Many parents today can recall seeing their own bronze baby shoes, which makes carrying on the tradition even more appealing. Baby shoe bronzing is a wonderful way to preserve a sweet memory for a lifetime.
How Can You Get Baby Shoes Bronzed?
Today there are a number of websites dedicated to preserving your child's shoes in a variety of bronze finishes. A simple Google search will turn up dozens of companies who offer everything from bronzing one shoe to bronzing both shoes and mounting them with a picture frame.
Besides the typical bronze finish, there are others available, such as bright bronze, gold, silver, porcelain, and pewter. Companies that bronze your baby's shoes will clean them, form them to look warm, encase them in the metal or porcelain of your choice, and cover them with a protective lacquer.
Most companies, unless you specifically ask for a repair, will leave your baby's shoes exactly as they are - complete with your baby's battle scars and holes.
You can also pick up a kit at your local craft store or order one online to bronze your baby's shoes at home. This can be an intricate process and may take a lot of time, but will be worth it if you're a do-it-yourselfer.
What's the Average Cost?
Sending your child's shoes out to be bronzed can cost between $40 and $150, depending on the number of shoes you want to have bronzed (one shoe or the pair), and whether you want just the shoes done or if you'd like them mounted as a display, book end or with a picture frame.
Buying a kit to do it at home costs around $30. You can also buy bronzing kits to do large batches of shoes, if you want to turn shoe bronzing into a hobby or side business. These kits cost between $400 and $700.
What's the Proper Care of Bronze Shoes?
Don't polish bronze baby shoes; rather, wipe them with a clean, dry cloth every so often. Cleaning them with polishes can get through the protective lacquer coating your baby's shoes and destroy the metal coating.
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