Have you ever tried to make a handprint or footprint of your little one? I have and it’s not easy.
First of all, they do not hold still well. When I tried to do my son’s hand, he wouldn’t keep it flat on the surface of the clay and kept gouging into it in an attempt to scoop it up. I did not get the hand print.
His footprint was easier, but not a job well done by mom. I thought I would give it a try since I received 3 hand/foot print kits for my baby shower. But after messing up 2 of the kits, I decided to just give up on the third.
Then at my son’s 2nd birthday party, a friend got us a gift certificate for a garden stepping stone from Precious Prints. Thank you! This was my answer.
She explained that garden stepping stones are light grey cement stones that include your child’s hand and foot prints with the year and decorative ceramic tiles.
I just brought my son to the Precious Prints studio in Franklin and they did the rest!
First Impressions
Just inside the door is the office with examples of finished stepping stones and ceramic plates.
We were greeted by Mary Loftus, the owner, who explained the process and moved us into the studio.
It was spacious with tables and chairs to work on. But what you notice first is the cartoonish nature scene painted on the wall. It looks like something out of a children’s book and gives the space a kid-friendly feel.
Choosing The Tiles For The Background
Before we arrived, she had already poured the wet cement into a plastic circular mold, so we were ready to begin.
First, she used a toothpick to hand write the year: 2009.
Next, she had us choose our ceramic tiles. These decorative tiles are placed on the wet cement to represent your child’s interests at the time. Our son loves sports, trains, and animals, so we chose the tiles that represented those things.
She placed the tiles on the wet cement and then was ready to do the hand prints and foot prints.
Making The Hand Prints & Foot Prints
She told my son what we were going to do and told him to watch carefully. So I held him up, and she took each of his hands and quickly and expertly pushed them into the cement. I think the trick was to be quick and to engage him into what we were doing!
Next, she did his feet. The whole time, she was talking to him so he was just staring at the process and not moving.
That was it. As soon as we finished the imprints, she had him wash up in the Winnie the Pooh sink that was located right in the same room. The whole thing took about 20 minutes.
The finished product looked great. We left it at the studio to dry and picked it up one week later. Now it’s in our backyard under a tree. I love it!
Now my advice to new parents is to not do it yourself when it comes to making your child’s hand prints and foot prints, and I send them to Precious Prints.
Why I Like Precious Prints Stepping Stones
They do all the work with great results.- It’s very affordable – starting at $32.
- It’s a great gift idea for grandparents.
- A Precious Prints gift certificate is a great idea for new parents.
- The staff works well with children.
- They also make stones and plates for pets.
Besides ceramic plates and garden stepping stones, Precious Prints offers stone parties, birthday parties, and art classes for children.
Precious Prints is located at 400 Sugartree Lane #310, Franklin, TN 37064 — right off of Murfreesboro Road. To make an appointment, call (615) 794-4802.
