Fostering Tree

I came across this idea from a wedding and thought how perfect it would be to use for us as we foster!  It is a guestbook of fingerprints and is simple to make and beautiful to view.  As we begin our journey into the foster care world we know most of the children that come through our doors will only be here temporary.  I wanted something that could capture each child as a keepsake but didn't want something overboard or that would take up a lot of space.  Who knows for how long and how many children will pass through our front door, however when I remembered this idea from a wedding guestbook it occurred to me this is exactly what I wanted to do, a fingerprint memory tree!


I started by making this above using photoshop.  I was able to pick out the fonts and such and inside the heart on the tree trunk is actually our last name.  It is blurred out here because on this blog I don't throw my last name out there, we have enough creepers in the real world :)


I printed it on fiber card stock so that it's a thicker/nicer paper and will pick up fingerprints easily.  As each new child comes into our home we have a green ink pad and will take their thumb and place it on one of the branches of the tree and it will become a "leaf".  Planning to put their name and toying with the idea of possibly the year they came here under it but we shall see how it goes.  I matted it and put it in the frame, pretty simple.


Here it is on top of our thermostat where it is going to permanently hang!  Waiting for my husband to get home to hang it.


Funky Iphone picture because of our ceiling light, however you can see how it is close by to our family tree in the hallway.  It will hang a bit above the thermostat and as each child is welcomed into our home we will have their fingerprint added and soon this tree will fill up with tiny little leaves!


I played with the green ink pad a few times and found the second print is better than the first.  The one to the left is the first, the second is to the right and more of the look I'm going for!  We will do the first on a piece of paper then the second print will be the official leaf on the tree.

We go tomorrow for our final training before we can officially open our home and take placements.  Who knows when our first leaf will arrive :)