What to expect from a Home Casting Visit

One of the most popular services offered by Image Casting is a home visit, meaning we can take the moulds for your bespoke baby casts in the comfort of your own home. We’ve decided to put together a short and informative guide about what you can expect from a casting home visit, and hopefully, answer any questions you may have before you book your slot!

Our Casting Artist will arrive at your home promptly at the time arranged and will message ahead if they will be delayed for any reason.

We will begin the session by showing you some samples of the finishes, frames and bases and we can offer any advice so that you are completely sure on which style and material you would like to use. We can demonstrate the two styles of frames to see what works well with your home interior while we are there, and the whole family can be involved in the decision-making process. This is a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have had prior to this point, or request some advice from an expert.

Once a style and material have been decided upon, it’s time to prepare for the casting itself. It is best to do the casting in the kitchen. Our Casting Artists will do all the hard work. They will explain what’s going to happen throughout the casting in a step-by-step format, making sure you know what to expect. We position a chair so that when the baby is sitting on the lap of the “designated holder”  the baby’s hands/feet are easily accessible. The floor around the chair will be cleared and covered if necessary.

For the casting to go as smoothly as possible, it’s integral that both the parent and the baby are as comfortable as possible. There’s no need for babies to be dressed up in their finest clothes – comfort and easy access is a priority, and while alginate does come out, it’s a better option not to risk anything that might be important in the first place. An apron or cover will be placed over the adult to protect their clothes.

The actual casting involves stirring the alginate with warm water, before placing the baby’s foot or hand in the mixture firmly, but gently. The alginate only takes around a minute to set, and the foot comes out cleanly and easily thanks to the rubber-like texture of the mix. While it initially feels unusual having a foot surrounded by alginate, the baby quickly relaxes and the process is gentle, quick and easy – we can capture even the wriggliest of toes and some babies have been known to fall asleep in the middle of a casting! If at any point, the Casting Artist feels that the positioning is not quite right, they’ll suggest a different position – both parties will want the cast to be the best that it can be, and so cooperation is key!

The process will be repeated as necessary depending on the combination of casts you would like. The Casting Artist will clean up the area where moulds were taken, and leave the kitchen as tidy as they found it. They will also take any rubbish and left-over alginate with them so you are not inconvenienced in any way by the visit.

Before leaving, the Casting Artist will explain how long it is likely for the finished baby casts to be delivered. Someone will be in touch when your bespoke, beautiful casts are ready to go, and they will then be sent out via Special Delivery if you are in the UK or can be collected from our workshop in Clapham..

If you’d like to find out whether you can receive a free home visit, simply complete our online enquiry form with your postcode and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!