Kidspired Creations: Under the Sea Thumbprint "Coral Reef"

Thumbprint Trees are a hot item to have at baby showers and are quickly replacing the traditional guest book. Using a green stamp pad, guests use their thumbprints to make leaves on a bare tree and then sign their names on top of the leaves when they dry. At the end of the shower, the Mommy can frame the canvas and add it as a special, personalized touch to the baby's nursery. (Check out the "Thumbprint Tree" link to the left to see different trees made by Kidspired Creations.)

But, what do you do if a tree would just look really out of place in the baby's nursery, yet you love the concept of the thumbprint tree? You think outside of the box!

That's exactly what I had to do when I was presented with the idea of making a Thumbprint "Coral Reef" for an Under the Sea themed shower to complement a baby girl's nursery with the same theme. I'm not going to lie, I had NO idea how to even attempt to paint a coral reef/tree for thumbprints, so I was a bit intimidated by this request. However, I absolutely LOVE how it turned out and cannot wait to see it hanging in Baby Starlee's nursery!!! Instead of the thumbprints making leaves for a tree, the thumbprints were turned into FISH that swim around the reef!

After all the thumbprints and signatures dried, tails and fins were added to the prints to make them look like fish - my mother and sister-in-law's idea, not mine, so I cannot take credit for it. And since I was not able to make the shower myself, my sister-in-law added the finishing touches (and some sparkle) to the fish! I think it turned out fabulous!!!

Speaking of fabulous, the shower looked AMAZING!!! My mother and sister-in-law are truly talented when it comes to decorating and even catering showers, banquets, birthday parties, and other events. Here are just a few pictures: