Our little ballerinas grow up so fast. The day you buy your girl her first ballet slippers is a proud, happy day that no one will ever forget. When you first bought them, you probably thought they’d last an entire year. But, in the blink of an eye, she had already outgrown them. Now she’s ready for her second pair.
We know how important these precious moments are. It’ll be a shame to get rid of them or tuck them away in a box where they’ll be forgotten. So, we scoured the internet for some fantastic ideas on commemorating those ballet memories by making the first ballet shoes keepsake.
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Best Ways to Display First Ballet Shoes
If you’re the DIY, crafty type, you’ll find several beautiful ideas to get your artsy juices flowing. For those of you who prefer to buy rather than make, we’ve listed a couple of adorable ready-made items that’ll fit in perfectly with your home decor.
DIY First Ballet Shoes Keepsake: Time to Get Crafty
Have your little girl help you out with these great DIY ideas.
Shadowbox
Showcasing your little girl’s first ballet slippers in a shadowbox is one of the most popular ideas. Ask any proud parent, and they’ll tell you it’s the first thing they did or thought about doing.
But shadowboxes don’t have to be only about the ballet shoes. You can include her costume from her first recital or solo performance. If the shadowbox doesn’t fit her entire outfit, you can only add a piece of the tutu, satin ribbon or bow.
The recital tickets can also be an excellent addition to the shadowbox. If you still have some dried flowers from her recital’s bouquet, you can add those in as well.
You can also display your girl’s photo on the day of her first recital while wearing her ballet shoes. Having that picture there along with those tiny ballet slippers will make the shadowbox even more precious.
If you have several items that you want to display, you can opt for more than one shadowbox.
Wreath
Another great way to display those adorable first ballet shoes is by making a wreath. I couldn’t think of anything cuter than making a tutu-based wreath using a tulle fabric roll. You can even use fabric from your girl’s first recital costume.
Use a long piece of satin ribbon, preferably pink, to hang the ballet shoes in the middle. Make a bow in the top center of the wreath to make things look cuter. Measure out the ribbon so that it drops below the bottom of the wreath. Glue the two strands of ribbon to each ballet shoe so that they’re hanging below the wreath.
If you prefer the ballet shoes to appear in the center of the wreath, rather than below it, make sure to make the wreath wide enough. This way, the ballet slippers can hang comfortably in the center without being hidden by the tulle.
Ballet LOVE Sign
If you want to get extra creative, consider displaying your girl’s ballet shoes into an original sign. As an example, you can write the word “LOVE” and use the shoes to replace the letter “V.”
You’ll need five things, some of which you may already have:
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- A wooden plank sign
- White Acrylic paint
- Paintbrushes
- E600 glue to attach the ballet shoes on the sign
- A ‘LOVE’ stencil (this is optional. If you prefer, you can just write it out free-hand)
First Ballet Shoes Keepsake Ready-Made Ideas
Many sites sell personalized items that add a magic touch to your mementos.
Ballet Shoes Hanging Ornaments
There are many ways to keep those cherished memories of your cute little ballerina without using her actual shoes. It’s a terrific idea in case you lose the ballet shoes or give them away.
Ballet ornaments are among the most creative ideas. These ornaments can be acrylic, glass-blown, or ceramic.
They’re delicate and tiny, just as your little girl’s first ballet shoes were. Plus, their vibrant colors make them a welcome addition anywhere around the house.
Another great thing about these ballet slipper ornaments is that they make adorable tree decorations. Use them to begin a new tradition of hanging ballet-inspired decorations during Christmas.
Vintage Keepsake Box
Some sites create any design of your choice on the top cover of a keepsake box. You can send them a photo of your girl wearing her first ballet shoes, or just a picture of the shoes if you prefer.
Other sites can offer the same design but with a hand-painted motif rather than an actual photo.
Music Box
Music boxes are unique on their own, but wouldn’t it be even better if you could personalize them? You can add a picture of your girl’s first ballet shoes or a photo of her wearing them at her first recital.
Some music boxes can also be engraved with her name or a short cute message.
Have Her First Ballet Shoes Bronzed
Bronzing memorabilia was all the rage since it first started in 1934, and it’s making a fierce comeback! Dipping your girl’s precious ballet slippers in bronze or silver is a terrific way to keep them on display and preserve them for years to come.
There are at-home DIY bronzing kits you can buy to bronze them yourself. But this will require many intricate steps that might not fit recreational DIYers
Alternatively, you can send them to a professional bronzer. Many websites offer to cover your girl’s ballet slippers in bronze or silver, such as The Bronzery, A Lasting Impression, and Memories in Bronze.
A Final Note
As our children grow, we tend to forget how tiny they were. Making first ballet shoes keepsake is an excellent way to remind ourselves of those precious memories.
We’ve listed so many terrific ideas to showcase them alongside some of her other ballet items. Holding on to these keepsakes will show her how far she’s come. It’s a visual display of all her accomplishments and a wonderful tradition in the making.
