I defy any new parent to look at their newborns’ tiny hands and feet and not want to capture the image forever. I distinctly recall marvelling at my son’s tiny little fingernails and soft, chubby hands and feeling quietly chuffed at the perfection I had created.

Shortly after having these thoughts, it crossed my mind that I should ‘capture the moment’. What followed was a mess of paints, inks and plaster, none of which achieved my goal in the way I had envisaged.

You can call in the professionals for proper casts of little fists and feet, which is also quite a production, or you can check out the Baby Footprint by German designer Marlies Von Soden. The Baby Footprint is by far the simplest and least messy way to capture those tiny prints that I have seen. The footprints are made in impression foam –  just press baby’s foot onto the foam and you’re done!

The presentation of the footprint is also neat, simple and understated. The hinged white box with wrap-around lettering in gold or silver can easily be put on display or stored and preserved. I think these are a fantastic gift for new parents, if only to spare them a paint, ink or plaster fiasco! I eventually did get that impression of my son’s foot (in the end it was a two-person job that used a tonne of plaster) and I’m glad – it seems so far off his big size 13s now!

The Baby Footprint retails for US$29.95 and is available from the MoMA Store. However, RG Madden Design Stores (located in Melbourne and Sydney) stock many items from the MoMA line – if they don’t have the Baby Footprint in store, they are happy to make special orders.