preserving baby curls

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
preserving baby curls
3
Tue, 04-19-2005 - 9:04pm
DD (4) is getting her long hair trimmed tomorrow-it has never been cut in the back and still has some of her baby curls. I don't want to do it, but it takes too much time to comb out in the morning. Any ideas on how to make a keepsake? TIA Ann
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-21-2004
Tue, 04-19-2005 - 10:43pm
I have seen some really cute ceramic's that say first haircut and things...I know she is four but maybe an idea. I have seen them in the baby department at wal-mart and also at babys r us.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2003
Wed, 04-20-2005 - 1:41am

this might sound dumb, but my mom kept our first hair cut clippings in a a plain white envelope, unsealed. She kept it in our baby books. My sister is 34, and I will be 30 on Friday. The hair hasn't changed. I have taken a lock out and smelled it and touched it. It lasted about 27 years so far!!!!

Lesley

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
Wed, 04-20-2005 - 11:03am

This is how I and all my friends have done it, and it has worked well long term.

If you go to most craft stores, like Michael's, you can find acid free paper--it's usually with the scrapbooking stuff. It will say archival quality, acid free on the package. If you look with the scrapbooking accessories, there are frequently small square envelopes made out of that paper, if not, get archival quality, acid free glue, and make a little envelope. Take the curls you want to save, use damp fingers to smooth them out into a neat curl, and tie a bow around the center to secure them. If they are quite short, and you're afraid that they'll slip out of the ribbon, you can lay the curls onto the ribbon you're tying with that already has a thin bead of acid free glue on it, then run a second thin bead of acid free glue across the front of the curl, then let it set for a second before you tie it so that the glue doesn't ooze out onto the curl. You can store the envelope in either a scrapbook with pictures of her first haircut, (just remember to use acid free glue to secure it to the page), or you can label it with an archival quality pen (also in the scrapbook section), and store it in a special box or a jewelry box.

The reason that I stress acid free so much is otherwise the hair will start to break down eventually and become very brittle, and lose it's natural color.

Hope that helps. :)

Angela