The people you treasure most in your life will always hold a special and permanent place in your heart. Still, a hand replica of them or both of you provides a great visual reminder of what they mean to you and keeps the memories fresh.
Apart from being solid symbols of relationships, milestones, and special events, hand statues are also art pieces. They provide a fascinating and personalized way of decorating any room in your home or office and they don’t even need to be done professionally.
What makes for the best hand casting kits? The best hand casting kits are easy to use, set up quickly, and don’t leave your cast with any lumps or small bumps across the surface. They should also be certified non-toxic and have enough material to cover however many hands you are planning on casting.
Hand casting kits are super easy to use at home. You simply whip up a paste using alginate powder and water, stick in a hand or more, and hold the position for a couple of minutes. The next step is to wiggle out the hands, pour plaster into the mold, wait for it to dry, de-mold, and voila! You have yourself a statue.
Sound like something you would want to try out with your friends, family, kids, or partner? Then stay on this post where you’ll learn everything there is to know about choosing hand casting kits. We also give you a headstart by recommending the best hand casting kits for that flawless detailed 3D hand replica.
Choosing a Hand Casting Kit
Selecting a hand casting kit can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed, especially if it is an entirely new concept to you. The wide variety of brands available doesn’t make it any easier either. What do people look for in these kits? We’ll help you find out.
1. Safety
The safety of everyone involved in the casting exercise is of the utmost importance when choosing a hand casting kit. You’ll be dealing with chemical ingredients that can be toxic on the skin or respiratory tract when inhaled in powder form. Some specific plaster products tend to burn the skin.
Luckily most kits -or at least the ones we’ve shortlisted at the end of our post- are safe to use on the skin. Still, it doesn’t hurt to do your due diligence and confirm that the manufacturer conforms to safety standards and that the product is certified non -toxic.
2. Ease of Use
Hand casting is supposed to be a fun-filled activity. You are trying to preserve happy memories, not create sad ones. Unfortunately, that is how it will go down when the kit is frustratingly difficult to use.
Therefore, opt for a brand that is straightforward and simple to use. The best hand casting kits have detailed instruction manuals enclosed or provide links to video tutorials. Going through all the steps several times before beginning is advisable to know what is expected from you.
3. Size
Casting kits come in a variety of sizes. There are baby-sized kits, average-sized kits for one or two adult hands, large kits, and family-sized kits for up to 4 people.
You have to keep in mind the number and age of participants when purchasing a kit, or else it might end up being too small for your needs. Buying something larger has never been a bad idea, especially for babies and kids. They might need more than one trial to pull off an excellent mold.
Extras
Apart from the molding cast, what else does the kit bring to the table? You might encounter various additions depending on the brand. Some manufacturers will include paint, others a clear finish, mixing tubs, cleaning and measuring tools, or a display stand. It’s really up to you to decide what appeals to you.
Durability
Not all casting material provides the same level of strength when fully cured. Since this is a craft you would want to treasure your entire lifetime, you need a high-strength casting material.
That said, the most robust option may not be the safest, affordable, or the most effective for catching fine details. Resin and plaster are usually preferable casting materials.
The 5 Best Hand Casting Kits
Time-crunched and couldn’t be bothered to fulfill an extensive hand casting kit research? You can trust us to offer only the best products on our 5 best hand casting kits list based on reviews and ratings. Here are the top recommendations.
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
| 1. | Luna Bean Keepsake Hands Casting Kit | Large, has sanding and demolding tools |
| 2. | Edinburgh Family Hand Casting Kit | Family sized, tools included |
| 3. | Luna Bean Infant Plaster Statue Keepsake Kit | Small sized, easy demolding for infants |
| 4. | Luna Bean Family Size Keepsake Hands Casting Kit | Holds up to 6 hands, includes extra tools |
| 5. | Perfect Craft Gestures Molding and Casting Kit | 1-2 hand capacity, 5-10 minute curing |
1. Luna Bean Keepsake Hands Casting Kit
Luna Bean is a U.S brand and a name to reckon with when it comes to the best hand casting kits. The large kit is one among its high flying series of hand mold casting kits.
What makes it such a best seller? Well, the kit has a lot to offer in terms of quality and quantity.
The large bucket kit is much deeper and broader than most competing brands.
Although marketed as a couple’s kit, there’s still ample space to squeeze in a small child’s hand and triple the fun. How about making it three kids, or two little kids and an adult’s hand? It’s really up to you.
The casting alginate is of the highest quality. It reveals even the finest details such as nails, prints, fine lines, and even curves and crevices of a ring, making it perfect for engagement and wedding keepsakes and also realistic looking hand statues.
It also has the best color changing properties and sets in under 3 minutes, which is a reasonable amount of time to stay perfectly still.
Each package contains a large plastic molding bucket, 1.5lb molding powder, 2.75lb casting stone, fine sandpaper, coarse sandpaper, demolding stick, detailing pin, and an online instructional video guide.
It is an ideal gift for couples, parents, grandparents, and besties to create a memory of their solid bond with a clasped hands statue.
2. Edinburgh Family Hand Casting Kit
The Edinburgh family hand casting kit developed by artist Doug Lowe would be ideal for a small family of three of four.
It is 100% non-toxic & skin-safe. You can dip in your hands worry-free; your family is safe. The provided instructional booklet makes the entire process a breeze.
Edinburgh’s molding alginate recipe is one of a kind, carefully engineered to provide a highly detailed mold. The stone casting powder dries to a high-strength, hard to break statue.
It comes with a mixing bucket that is reusable for similar future projects. You’ll only need to buy refills. You also get wooden cleaning tools, a pair of latex-free protective gloves, and buffing sandpaper in one bundle.
3. Luna Bean Infant Plaster Statue Keepsake Kit
Are you caught in the last-minute rush looking for a gift for a baby shower or new parents? Why not present them the opportunity to capture a solid memory of their newborn’s tiny hands and feet?
With this unique, thoughtful, and sentimental gift from Luna Bean, baby 3D hand and foot prints will be all the hype.
The kit is tested and safe to use on a baby’s sensitive skin. Freeing the baby’s hand or foot is also made effortless without hurting them thanks to a smooth, rubbery, jello-like mold material.
There’s enough product for two baby hands, or a hand and a foot with a recommended age of a nine-month-old baby or younger.
What’s included in the kit? A 2-pack molding powder, 2-pack casting stone, reusable molding bucket, wooden mixing spoon, paintbrush, clear sealant with a matte finish, some sandpaper, c detailing pin, and a booklet with illustrated instructions for use.
4. Luna Bean Family Size Keepsake Hands Casting Kit
It’s a Luna Bean kit again taking another sweet spot, but this time, it is much bigger and better for the whole family; like they say, the more, the merrier.
The kit is twice the large kit’s size and designed to mold up to 6 hands clasped together, if the kids are preteens or younger. Now grandma or grandpa can hop in too for the complete family keepsake.
You get the same fine detail replicating mold materials, just bigger in size. There is 3lb of mold material, 5lb casting material, and a 10-inch high, 10-inch wide bucket.
The extras include a sanding screen, de-molding stick, demolding spook, detailing pin, sanding paper, printed directions for use, and link to online photo directions.
5. Perfect Craft Gestures Molding and Casting Kit
Perfect craft gestures kit put together everything needed to make the coolest hand gesture statue. Older kids will be thrilled to witness the magic unmold.
Though marketed as a one-hand mold kit for kids 8+, it is suitable for one adult hand, two kids, or even an adult and a small child holding hands.
The Perfectcast casting material stays true to its name. It dries stone white in 5-10 minutes, tops. It is specially formulated to be far stronger than the regular plaster.
The bucket measures 8 inches deep and 6 inches wide. With it are 1lb of mold alginate, 2lbs casting material, and a how-to booklet.
It is a perfect little kit for kids to have an indoor adventure on a dull afternoon with adult supervision. The kit is proudly made by a U.S kids toys and crafts brand and is also non-toxic certified.
Up Next: The Best Clay For Handprints
