FAMILY FUN
By Lindsay Ponta
DIY Clay Handprint
in a Frame
Mark This Moment in Time With a
Homemade Mother’s Day Gift
E verything may feel different and uncertain
right now, but one thing hasn’t changed:
Parents still want to preserve memories
of their little ones. A clay handprint in a
frame is an easy keepsake to make for Mother’s Day or
to mark any milestone moment in your child’s life.

Best of all, you don’t even need a special handprint
kit. It might be hard to track down certain supplies like
toilet paper and Clorox wipes right now, but as long as
you can get your hands on (pun intended!) a package
of air-dry clay, you’re pretty much set.

You can even wait to shop for the perfect shadow
box until things settle back down. Your child’s clay
handprint will look adorable propped on a shelf in the
meantime. n
BONUS: Make a Clay Handprint Bowl
Follow Steps 1 and 2 on the right. Then, instead of
cutting a square or rectangle panel, place a bowl over
the center of the handprint, and use it as a guide to cut
out a circle. Place the slab of clay inside a larger bowl
with the handprint facing up, and gently press it into
the curves. Leave the clay in the bowl to dry for a day
or two. To remove the clay from the bowl, tap around
the outside of the bowl and turn it upside down to
shake out the clay. You can use a fine-grit sandpaper
to smooth the edges, if needed. Finish by following
Step 10 to paint the handprint. If you’d like to make
and paint a little keepsake banner, you can glue it to an
upper inside edge of the bowl.

Lindsay Ponta created the DIY and lifestyle website Shrimp
Salad Circus in 2009 to inspire busy women to live perfectly-
imperfect creative lives. She lives in Silver Spring, MD. Find
easy DIYs and recipes at shrimpsaladcircus.com.

8 Washington FAMILY MAY 2020
SUPPLIES: Air-dry clay
Clay roller or rolling pin
Parchment paper or silicone mat
Bench scraper or kitchen knife
and ruler
Alphabet stamps
2 thin paintbrushes
Dark acrylic paint
Metallic wax paste
Lint-free cloth or paper towel
Strong glue, such as E6000 or
Power-Tac Shadow box
1 Using a clay roller or rolling pin, roll
out your air-dry clay to a uniform 1/4-
inch thickness. Use parchment paper or a
silicone mat underneath to prevent the clay
from sticking when you eventually peel it off.

2 Help your child press their hand into
the clay using gentle and even pressure,
being careful not to press their hand all the
way through the clay. Lift slowly to remove.

6 Slowly bend the rectangle into a
banner shape like you see in the
picture, cutting a triangle out of each end.

7 8
Set aside the handprint panel and the
banner to dry completely overnight.

In the morning, check that the clay is
hard and dry all the way through to the
back. If not, leave it out for another 12 hours
before checking again. You shouldn’t see any
moisture underneath.

9 Use a thin paintbrush to fill in the
letters of the banner with dark acrylic
paint. For a watercolor effect, you can dilute
the paint. Wipe away mistakes with a damp
paper towel or lint-free cloth.

3 Cut a square or rectangle around the
handprint using a bench scraper or
kitchen knife and ruler to create a panel.

10 4
Roll out a small piece of air-dry clay to
1/8-inch thickness and cut out a long
rectangle using your bench scraper or knife
and ruler. Set aside clay scraps.

5 Gently press alphabet stamps into the
rectangle to spell out a name, date or
a cute memory. If you don’t have alphabet
stamps, use something with a fine tip, such
as a mechanical pencil without the lead, to
carefully write the letters by hand.

With a dry paintbrush, apply
metallic wax paste or metallic
acrylic paint inside the hand print so that
it stands out. Buff away any excess wax or
paint with a clean, lint-free cloth.

11 Glue the banner to the handprint
panel and the handprint panel to the
back of the shadow box. I recommend a
strong industrial-strength glue for long-term
durability. Let the glue dry overnight before
assembling the shadow box frame.




A DV ER TO R I A L
Adjusting to a
NEW REALITY:
How Coronavirus is
Affecting Local
Businesses Photos courtesy of Westminister S
chool Just as families have had to make major changes
to their daily lives during the COVID-19 crisis, so have our
favorite local businesses. Here, we talk to two of them—Encore Stage & Studio and
Westminster School, both in Virginia—about the ways they are adjusting to our new reality.

HOW HAS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
AFFECTED YOUR BUSINESS?
WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED SO
FAR DURING THIS CRISIS?
Encore Stage & Studio: We canceled our spring production, which
typically casts 30-40 children and 15-25 students on crew and enriches
the lives of 2,000 audience members. Our annual Benefit Breakfast, our
largest in-person event for individual fundraising, was held virtually on
April 29. Also, not being able to offer programs and classes in person has
heavily impacted our outreach work in the community with low-income
children. Westminster School: In short order, we had to re-invent school,
arranging for online delivery of core academics and enrichment classes,
with measures in place to maintain high expectations and integrity for
students and staff. Social distancing rendered significant portions of our
program undeliverable, such as bus service, extended-day care and some
after-school enrichment classes, as well as eliminating the need for daily
janitorial work. Rather than abandon the hourly wage earners who deliver
those programs, Westminster has elected to continue paying them.

Encore: One of the greatest lessons that we have learned is the
power of teamwork. Our staff has been teleworking diligently to create
a welcoming and nurturing virtual space for our students and families.

We are all in this together to make sure we provide the same quality in a
virtual experience to allow every child to experience the joy of theater.

Westminster: Although we were proud of them before, we have been
amazed by the optimism, flexibility and creativity of our staff and faculty.

We have been touched by the eagerness of our students to adjust to the
new format of distance learning and grateful to their parents for their
support and their positive feedback. These responses have shown us the
strength and cohesion of our community, proving its resilience in the
face of hardship.

WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE TO YOUR
BUSINESS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE SERVING
CUSTOMERS? Encore: Through the Zoom platform and prerecorded instructional
videos, our staff has designed our spring break camps and classes to be
virtually accessible. We also premiered a “Live with Encore” series on
social media to offer a weekly free Parent & Me virtual class and connect
families with our teaching artists.

Westminster: We implemented an education-friendly online
platform for exchanging information, assignments and assessments. This
included extraordinary creativity by our pre-school and primary grade
teachers, who have successfully engaged the attention and cooperation of
our youngest students. We are also finding ways to continue celebrating
our community through online events, such as a bedtime story for K-2
students, a staff talent show, Shakespeare’s birthday celebration,
Earth Day activities, bingo games and more.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO
PARENTS RIGHT NOW?
Encore: Our advice is more of an assurance to parents that they’re
not alone! We’re here to help provide the best way for their child to stay
connected, creative and growing through the arts.

Westminster: As challenging as it may be to blend work, home and
school together, look at this as an opportunity for bonding as never
before. As a chance to cook, read, share family stories, play and create
together. A time for children to appreciate the work parents do and the
charity they show to others, and for parents to recognize how hard their
children work at learning. A time to rise above small hardships. A time
that your family will always remember. As difficult as it may be,
see it for what it truly is—an opportunity for love.

Ph s
oto by
dy Cin
oto Ph
ne a
K y a
ph gra
nd c
En e &
ag St
r o e
io ud
St WashingtonFAMILY.com 9