Baby Hand and Foot 3D Casting Instructions

Thank you for selecting The Keepsake Co Baby Hand and Foot Casting Kit. These instructions have been prepared with you
and your baby in mind. Please Read them TWICE carefully before beginning! If the instructions are followed carefully,
you will create a keepsake you will cherish forever. These instructions are designed for ages up to 6 months old although it is
perfectly okay to cast older children too. For children over 18 months you may wish to try an alternative method (using the
materials in this kit) so please contact us for different instructions.
Choose a time when your baby is calm and relaxed. We recommend 2 adults work together to complete this project. One adult
can focus on mixing the gel and taking the mould and the other can focus on keeping the baby happy. Our moulding gel is
completely safe and non-toxic to your baby. You can do this when your baby is asleep which may make it a little easier but it is
not essential when using our kit. If this is your first attempt then we recommend starting with a foot as they are a lot easier!
For these instructions we will refer to casting a foot but if you wish to cast the babies hand then please just substitute the word
foot with hand and ankle with wrist!

CAUTION: Moulding gel can be difficult to remove from clothing. To ensure that it does not ruin clothing, remove babys
shirt, blankets etc. before beginning. If gel contacts clothing, allow gel to dry completely, rub out with fingers until only a
slight powder remains. Wash in warm water. Also ensure any carpet or furniture is fully protected by a towel or sheet.
You will also need:
Please collect these household items together before beginning: large mixing bowl, tall drinking glass (pint glass), plastic mixing
spatula/spoon, household tweezers, scissors, and cold tap water.
Our Guarantee
If you find you make a mistake or the mould does not turn out as well as you had hoped then we are here to help and can send
you one set of replacement moulding materials free of charge (you only pay the delivery charge!) under our guarantee. You can
also purchase extra materials if you would like to make more casts at www.TheKeepsakeCo.co.uk
Please do call us for any tips and advice on 0845 2573081.
If you get stuck, need advice or just want to chat about the process then please do contact us in any of the following ways:
Call us on 0845 257 3081 (this is a local rate number) | Email us on help@thekeepsakeco.co.uk
Visit us online at www.TheKeepsakeCo.co.uk
WARNING DO NOT INGEST THE GEL OR STONE. IF SKIN OR EYE IRRITATION OCCURS, FLUSH WITH WATER 15 MINUTES
AND CONTACT A PHYSICIAN. STORE IN AREAS IN-ACCESSIBLE TO SMALL CHILDREN. USE KIT MATERIALS ONLY AS
DIRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MISUSE OF PRODUCT.

2006 The Baby Keepsake Company Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Step 1: MAKING THE MOULD

A. Prepare a moulding bag by placing it inside of a large drinking glass with the sides of the bag folded over the sides of the
glass. The bag will act as a liner for the glass.
B. Moisten babys foot with water by using a damp cloth or by using a wet wipe.
C. Add 100g (300mls) of the moulding gel powder to 300mls of COLD tap water in a large mixing bowl and proceed
immediately.

N.B. Although the moulding gel has to be cold please ensure the temperature does not
make your baby uncomfortable. The colder the water the more working time you have and
if you use warm water it could set before you even get the gel into the moulding bag!
D. Stir the moulding powder and water vigorously with a rubber spatula/spoon until the gel begins
to turn to a pink/ purple colour (Figure 1) Do not worry about getting rid of lumps it is
much more important to move to the next stage as it sets very quickly!
E. When the gel is pink scoop the Moulding Gel directly into the pre-prepared moulding bag.
(Figure 2) DO NOT DELAY: Gel will set completely within one to two minutes.
F.

Immediately remove moulding bag from drinking glass by holding the tops of the bag so the
moulding gel is fully contained. Ease babys foot into the moulding gel until the moulding gel
completely covers the foot and reaches the babys ankle. With your left hand, secure the
moulding bag around the babys ankle and with the right hand gently compress the precious gel
around the babys foot. Babys may wiggle their feet - this is not a problem; simply ensure the
entire foot remains covered by moulding gel at all times so that you can not see any skin through
the bag. (Figure 3)

TIP: It may be easier if the person holding the baby keeps the bag secure around the
ankle which will allow the moulding person to use both hands to ensure the gel keeps the
foot covered at all times.
G. The Moulding gel will begin to turn white. When the gel is white you will notice it has become
firm and non-sticky. It is now ready to remove the babys foot from the mould gently. The mould
should simply slip off like a rubber slipper.
H. You can now wipe the baby's foot with a wet wipe to remove all traces of the gel from the skin.
Remember that the material is non-toxic and is used by dentists to take impressions of your teeth so is very safe!
I.

Look inside mould. Use household tweezers to remove loose particles or excess flakes of the moulding gel from the interior of
mould. Failure to remove excess flakes may result in a flawed product. You could also blow in the mould or gently swill it with
tap water. Keep the mould in the moulding bag as this helps keep the water retained and helps if there are any holes in the
mould when doing the casting. Simply fold/roll down the edges of the bag to the top of the mould.

J.

If left in the open air, the mould will dry out. If you cannot continue to Step 2 immediately, wrap your new mould in wet
paper towel and place in refrigerator. Continue to step two as soon as possible. (Do not delay more than 24 hours). Please
note that overnight the cast will loose water as it starts to dry out. This just means the bag will start to fill up with water
this is not a problem and all you need to do is empty out the water when you come to do the cast.

NOTE: If you find that you did not have enough moulding material to comfortably cover the foot then please use
150grms of moulding gel with 400mls of cold water for the next cast. We can always send you more material for
free under our guarantee (you just pay for postage)

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Step 2: CASTING YOUR STATUETTE

A. Prepare a space to work by covering surfaces with newspaper, a bin liner or any other covering you have to hand.
B. Set aside 1 or 2 tablespoons of the premium casting powder to fill any air bubbles and to smooth out any imperfections in
the finished statuette.
C. Fill the mould with cold tap water. By doing this you know that there are no holes in the cast and you measure out the
exact amount of stone you will need. Pour the water from the mould into an old mixing bowl/container.
D. Slowly sprinkle the casting stone powder over the water until small peaks start to appear above the water. Leave the
plaster to soak for no more than 1 minute and then use a rubber spatula to slowly mix the material together until it is a nice
smooth consistency. The consistency should be like smooth paint or double cream. The premium casting stone will begin to
harden quickly so again you need to work fast.
E. If you prefer to mix the casting stone by measurements then we recommend a mix of 100mls of water and 150grms of
powder. Pour in the water first and then slowly sprinkle in the powder. Mix slowly to prevent introducing air bubbles.
F. Pour a small amount of the stone into the mould and roll it slowly around the mould as much as possible. Pour the stone
out of the mould and back into the container with the rest of the stone mixture.
G. Now pour the whole amount of stone mixture into the mould slowly. If possible pour it in against the side (like pouring a
beer!) so that there is less chance for air bubbles to introduce themselves.
H. Periodically tap the mould gently on the table as the premium casting stone is poured into the mould. This vibration allows
the stone mixture to run into all crevices bringing air bubbles to the top. When finished pouring tap and gently shake the
mould against a firm surface to dislodge any air bubbles (be careful not to spill any though!).
I.

Wash the paint brush thoroughly when finished as you will need it to paint your finished statuette with the bronze paint. Be
sure to wash the bowl and surrounding areas thoroughly as soon as possible as the stone is impossible to remove when
it is set. Please ensure you do not put plaster down the sink as it may set and block your drains. Either wash the bowl
outside or wash the bowl within another bowl and then when the plaster has set and sunk to the bottom of the washbowl
you can scoop the plaster into a bin.

Tips to avoid air bubbles:

Repeat step F 3-4 times before starting.

Very slowly trickle in the casting stone instead of pouring it quickly.
Use a thin piece of wire to gently poke down the fingers and toes when you have filled the mould. This is where it is
useful to remember the orientation of the fingers and toes.
Prick small holes with a pin in the bottom of the mould at the location of the toes or fingers to help air to escape. Small
amounts of the stone mixture may escape at this point so please ensure you have newspaper down to protect the
surface.
Gently tap the filled mould on the table for a while after finishing to try and move any remaining trapped pockets of air.

If you do have any air bubbles in the mould then it may result in a damaged finger or toe in the finished statuette. This is why
we recommend spending time over this part of the process. If you find there was an air bubble and a finger or toe was part
missing as a result then you can order more sachets of gel from our website to re-try the casting, or you can try and fill the
hole with the left over stone or any air-dry clay.

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Step 3: FINISHING YOUR STATUETTE

A. Let the stone set for at least 24 hours.
B. Gently tear the mould away from the surface of the completed statuette. Be careful not to break delicate toes or
fingers. If worried then you can try carving the gel away bit by bit with a sharp knife as it can be very easy to break
toes and fingers if they were cast in an awkward position.

N.B. If toes or fingers break while unpeeling, use super glue or crazy glue to reattach them to the statuette
when dry.
C. The statuette will come out PINK this is normal. Please allow to dry for 24 hours and the statuette will turn white.
D. If small holes appear on the surface of the impression, fill these areas by mixing the remaining casting stone and
applying it carefully to the mould with the paintbrush or wet fingers. You can also use air dry clay to fill in small and
larger holes. Any make of clay will do and all you need to do is wet a bit of the clay and smooth into any holes. You can
also try and build up any missing fingers or toes if you wish.
E. Use a fine grade sandpaper to sand down any bumps and imperfections. But be careful not to loose any of the detail by
sanding the whole statuette! You can use the paper to flatten the base of the statuette or you can use coarser
sandpaper if there is a lot of plaster to remove in-order to make it flat.
F. Allow the statuette to air dry in a bright sunny place for at least one week. Do not place in dark moist area or mould
will grow on surface of statuette.
G. You statuette is now ready to paint or varnish. You can use any paint from a craft store suitable for use on plaster, for
example acrylic paint. When the paint is dry you can then attach your finished statuettes to a frame or mount with
strong PVA glue or super glue.

MOUNTING EXAMPLES

On a wooden base
(Available separately in
our shop)

In a box frame with a photo

(Available separately in our
shop)

In a box frame with name insert

(Available separately in our shop)

OR simply cherish safely in a keepsake box (Available separately in our shop)

OR better still upgrade your cast material to metal to ensure it lasts for ever and ever! See separate flyer or website for
details.

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