As parents, one of the very first “projects” that we ever do with our children is having the nurse place their sweet footprints into a baby book shortly after their birth. Surely there’s reasoning behind this aside from a cute little memento but, if you think about it, the artwork aspect then continues throughout childhood. Whether you’re simply finger-painting together or coming up with a Pinterest-worthy craft project with your child’s handprints and/or footprints, there’s just something special about it. Those tiny little hands that first grasped your finger seem to double and even triple in size overnight. Those sweet little babies grow up oh so quickly and their little prints are one of the few tangible things we can capture to hold onto those moments in time.
Between the first hospital baby book prints to the photographs of my children’s tiny hands wrapped around a single one of my fingers, to the first full hand holds while taking their first steps, and then into school and coming home with handprint paint projects, it is amazing to see how much they’ve grown in such a short amount of time. As much as I may wish that I could keep them little forever, it’s nice to be able to look back to these moments and these things with them. They compare their handprints from years past to their hands now and then again to my own. Each time they remind me that, one day, their hands will be bigger than mine and “big like Daddy’s” but, each time, I remind them that no matter how big they get, theirs will always fit perfectly in my own.
As cliché as it may be, these handprint crafts have become a part of our life and will stay that way for some time. Through ink, paint, clay, you name it; we’ll dabble in it all eventually. However, despite the numerous craft ideas that I could come up with, I had always hope to have something a bit more permanent. Photographs can fade, paper can get torn, and hardened clay can crack. Recently, I had the opportunity to try out another option – ceramic. Through a wonderful company online, you can order a kit, help your child make their print impressions, and send it off to be turned into an amazing piece of artwork. You get all of the joy that goes along with having your children’s prints but this particular company goes above and beyond by truly turning it into a coveted piece of art.
Please allow me to introduce to you Made with Love Ceramic Imprints.
Made with Love truly believes that the little moments in life make the end of our lives worthwhile. Life is too short, our children grow up too quickly, and we never want to take this journey in life for granted. We understand that capturing your child’s hand and footprints is extremely special – it is a moment you can never buy back. And this is the reason why our business is Made with Love… because that is EXACTLY what we do. Each individual handprint plaque is carefully hand-crafted, and more importantly, a lot of LOVE is put into every keepsake that is created.
When the opportunity to work with Made with Love Ceramic Imprints was presented to me, I could not help but be incredibly excited. While we may have a seemingly infinite amount of little handprint crafts found throughout our house (yes, I am the mom that saves everything!), we had yet to create a true display piece for them. This, well, this is it.
Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to work with the Made with Love Ceramic Imprints team and we got right down to business.
After browsing their website and deciding on the perfect piece that would display and honor both of our children, I came across these.
The sibling plaque collection was perfect for my boys so we opted for the rectangular version but with a few tweaks to truly make it personalized. After placing our order and personalization choices (designs, ribbon, colors, etc.), we soon received the handprint kit in the mail. Also received via email was a brief instructional video that featured tips for how to get the best impression possible. We followed the step by step instructions with our own kit and helped each of our children create their one of a kind handprints.
After properly completing each impression and packaging them in the included return-addressed box, we sent the impressions off for completion. From there, it was just an anxious waiting game until the impending arrival of the finished product. And then… it arrived!
And, oh my, was it beautiful!
Just take a look!
What was initially nothing more than a simple impression within a ball of molding material became an incredibly meaningful and astonishingly beautiful display of not only a pair of handprints but of my children and a moment frozen in time. That moment, that day, this year, of course, we will never get those seconds back but thanks to Made with Love Ceramic Imprints, we can now cherish it for years to come. Not only does it symbolize the boys and the ridiculous amount that they’ve grown leading up to and now since that moment but, for us, it also symbolizes the moment that we bought our first house, the days that they spent decorating their “big boy room” as they saw fit, the time that we enjoyed as a family making these impressions by the fireplace, every moment leading up to that, and every moment that is still to come.
Having this beautiful piece of artwork now displayed within their bedroom is a constant reminder of how quickly time truly does pass us by. On the nights that I’m exhausted and tucking them into bed, the glimpse of this reminds me to cherish the incessant requests for water bottles and extra bedtime stories. During the mornings that we’re rushing them off to school, seeing this out of the corner of my eye reminds me that being on time isn’t nearly as important as enjoying our morning with one another. Even for them, on the days that they’re annoyed with one another, seeing their handprints side by side reminds them that they’ll always be brothers; they’ll always be best friends. And for all of us, it reminds us to take life day by day, to enjoy the little things, to savor in the moment. This holiday season, let Made with Love Ceramic Imprints help you cherish that.
BUY:
You can purchase your very own Made with Love Ceramic Imprints from their website at www.MadeWithLoveImprints.com. Offering a plethora of options including the sibling plaque shown here, single hand and footprint options, plaques for double prints, those for parents’ and children’s prints, options for your pets, and even holiday ornaments, there truly is something for everyone. Prices start at just $24.95! Finished keepsakes will be received within eight to ten weeks
CONNECT:
Be sure to keep up with Made with Love Ceramic Imprints via social media on their Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages to stay up to date on all of the latest news, sale pricing, fun giveaways, new product releases, and more!
In addition to helping families across the country freeze a moment in time by providing them with beautifully hand-crafted creations, Made with Love Ceramic Imprints goes above and beyond the typical day to day business by participating in their very own Love Project.
The Love Project was created to reach out to families with children who are sick, terminally ill, or who are facing life threatening conditions. We know that capturing a tangible memory of a child before they leave this world is a memory the families will deeply cherish forever. Every month, Made with Love will choose a child to be their “Child Warrior.” They will receive a handprint kit sent directly to them or their hospital at no cost. With the handprint kit, the family can take their child’s impression at the convenience of their own home, at their own time, and send it back to us. Made with Love will take care of the rest.
As life passes by so quickly and with many of us being caught up in the chaos of it all, I urge you to take some time. Take some time to look around, enjoy the view, stop for a moment, and let it all sink in. Life is too short to not take time enjoying the little things. Be it a simple smelling of the flowers or the sweet little prints of those that you hold dear, enjoy it… with love.
And with Made with Love Ceramic Imprints.
*Randi received the above product(s), free of charge, to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of the reviewer only.
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