Sand Footprints from my Dreaming of Summer Display

So far this month Dreaming of Summer has been my most popular post! This little display is still making me smile every time I see it, and that's a lot! The last post only showed the end results so this time around I thought I would show you some of the behind~the~scenes action that took place to make my pretty little space!

First of all lets talk about those footprints in the sand. I was laying in the sun on a blanket watching Mike play in the sandbox. A warm wind was blowing and it was just warm enough for me to start dreaming about summer. At first I wanted to make a set of each boys footprints...well the younger two anyways....I don't think man size footprints from Stefan would have been so cute....anyways......after the hassle that was this project I ended up with one footprint from each boy that was in the same frame! And I admit....I really love it that way.

 First things first. To make your frame I glued 3 dollar store picture frames together. Remove the glass and the cardboard. I used my gluegun to glue the 3 frames together. However I think a glue like Gorilla glue would have worked better. I put the cardboard in the back frame which was my first mistake. If you are doing this project I would use something like a piece of lightweight plywood or foamboard would probably work to.

If you buy your frames at the dollar store, make sure your frames lay flat before you buy them, some of them are twisted and will not lay together nicely. After you glue the outsides together, using your hot glue gun use the glue to caulk any spots that aren't a tight fit. Do this on the inside of your frame.

Then I spraypainted my frames wit h a couple light coats of white paint. I want that beachy look so I did not try for full coverage.

My first idea was to use plaster of paris mixed with sand! NO NO NO! Don't do it! I tried this twice and both times I missed the small opportunity to get the footprints when the stuff was the right consistency! I was frustrated covered in plaster and Michael was having a meltdown. The floor, the porch, the kitchen counters all covered in plaster. Ugh!

So I did the only sensible thing. I changed our clothes, got lunch to go, and went to the park, where he played, and ran and then we went and through rocks in the river. It was a nice afternoon!

Unfortunately, the mess was waiting for me when I got back. This time I used Tile Grout with no sand mixed in. It took a lot of stirring but we had ample time to get the footprints, even smooth out and try again if needed. I did Brandon's footprint first since it was the largest and then Michaels. So here is my recommendations. Put your phone on silent, have a helper, lay the frame on something plastic or a drop cloth for easy clean up, have lots of clean rags ready to go, dry and wet, use tile grout, and have lots of patience! 

After the footprints were dry, and that took a while, since there were 3 layers of stuff in there, I used furniture polish to add accents to the footprints. I still need to find a way to add the date on there but overall I am pleased as punch with my footprints.