Sign in to view
member only content

There’s no shortage out there of DIY kits for making casts of a baby’s feet and hands, but Otete & Anyo has come up with an innovative variation on the theme that can serve as a lifelong stamp and keepsake. The words “otete” and “anyo” signify a baby’s hand and foot in Japanese, and Tokyo-based design firm Kawamura Hideo Activity has tapped those terms for its original stamps of babies’ hand- and footprints. The engraved prints can be used not only as stamps for papers and letters, but also as lifelong mementos suitable for birthday presents, baby gifts and more. Parents or other gift-givers begin by making an ink print of baby’s hands and feet in 127-by-89-mm size. They then email those prints to Otete & Anyo, which engraves them in real size. A solid black hand grip makes stamping easy, while a paulownia wood box embellished with the print is used for storage. Baby’s name and birthday, meanwhile, are engraved on the back of the stamp for posterity. Launched last week, the stamps are priced at JPY 8,800 each plus shipping. With a solid, lasting alternative to most baby casts and a globally attractive design and packaging, Otete & Anyo stamps seem likely to do well around the world. Baby and children’s products retailers: one to bring to the doting families near you? (Related: Rice babies, weighed to measure.)