Having children is often considered to be one of the greatest achievements a person can achieve in their lifetime. However babies don’t stay babies for long, these children grow up and start to lead their own lives, and leaving you feeling a little lost after all that time. It can be a sad process; seeing that tiny child who once needed you so desperately make their own steps in life, but it is not something to mourn. It is something to celebrate.
Still it is understandable that parents feel a small sense of loss when finally saying goodbye to the children they spend years raising. But there are ways you can immortalise our child’s first steps, or their early memories, using jewellery and other craft arts. By using these hints and tips you can carry a piece of your child around with you at all times and it also makes a great memento for the child themselves, as they see how small and fragile they used to be.
Fine china and ornament specialist The Chinaman state ‘these mementos can also be used to honour a lost loved little one, or to represent children we have loved and lost that have not made it far. Art comes in a variety of forms and can be used to express a wide range of emotions, so whether you want to remember a lost loved one or you want to immortalise your son or daughter when they were very young, take a look at these fantastic gift ideas.‘
1. Handprint/Footprint Art
Many children will do this activity in play school by dipping their hands and feet into coloured paint and then stepping onto a blank piece of paper. The prints are then ‘signed’ by the children and taken home in a special bag for mum or dad. These prints can be framed and kept, but what might be even better is a clay model of your child’s foot or handprint.
It is incredibly simple and can even be done at home if you have the right ingredients. Use modelling clay or fimo clay and help your child make a print of their hand or foot, then simply bake the clay in your own oven to set it. You could even make a hollow in the tip of the model so that you can make it into a keychain, otherwise it makes a great window ornament just on its own.
2. Baby Scans into Jewellery
When you first see that tiny kidney bean shaped baby growing on the monitor, it is a magical moment. Why not keep this moment forever by incorporating the scan of your child into a crystal block, or get it engraved onto silver? If crystal and silver are not for you, perhaps a glass etching onto a wine glass? It makes a beautiful, timeless ornament that you can even share with your children when they get older.
3. 3D Models
The world of 3D printing is getting more and more complex every day. Nowadays there is technology available that allows 3D prints of a baby’s face for blind mothers to feel them growing in the womb. To be able to use that technology and transfer it into something that represents a memory, a young child, is absolutely astounding and will stay with you for years to come.
You can also get a 3D model made with casting frames. With the help of materials like cold casts, foundry bronze, glass, and sterling silver, you can make a cast of baby hands or feet and get it framed in a glass box to be cherished forever. If interested, you could look for framed baby feet services with a home casting facility where a professional can visit your home to collect the imprints. You can capture cute little details of your baby’s hands and feet and make them into a keepsake.
The best part about these gifts is that they are completely personal to your situation, nobody else in the world has the same gift. That makes them completely unique. Plus if you decide to set them into longer lasting jewellery, such as crystal for example, you can even pass these gifts down to your children and your grandchildren as a memento. It is an ageless gift that keeps on giving. So what are you waiting for? Immortalise your child, or at least a small part of them, before it is too late!