As the saying goes, "the days are long but the years are short," and as you make your way through the sleepless nights, spills, and tears of the early months and years, it’s likely you’ll find yourself wanting to cling on to some of the memories and milestones. It’s why baby keepsake boxes are so popular as parents store away those tiny first booties or a child’s first tooth.
It also explains the growing popularity of preserving pregnancy keepsakes in resin. If you've ever wondered what to do with a positive pregnancy test or how to keep your baby’s umbilical cord, a lock of hair from your child’s first haircut, or the hospital bracelet, resin art could be the answer. There’s almost no end to the memories that can be held forever in a piece of resin jewellery or art, and it's something you can order online or even make yourself if you're feeling crafty.
Best pregnancy keepsake resins at a glance
Best pregnancy keepsake resin jewellery: Pregnancy Test Cap Necklace Keepsake - Buy on Etsy, from £45
Best pregnancy keepsake resin plaque: Baby Newborn Heart Keepsake Plaque - Buy on Etsy, £38.50
Best keepsake resin for baby's first haircut: Lock of Hair in Resin - Buy on Etsy, from £12.99
Best DIY resin keepsake for breastfeeding memories: DIY Breast Milk Teardrop or Heart Pendant - Buy on Etsy, £60
You could choose to create a montage of memories with a pregnancy test, baby’s scan photo, the hospital tag, and umbilical cord, all stored safely in resin. Or perhaps keep the memories close to your heart with a pregnancy test cap necklace. However you choose to preserve your pregnancy and baby memories, transforming them into resin art or jewellery is a great way of keeping them safe and on display.
Best pregnancy keepsake resin jewellery
Etsywww.etsy.com
To preserve the memory of that life-changing pregnancy test, this handcrafted necklace transforms the cap into a piece of stylish jewellery. After placing an order for the length of necklace you want, just get in touch with the seller and arrange to post the cap from your pregnancy test, which they'll then turn into a unique pregnancy keepsake in resin.
Buyers praised the quality of the necklace and its meaning, with one describing it as "great quality and very thoughtful gift." Others noted that "the metal used is good quality".
Pros
- Preserves your pregnancy test memories forever in wearable jewellery
- Creates unique and personal jewellery that's also beautiful
Cons
- Doesn't preserve the test whole as other options do
Best pregnancy keepsake resin plaque
Etsywww.etsy.com
To keep all of your memories of those early months in one place, this heart-shaped resin plaque has space for a number of baby keepsakes, including include a hospital ID bracelet, baby scan, cord clamp, pregnancy test, and hair. These items are then encased in your choice of coloured resin, with the option to add glitter as well. Buyers appreciated the personal nature of the pregnancy keepsake, with one saying she "would highly recommend to help freeze memories in time."
You'll need to send off larger items, but the scan and any photos can be emailed across to the seller to be printed.
Pros
- Keeps all of your baby items in one place
- Comes in a choice of seven colours and an option to add glitter
- Can include any small items you choose so is completely personal and unique to you
Cons
- Pregnancy tests can be no longer than 6 inches
- Lighter colour hair turns darker in the resin so might not be an accurate representation
| Size: | Width: 6 inches <br>Height: 7 inches |
Best keepsake resin for baby's first haircut
Etsywww.etsy.com
Preserve the memory of baby's first haircut by turning a lock of hair into a resin heart. The curl can be combined with flowers or crushed glass for added sparkle and personalisation, and you can add a name on the back. Reviewers thought it was a perfect way to treasure the memory of their child's first haircut, saying: "lovely way to keepsake my son’s hair and I can still fully see the colour too."
Preserving it in resin in this way also makes it less likely that you might lose the hair, as noted by mum Grace: "I needed to find a way to keep my baby girl's first hair lock somewhere that I can look at instead of being in a pot, put away and never looked at again."
There is a choice of two size hearts, a small heart which measures approximately 1.5inches by 1inch and a medium heart measuring approximately 2inches by 1.5inches.
Pros
- Preserves the hair from baby's first haircut to keep it safe
- Can be personalised further with a name and flower or crushed glass details
Cons
- Not ideal for white or light grey hair which will not show up in the resin
Best pregnancy keepsake for a baby scan photo
Etsywww.etsy.com
Keep the precious scan photo of your baby bump safe by preserving it in an acrylic block. Not only will it keep it safe from rips and tears but you can add your own personalisation with a name. We love that this allows you to not only keep the scan on display in the run up to the birth, but it will keep it preserved forever rather than tucked away in an envelope or a baby keepsake box. Mum reviewers loved this, describing it as a "beautiful little keepsake of our baby scan" and a "nice keepsake of your bundle of joy."
Photos can be scanned and sent through the messaging service so you don't have to send off the paper copy.
Pros
- Keeps the baby scan photo safe
- Can be displayed as a constant reminder of your pregnancy
- Can be personalised with a name
Cons
- Doesn't include any of the other items from pregnancy or the early months
Best keepsake resin for breastfeeding memories
Etsywww.etsy.com
If you've reached the end of your breastfeeding journey, you could consider creating a resin keepsake that preserves a sample of your breastmilk into a silver heart or teardrop keepsake.
This do-it-yourself kit contains everything you need to create your own breastmilk resin necklace. Reviewers said the instructions are easy to follow, with mum Kate saying: "I’m so thrilled with my necklace. The kit is so thorough and the instructions are so clear. It’s very easy to make and so special to have!"
Buyers loved that it's an opportunity to preserve and celebrate their memories of breastfeeding, with one reviewer noting it's her "own special piece to commemorate my breastfeeding journeys."
Pros
- Allows you to preserve your memories of your breastfeeding journey into a beautiful piece of jewellery
- Offers the choice of a silver heart or teardrop pendant
- Has clear and easy-to-follow instructions
- The kit includes everything you need (except glitter)
Cons
- You'll need to set aside the time to make it yourself
What pregnancy keepsakes can you preserve in resin?
There are so many aspects of those early months and years that we want to hold on to that it can be hard choosing which keepsakes to preserve in resin. From part of your placenta to the umbilical cord or a lock of hair, you can preserve almost anything in resin, and create almost any shape. You can do it yourself with a kit or order a bespoke design from an online seller. However you do it, creating a pregnancy keepsake resin is a thoughtful and unique to keep precious memories close at hand for years to come.
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Rebecca Lancaster is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby, drawing on ten years of parenting her two children to help others navigating their own parenting journey. As a freelance writer, she spent ten years working with leading lifestyle brands, from travel companies to food and drink start-ups, and writing everything from hotel reviews to guides to the best British cheeses. She’s particularly interested in travel and introducing her children to the excitement of visiting new places, trying different foods (less successfully) and experiencing different cultures.