How To: Make Hand Molds

Hand and feet keepsakes tend to be aimed at babies, but as hands grow and become more defined, making plaster molds with the older kids is a great science project with an artful outcome. Since plaster requires a bit of patience and staying still, it works best with older kids (although there are "wiggle friendly" kits and instructions out there). Click below for a simple how-to and a few ideas of how to put it to use after it's dry:

You can find various instructions all over the web or buy a simple kit, but we found this step-by-step over at eHow. Here are the things you'll need:

1 to 2 cups of lifecasting alginate.
Slightly warm water in a clean bowl.
a paper container tall enough to surround the hand up to the wrist without touching the sidewalls.
a kitchen whisk or mixer.
two to three pounds of plaster of paris.
a utility mixing container for the plaster
Old clothes, Extra water & paper towels
Graduated Measuring container(s)

The hand can then be painted or left white, and used for decoration or put to good use. I use my stepson's plaster hand in the bathroom (pictured above) for rings. The palm sometimes operates as a catch-all for lip gloss, bobby pins, other jewelry, etc.

Any other ideas?