Baby casting FAQs
How is a baby casting done?
Baby hands and feet tend to be cast in an appropriately sized container using a fast setting casting gel to create the mould. Basically I mix up the special mould and when it is ready we place the child’s hand or foot in the mould for approx. 1-2 minutes until it turns into a rubber like substance that creates the mould. Once the mould is created a high quality plaster is poured into it to create your life casting sculpture. This plaster is 100 times stronger and longer lasting than the common plaster of Paris.
Will it hurt my baby/child?
Absolutely not. All materials that come in contact with the child's skin are completely organic and non-toxic. No known allergic reactions have been reported in thousands of cases around the world. The process itself is very gentle - feeling like dipping your hand into lukewarm yoghurt. The only part of the process that can be tricky for a young child or baby is keeping still for the 1-2 minutes it takes to get a good cast. With babies I like to try casting them when they are napping or having a feed or otherwise distracted by something they enjoy. With toddlers I find a mixture of distraction, bribery and reasonable force (parent holds child firmly by the wrist or ankle to help them keep still works best. If there is a special treat etc. that you know will encourage your child to hold still please have one ready if you can. It makes the process easier. With older children an explanation of what they will achieve or a special treat is usually enough to persuade them. Remember that although your baby may cry, they are not being hurt in any way - simply annoyed with you for making them do something strange and new. For 1-2 minutes of annoyance you and they will get a lifetime of pleasure from capturing their tiny hand/feet/bottom in totally realistic sculpture. It is something you and they could never regret having done, and will provide endless fascination to them as they grow and compare the size of their hand/foot 'now' to how sweet and small it was 'then'.
I would like more than one copy made of my life cast. Is that possible?
In some types of castings, yes. In other cases, depending on the type and position of the cast I cannot always reuse the mould However in most cases I can make a duplicate mould from the original cast. But make sure you let me know at the time of booking that this is your intention, as it makes considerable difference to the price and techniques used.
Can you cast my child's hand in a certain position?
Most children do not like keeping their hands / feet still in the casting mixture so the final position will depend on the child. However, if you are hoping to achieve a certain position, please let us know and we will try our best.
What should we wear?
Both you and your baby should wear clothes that 'don't matter'. Casting can be a messy business and no matter how carefully we try to cover you up, one swift kick of a baby's foot can get you covered in 'goop'. The casting material does come out of some cloth with a process of rubbing soap once it has dried, but this is by no means guaranteed.
How long does the casting session take?
To take the cast itself can take only a few minutes. However, I like to leave an hour to an hour and half for casting sessions to enable you and your child to relax, talk through the process, check the size and shape of the area you wish to be cast, etc. For babies this can be important because they can take a while to settle and it's amazing how strong a baby can be when it wants to be squirmy!
What if my baby/child won't hold still long enough to be cast?
Well, although 1-2 minutes sounds like no time at all to an adult, it can on occasion be too much for a little one to cope with keeping still for on their own, particularly older babies or toddlers who are not old enough to understand but old enough to have an opinion about what's happening to them. For this I recommend doing a joint parent/child pose. Although these are a bit more costly, they are often far more rewarding. It's a little bit of your history with you and your baby bonded together for all time - even if they grow up to be rebellious teenagers that never speak to you. ;-)
What happens if my baby pees or poos while having its bottom cast?
We go “yuck!” and then you clean up the baby while I clean up the table/floor and then we start again. Pees don’t usually cause a problem. I'm a parent myself and can deal with this sort of thing easily. It's amazing how having your own baby can acclimatize you to all kinds of bodily functions etc.
What is the best age to do a baby cast?
There is no best age! However, if you want to capture the newborn sizing, you will want to get in before 2 weeks old as children tend to have a growth spurt around then. I've found that children between 1 and 3 start to get a little tricky as they don't like to stick their hands in the casting mixture. If you think this may be a problem, contact me and we will work something out. (Bribery sometimes works wonders! We will discuss this further as some parents do not approve of edible treats, we may be able to use something else, like a balloon, etc.)
Is there a size limit on what can be cast?
There is no size or age limit! I can cast any size from newborn up to adult. Prices do increase for larger casts, due to more materials being required. See here for pricing information
Baby hands and feet tend to be cast in an appropriately sized container using a fast setting casting gel to create the mould. Basically I mix up the special mould and when it is ready we place the child’s hand or foot in the mould for approx. 1-2 minutes until it turns into a rubber like substance that creates the mould. Once the mould is created a high quality plaster is poured into it to create your life casting sculpture. This plaster is 100 times stronger and longer lasting than the common plaster of Paris.
Will it hurt my baby/child?
Absolutely not. All materials that come in contact with the child's skin are completely organic and non-toxic. No known allergic reactions have been reported in thousands of cases around the world. The process itself is very gentle - feeling like dipping your hand into lukewarm yoghurt. The only part of the process that can be tricky for a young child or baby is keeping still for the 1-2 minutes it takes to get a good cast. With babies I like to try casting them when they are napping or having a feed or otherwise distracted by something they enjoy. With toddlers I find a mixture of distraction, bribery and reasonable force (parent holds child firmly by the wrist or ankle to help them keep still works best. If there is a special treat etc. that you know will encourage your child to hold still please have one ready if you can. It makes the process easier. With older children an explanation of what they will achieve or a special treat is usually enough to persuade them. Remember that although your baby may cry, they are not being hurt in any way - simply annoyed with you for making them do something strange and new. For 1-2 minutes of annoyance you and they will get a lifetime of pleasure from capturing their tiny hand/feet/bottom in totally realistic sculpture. It is something you and they could never regret having done, and will provide endless fascination to them as they grow and compare the size of their hand/foot 'now' to how sweet and small it was 'then'.
I would like more than one copy made of my life cast. Is that possible?
In some types of castings, yes. In other cases, depending on the type and position of the cast I cannot always reuse the mould However in most cases I can make a duplicate mould from the original cast. But make sure you let me know at the time of booking that this is your intention, as it makes considerable difference to the price and techniques used.
Can you cast my child's hand in a certain position?
Most children do not like keeping their hands / feet still in the casting mixture so the final position will depend on the child. However, if you are hoping to achieve a certain position, please let us know and we will try our best.
What should we wear?
Both you and your baby should wear clothes that 'don't matter'. Casting can be a messy business and no matter how carefully we try to cover you up, one swift kick of a baby's foot can get you covered in 'goop'. The casting material does come out of some cloth with a process of rubbing soap once it has dried, but this is by no means guaranteed.
How long does the casting session take?
To take the cast itself can take only a few minutes. However, I like to leave an hour to an hour and half for casting sessions to enable you and your child to relax, talk through the process, check the size and shape of the area you wish to be cast, etc. For babies this can be important because they can take a while to settle and it's amazing how strong a baby can be when it wants to be squirmy!
What if my baby/child won't hold still long enough to be cast?
Well, although 1-2 minutes sounds like no time at all to an adult, it can on occasion be too much for a little one to cope with keeping still for on their own, particularly older babies or toddlers who are not old enough to understand but old enough to have an opinion about what's happening to them. For this I recommend doing a joint parent/child pose. Although these are a bit more costly, they are often far more rewarding. It's a little bit of your history with you and your baby bonded together for all time - even if they grow up to be rebellious teenagers that never speak to you. ;-)
What happens if my baby pees or poos while having its bottom cast?
We go “yuck!” and then you clean up the baby while I clean up the table/floor and then we start again. Pees don’t usually cause a problem. I'm a parent myself and can deal with this sort of thing easily. It's amazing how having your own baby can acclimatize you to all kinds of bodily functions etc.
What is the best age to do a baby cast?
There is no best age! However, if you want to capture the newborn sizing, you will want to get in before 2 weeks old as children tend to have a growth spurt around then. I've found that children between 1 and 3 start to get a little tricky as they don't like to stick their hands in the casting mixture. If you think this may be a problem, contact me and we will work something out. (Bribery sometimes works wonders! We will discuss this further as some parents do not approve of edible treats, we may be able to use something else, like a balloon, etc.)
Is there a size limit on what can be cast?
There is no size or age limit! I can cast any size from newborn up to adult. Prices do increase for larger casts, due to more materials being required. See here for pricing information