Christmas morning is always filled with such anticipation. The first thing the kids always want to know is "Has Santa been?". Well, this year it was obvious that Santa had visited as soon as the girls opened the bedroom door. There on the ground, leading from the front door to the lounge room was a set of footprints. White, glittery, snowy footprints made by someone wearing big boots. Who else other than Santa could have left such prints?
 |
| Looks like Santa's been! |
Much like the
Easter Bunny this Easter, Santa left a trail of footprints leading from the emergency stairwell in the hallway straight to our Christmas tree. The girls were excited to see that Santa had left footprints and happily hopped along them all the way out our apartment to see where they started. Of course, the were happiest following the footprints to the Christmas tree to see what else Santa had left!
Wondering how Santa left such glittery footprints? Here's how you can make your own...
What you'll need
Glitter
Baking soda (aka bicarb soda)
Pair of boots
Baking tray (larger enough to fit Santa's boots)
Water squirter
How you do it
Start by mixing together your baking soda and glitter in a baking tray or similar. There's no particular ratio. Just mix together until you're happy with the combination to work with your carpet colour. Make sure that the tray is big enough to easily fit at least one boot at a time while your working on the footprints.
 |
| Everything you'll need to make your Santa footprints |
Once you're happy with your glitter and baking soda combo it's time to start preparing your "stamp".
Squirt a light misting of water over the soles of the boots. Try not to saturate them as too much water will make the baking soda dissolve.
 |
| A light spritz from a water squirter helps the glitter and baking soda stick to the soles of the boots |
Once damp, press the boots down into the baking soda and glitter until you get a good covering.
 |
| Pressing the boots into the glitter and baking soda mix |
 |
| Glittery boot ready for leaving prints |
You can now press the boot down onto the carpet to leave a print. I found that if I pressed down firmly on the boot it left a good print. Other times I found that I needed to move the boot around a little to get better footprint coverage. I guess it all just depends on the type and colour of carpet you have, the glitter colour you've chosen and how much you want the footprints to stand out. I made the footprints lead out our front door, down the corridor and to the nearest emergency stairwell in our building - which is where Santa entered the building. The carpet in our apartment is quite dark, however the carpet in the corridor is much lighter so I found that I needed to apply a little extra here for it to stand out as much.
 |
| Stamping Santa's footprints |
Stamp out a path of footprints leading from your front door, fireplace, back door or where ever else Santa may have entered your house, through to your Christmas tree. I also included a few footprints leading to our advent calendar (where Santa left stocking stuffers) and the dining table where Santa ate his cookies. I didn't stamp footprints leading back out of our apartment but the girls didn't notice this. Maybe next year when they're a little older they might pick up on this!
 |
| Santa's prints head past the washi tape tree to the real one |
 |
| Santa sure did leave a mess! |
Now all that's left to do is sit back and watch the excitement on Christmas morning.
 |
| Santa's prints lead all the way from our nearest emergency stairwell |
 |
| Lola checks out the footprints in the hallway |
 |
| Santa has longer legs than me! |
 |
| Ava was pretty excited to follow Santa's footprints! |
would this still work on a non carpeted floor?
ReplyDeleteIt might just leave the glitter on the laying on floor. I don't think it would actually make it look like foot prints
DeleteI used just cornstarch or baking soda dry with glitter mixed on hard wood... but what I did was cut out a foot printand put the the snow/glitter AROUND it... leaving behind a foot print when the pattern is removed. I mad the patter out of construction paper
DeleteCorn starch will leave a print on no carpet floors
DeleteI just sprinkle flour on my hardwood floor and walk thru it with the boots. Makes it look like snow was falling off his suit the whole way in the door and you don't need alot of it.
DeleteWe have ceramic tiling downstairs and it rarely ever snow here in Las Vegas! After reading some of the reviews, I came up with the idea of using black water base acrylic paint,sponge and a boot to create footprints from the fireplace to the tree! Worked out beautifully and mopped up with ease!
DeleteDoes it vacuumed out easily
ReplyDeleteIt should maybe you might have to vacumed a couple times..
DeleteVaccums right out and baking soda helps freshen carpets.
DeleteShould vacuum up no problem once it dries. My mom often shakes this floor deodorizer (mainly baking soda) on her carpet before vacuuming because my Grandpa has a dog & 2 cats.
DeleteHow do you clean it out of your carpet?
ReplyDeleteShampooer obviously
DeleteNot obviously
DeleteLet me grab my handy shampooer... obviously! Lol!
DeleteI've always been able to remove all of the glitter and baking soda just by vacuuming. I've never needed to shampoo the carpet as it doesn't stain. That said, if you're worried, I'd do a small test patch before Christmas to make sure it vacuums out of your carpet properly. I've been making footprints like this for both Santa and the Easter Bunny for years and I've never had problems getting it out of the carpet.
DeleteBaking soda doesn't stain I sprinkle it on my carpet from time to time as a cheap carpet fresh it vacuums up easily the glitter might take a couple vacuums though as everyone knows glitter is always messy
DeleteBaking soda doesn't stain I sprinkle it on my carpet from time to time as a cheap carpet fresh it vacuums up easily the glitter might take a couple vacuums though as everyone knows glitter is always messy
DeleteI kinda wish the adults did this for us kids in my house around Christmas
ReplyDeleteThe idea is cute but I DID NOT WANT TO PUT ANYTHING WET IN MY CARPET. I TOOK A CARDBOARD PIECE AND AND CUT OUT A STENCIL OF A BOOT PRINT AND SPRINKLED BABY POWDER. IT WAS EASY TO VACUUM UP LATER AND SMELLED GOOD
ReplyDeleteThe baking soda and glitter mix is pretty dry. It goes on slightly damp but dries very quickly. As baking soda is the main ingredient of many carpet fresheners it doesn't do any damage.
DeleteOh, and I'm sure the baby powder would smell great :)
DeleteAny ideas on what we could use if we have tile and not carpet???
ReplyDeleteOoh... I like the spray snow idea!
DeleteAny ideas on what we could use if we have tile and not carpet???
ReplyDeleteWe live in the south, so the snow thing doesn't really work for us, we also have tile. We used soot instead of baking soda. A charcoal brick beat up, and some glitter work great.
DeleteWe've never lived anywhere with snow either. In fact, coming from Australia where Christmas falls in Summer, none of the traditional wintry Christmas themes make sense! My kids have never questioned why Santa leaves snowy footprints when there isn't snow anywhere nearby. It's just magic :) I like the idea of the soot - it would definitely show up well on hard floors. We've never lived in a home with a fire place so the soot idea doesn't work so well for us - plus we have carpet. If we ever move into a home with a fireplace I think I might have to mix things up a little and go with the soot idea :)
DeleteSo fun! I was just thinking about how could we make footprints more visible this year. I wanted a bit of glitter...this is perfect!
ReplyDeleteOn tiles mud works well...just an idea....lol
ReplyDeleteI like that idea! When we had tiles I used to mark out the Easter Bunny's footprints with finger paints, but makes more sense!
DeleteThat was supposed to say "mud makes more sense"!
Deletestill have a few yrs. or so b4 i get to do this. our son is due next week, but i'm most def. gonna do this one for him, awsome..
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your little one arriving soon :)
DeleteDoes this work on hard wood floors?
ReplyDeleteI just sprinkle floor lightly with flour and then walk thru it with boots on. My husband walks to and from tree in the flour. Makes it look like snow was falling off his suit as he walked around. Easy to sweep up or vaccum and cheap.
DeleteI like that flour idea!
DeleteThank you for your reply!!! That sounds easy enough and cheap:)
DeleteI was thinking of using oreo as soot what do you think
ReplyDeletesticky chocolate sounds difficult to clean up
DeleteJust a thought about footprints not leaving. Maybe the "snow" had melted by the time Santa left. :)
ReplyDeletei use baby powder it cleans up real good and smells good to
ReplyDeletemerry christmas
What if your carpet and tiles light??
ReplyDeleteWe did something similar when my grandson was little. I cut a stencil shaped like elf footprints. Just laid it on the floor and sprinkled baking soda, then lifted. Put them all around the tree and fireplace. Vacuumed right up because it was all dry.
ReplyDeleteA stencil is easy too! I always make Easter Bunny footprints for the kids at Easter too, and I usually stamp them onto the floor with a slightly damp sponge (with the same glitter mix). A few years back I was 39 weeks pregnant at Easter so bending down to stamp footprints on the floor wasn't an option! I made a stencil instead and was easily able to sprinkle the glitter mix on top without having to bend over too much.
DeleteI just did the baking Soda and glitter on my wood floors and it worked just fine
ReplyDeleteWell it doesn't snow in south Louisiana ! I would have to use shrimp boots through dirt to make this !!! LOL !
ReplyDeleteWe've never lived anywhere with snow either (Australia where Christmas falls in Summer, and now California) but I've still always made snowy footprints even though it has never made sense!
DeleteWouldn't baby powder work ?
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried baby powder but I imagine it would work well. It's a little finer than baking soda so it might not vacuum out as well at first. I originally used baking soda as it's the main ingredient of most carpet powders so I knew it would vacuum out easily. Baby powder would smell lovely though :)
Delete