), I decided to make my own.

Sounded like more fun anyway!

For my gift, I purchased the following:

- Plaster ($6.00 for a GIANT box)
- Shadow Box Frame (on sale for $8.00 at Wal-Mart)

And everything else? I just happened to have at home:

- Scrapbook paper
- Hot Glue
- Rubber Cement
- Edge Rounder
- Photos
- Paper Plates

My hubby Taylor stepped in and mixed the plaster for me. We poured globs into paper plates and sprayed my little one's hands and feet with Pam. The next few minutes were hectic as we smooshed his tiny fingers and toes into the drying goo. Actually, I kind of like that the impressions weren't 100% perfect...plaster was everywhere!

The plaster dried for 24 hours, and I pulled the plates away. I covered the back of the shadowbox frame with a large sheet of scrapbook paper (neutral shades look great!). Then I cut out pieces to use as borders for my photos. I liked choosing three contrasting papers to give the project a bit of pop. A dab of rubber cement did the trick to adhere the photos.

My hubby stepped in and used some of his manly adhesive (something with industrial strength) to glue the impressions to the backing, but I also want to note that hot glue also does the trick. Just be sure you allow all of the water to dry out of the impressions first. Position the impressions around your photos and put the backing onto your frame.

And there you have it! Nana loved her gift, which made all of the plaster mess worth it. I also made one for myself and my mother-in-law. These make great gifts - and also preserve those special memories.