How to Make a Pregnancy Belly Cast

A protruding pregnant belly can represent nostalgic memories for many. If you're currently expecting and would like a way to preserve the shape of your belly with an infant growing inside, then consider creating your own pregnancy belly cast. It's really quite easy to make and affordable too. With a stretch of the imagination, you can use the cast to create something fun out of it.

Length: About 1 hr.

Materials Needed:

Plaster of Paris (If you can't find this in craft stores, look in pharmacies)

Bowl of Water

Vaseline (or the more environmentally friendly version of petroleum jelly)

Blow dryer

Scissors

Towels (optional)

For decoration:

Paints and Brushes

Glitter (optional)

Any other decoration items

Begin by exposing the belly (by lifting the shirt and lowering the pants). You may tuck a towel in the waist of your pants or wear an old shirt on top. Rub Vaseline all around the belly in a thin layer. The next piece you might want to lay down for and another person help out.

Cut strips of the plaster of Paris about a foot long each. Fill a bowl with water. Take a strip of the plaster and dip into the water for about 10 seconds. Apply smoothly along the belly. Proceed to take wet strips and place around the belly until a thick enough layer is placed. Smooth the strips with wet hands. Be sure to make thicker layers around the outside of the dome so that it can remain sturdy.

Next you'll want to dry the cast by using a blow dryer until the cast is completely dry. Test by knocking on the cast to see if it's hard. When you're sure it's ready, peel off the skin carefully. You might want to wait a few hours until decorating to be sure its really set. Trim around the circle of the belly so the edges are smooth. Wipe off any excess Vaseline.

You can now decorate your baby belly cast any way you'd like, with paint, glitter, glue, tissue paper, or whatever. Some ideas are: A globe, a baby theme, a letter to your child, or even a mantra. You can get even more creative and find a way to incorporate this dome-shaped cast into your baby's nursery, fitting with your nursery's theme. Hope you enjoy preserving those pregnancy memories.

Tip:

Keep a camera handy! Have someone take pictures of you for memories of the belly cast making process. You can scrapbook these or share online to share with friends. A good photo hosting website that allows you to easily share photos is photobucket.com. You can also use Snapfish if you want to print your photos or put the photos on items such as mugs, t-shirts or mouse pads!