Yip i understand, getting the perfect handprint from small babies can be hard!!
I get messages all the time, telling me that it’s impossible to get their baby’s tight little fist flat enough to do a print. Newborn baby’s actually have a natural grasp reflex which originates from our Ape ancestors so that they automatically hold on tight to Mum’s furry back. A really useful fail safe back then but now it just makes doing hand prints really tricky!
Here are my top tips for getting a great baby handprint with paint or ink:
HAVE A HELPER - Great idea to have someone there to help. To either hold baby or to pass the wet wipes when needed. Team work makes the dream work.
WAIT TIL BABY IS ASLEEP - This is my top tip and this was literally the only way i could get a great print from my kids. Wait until they are in a nice deep sleep ... or you can also try just after they have had a big feed and are super relaxed.
HAVE PRINT ON A CLIPBOARD - Having the print on a clipboard is great especially if baby is asleep in their cot. Keeps the print flat and it's a nice flat hard surface.
MAKE A FEW COPIES - Print out a few copies. We all get better with practice so try a few times. Then once dry you can pick the best one.
HAVE WET WIPES READY - Be organised. Have a old towel, water and wet wipes nearby. Or complete prints just before baby's bath.
APPLY A NICE EVEN COAT - Make sure you apply a nice thick wet even coat of paint. I've found the best way is to brush paint directly onto the hand with a paint brush.
Remember it's darn hard to get the "perfect" print from small baby's!! So just try your best... you'll be thankful in future for those precious memories.
