Top Tips for Getting Great Baby Hand & Footprints

Have you tried taking baby’s hand or footprints with paint or ink before? It’s like a military operation! Have everything laid out, psych yourself up for the imminent mess, tears (baby’s and your’s!) and have a bath ready for the clean up afterwards.
And the results are usually a squelchy blur with possibly one decent handprint.
Newborns have a reflex to clench their fists called the Palmar grasp reflex. This can make it really tough to get their little hands flat when making prints.

But those super cute little fingers and toes don't stay tiny for long and lots of parents like to capture those gorgeous little hand & footprints when baby is little. My Little Keepsake give out Free Inkless hand and footprints at the Expos to show you how to do it. We've got lots of experience and want to show you how easy it is to get perfect little prints. So here are our hot tips:

1. Use an Inkless Print Kit - there’s no ink, no paint, no mess and nothing to clean up afterwards so everyone will feel much more relaxed, resulting in much better prints.
2. Have a helper - Don’t attempt to do the prints on your own. You’ll need 1 person to hold baby so that you have 2 hands free to get baby’s little hand flat.
3. Have a few dry runs first - get into a comfortable position and practice getting baby’s hand flat a few times before opening up the inkless wipe. You’ll feel much more confident and relaxed when you do the prints for real.
4. To get baby’s hand flat on the paper, use 2 hands to pull their fingers out flat. Then place the base of the palm onto the paper first. Even if the fingers start to close up then, they will automatically go onto the paper first. Be ready to press them all down and remove the hand quickly before they start to squirm.
5. Footprints are always easier. Don’t try doing them when baby’s lying down as you can’t apply the right pressure that way and you’ll end up with a stretched, deformed looking print.
6. For footprints, place the special paper on a book or board on the floor or table. Put baby in the standing position and hold the ankle firmly. Lower the foot onto the paper and press down heel first. Press down each little toe and lift straight off.
7. An inkless print kit contains 4 sheets of paper so use them wisely. Start your prints in the top left corner and work you way across the page. Depending on baby’s size, you might fit another row of prints underneath.

You can frame your little prints as they are or keep them in a Keepsake book. Or send them to us at My Little Keepsake and we can turn them into a beautiful heirloom artwork to hang on your wall and treasure forever.

For more tips and instructional video, visit our page here:https://mylittlekeepsake.com/product/inkless-print-kits/