baby keepsake handprint ornament...

With a little newborn in our family, I've been trying to find ways to make my son's first Christmas special and also enjoy his tiny baby-ness while it lasts.  He's already grown so much in a month!

I really wanted to make some kind of handprint ornament and this simple clay version is what I came up with...

I don't have step-by-step pictures, but the process is quite simple.

I started with a package of Sculpey Bake Shop clay.  The Bake Shop line is supposed to be geared towards kids...but it seems exactly the same as Sculpey III to me.  (At my craft store, the Bake Shop line was a dollar cheaper for the same amount of clay.)  It comes in a variety of colors.  I went for a basic white.

If you are unfamiliar with Sculpey, it's an oven-bake polymer clay popular among crafters.  It's inexpensive and an easy product to use...so don't be afraid to try it!  I used one 2 oz. package for a one-month old baby handprint.  If you are going to make a handprint for an older kid, you'll need to get additional packages.

I kneaded the clay in my hands for a couple of minutes to soften it up, rolled it into a ball, and flattened it into a round disc shape.  Then I smooshed my sleepy baby's hand into the clay--this is the trickiest part!  If your handprint doesn't turn out, just roll it back up, flatten it out, and try again. :)  After I got a good print, I poked a ribbon hole.  I used a bamboo skewer but just use whatever you have handy--a toothpick, straw, etc.  Finally, bake according to package directions and thread your ribbon through when your ornament has cooled off.

This darling ornament is now my favorite one on the tree!

I'm sure I will tear up over it as we decorate each year at Christmas time.  

Motherhood has made me extra sentimental! :)