Rather than simply pressing your baby's foot into an ink blotter then onto the page of the baby book, create simple crafts using your infant's footprint. With non-toxic acrylic paint in your color choice, gently dip your infant's foot into the paint, allow excess to drip away, and press heavyweight art paper to each foot in turn. Matte and frame the footprints for keepsake gifts to grandparents and others in the family. Alternatively, go to a local ceramic shop and have your baby's footprint permanently baked onto ceramic items such as coffee mugs or clay frames.
Using black and white paint, along with black and white sheets of paper, create ghosts and witches from your child's footprint. Have him create a ghost by painting the bottom of his foot white and pressing it to a black sheet of construction paper. Use other colors of paint to make a spooky face on the heel of the footprint for a ghostly craft. Paint his foot black and have him press it to a white or light colored sheet of paper for a witch image. Use a triangular piece of construction paper to create the witches hat over the heel and colored paint for her face. Turn the toes into the bottom of the witch's skirt.
By helping your child trace her shoe footprint, she can form the bodies of bumblebees, crows, or the heads of deer and horses. Trace her shoe onto a piece of construction paper in the color and pattern of the animal, and cut it out. Have your child glue the paper onto another sheet of paper, and draw eyes and facial features. In case of a crow, for example, cut the footprint from black construction paper and glue an orange triangle to the heel for a beak, as well as ovals for eyes. Have your child trace her hands, too, and add them to make the crow's wings.
Rather than the usual plaster of Paris mold in a picnic bowl, create a memento of your next beach trip using your child's footprint, plaster of Paris and beach sand. Mix up the plaster according to package directions, and have your child make clear footprints in the wet sand near the water. Pour the plaster into the footprint impressions. After 20 to 25 minutes, gently pull the hardened plaster out of the footprint and brush off the excess sand for a meaningful plaster keepsake.