About 3D Casting
Creating 3D casts of your baby’s hands and feet is a heartfelt way to honour the memories of early childhood, especially in the context of baby loss or stillbirth.
These delicate replicas serve a tangible connection to your little one, capturing the intricate details of their tiny fingers and toes. Each cast becomes a treasured keepsake, a symbol of love, and a reminder of the brief time you shared together.
Displaying these casts in your home can be a beautiful tribute, allowing you to honour your baby’s memory and the joy they brought, even in their short time with you. It’s a way to acknowledge the journey of grief while celebrating the love that will always remain in your heart.
How does it work?
Step 1
A mixture of water and alginate is mixed together to make a thick, custard-like consistency.
Step 4
The mould can then be filled with a stone plaster mixture which will set to form the replica of your babies hand or foot.
Our process prioritises safety and comfort, ensuring a gentle experience that results in high-quality, lifelike mementos.
Step 2
Your baby’s hand or foot will be placed into the mixture. They may be dipped in and out a few times to make sure all of the hand or foot is completely covered.
Step 5
When the plaster has set, the alginate mixture will be carefully peeled away to reveal the beautiful replicas.
Step 3
Once the mixture has changed colour and is firm to the touch, your baby’s hand or foot will be gently removed from the mixture. Sometimes your baby’s hand or foot will need to be wiggled a little to release from the mould.
Step 6
We will carefully make any refinements such as filling any tiny air pockets and removing any plaster bubbles that have formed. This will improve the overall look and feel of the casts before we finish them in your chosen colour.
Casts can take a few weeks to fully set, dry, be properly sealed and decorated.
We can complete additional casts or family casts for a small donation fee to our charity for the additional cost of materials.
Supporting You
We know first hand how difficult this time can be for you and your family, so we want to do whatever we can to support you during this time.
If you are undecided on whether or not you would like casts to be created, we are happy to complete the casts and then keep a hold of them until you are ready to receive them. We will do this for as long as you need.
You can decide what colour you would like your casts to be finished in at a later date, as they will not be ready for painting until they are fully dried, which can take a few weeks, depending on the weather.
Your casts will come in a presentation box as standard. However, if you would like your casts to be mounted on a plinth or in a mountable display, this can be done at cost from our discounted supplier.
A Note: Potential Difficulties
Creating hand casts will depend on a number of different variables, such as the gestation of the baby, and the condition of the baby’s skin.
Depending on the size of the baby, a typical full 3D cast may not be appropriate. If this is the case, a relief casting can be made instead. This type of casting looks more like a hand and/or footprint, but it is still raised and captures the little details of your baby’s hand and/or foot.
Relief casting may be the only option available for babies whose skin is too delicate for a full 3D cast for a number of factors. We will assess this with sensitivity at the time of the casting.
William’s Embrace promises to take all measures to protect your baby’s skin during the casting process. However, we must note that there is always a risk of some bruising appearing on the hand or the foot due to the suction that is formed during the casting process.