Hot Paws™ Kit FAQ
What is Hot Paws™?
Hot Paws™ is the fun, do-it-yourself activity for making a stunning glass keepsake of your furry friends’ paws! Say goodbye to inky paws and clay that cracks over time and hello to a 3D copy where you can feel all those precious details!
How did you come up with Hot Paws™?
At Hot Sand, we’ve been doing our signature Walk-In Glassblowing Activity—the QuickCast—for countless animals over the last 10 years. We wanted to make the opportunity for a lasting glass impression available to people from all over the USA and so we developed Hot Paws™. Now you can have the experience of having a glass paw print made for you right from the comfort of your own home!
Where can I get Hot Paws™?
You can purchase your Hot Paws™ Kit in our online shop by clicking here and we’ll ship it right to your doorstep.
We also have Hot Paws™ Kits available in our brick and mortar shop, Hot Sand in Asbury Park, NJ! Click here for directions!
I don’t want hot glass in my house! How do I use Hot Paws™?
No problem! With Hot Paws™, we want you to get all the fun of having a Hot Shop right in your home, without the 2100°F furnace! All you have to do is make a snowball with our included modeling material, squish the snowball, get a paw print, let it dry for 48 hours, and send the impression back to us using the prepaid envelope included with your kit! It’s SO easy peasy, even a child can do it! By the way, a Hot Paw™ glass print makes a great keepsake of your kid’s first pet!
How do I get my Hot Paws™ impression back to you?
It could not be any easier! Included in your kit is a prepaid envelope. Just put your impression in the tin along with your information card and seal the envelope by peeling the sticker from the adhesive. Close it securely and drop if off at your nearest USPS branch or give it to your USPS mail person. That’s it! Your pet’s paw impression will make its way back to us in 1-3 days and as soon as we get it back, we can get to making the mold that we fill with molten glass. Then, your Hot Paw™ glass print is ready to be sent back to you!
Can I do my kitty’s paws?
Yes! You can use Hot Paws™ to make a copy of any little creature’s paws! The only requirements we have is that you keep the impression centered in the disk you create and that it fits back in the tin you will use to mail your paw impression back to us. Good luck with the kitty!
I messed up my paw print! What do I do?
That’s ok! With Hot Paws™, you can retake the impression as many times as you want! All you need to do is make another snowball with the material and make another impression. Keep doing it until you are happy with the image you created, because just like magic, we’re going to get you a perfect copy of the print you send back to us.
I lost the instruction sheet in the kit! Can I view the instructions somewhere on your website?
You sure can! Hot Paws™ is an amazing gift for any lover of furry creatures! We suggest letting us send it to the recipient if possible. The price of the Hot Paws™ Kit includes all 3 shipping transits and you’ll have to add a fourth transit yourself if we ship it to you. If you want to take on the extra shipping route, that’s fine by us. The one thing we need from you in that case, is a note upon purchase, letting us know from where the recipient will be shipping. With that info, we’ll generate the appropriate prepaid shipping label to get it here safe and sound from your friend. We’ll send the Hot Paws™ Kit to you and you can send it to your loved one who can enjoy all the fun of Hot Paws™ right from their home!
I want to send Hot Paws™ as a gift. Can I do that?
We would not recommend it. Although Hot Paws™ uses a totally non-toxic impression material that possesses no acute safety risks, we suggest sticking to the usual kibble that your companion knows and loves.
Can my pet eat the Hot Paws™ modeling material?
We can fix that. Email us at studio@HotSandAP.com to let us know the issue and the address from which you sent your Hot Paws™ impression. Upon receipt of your package, one of our team members will create a new card using the information you provided to us in the email.
I forgot to include my information card when I shipped my Hot Paws impression back to you!
Great question! Your Hot Paws information card is super important. When we get your impression back in the studio, that information card lets us know just where to send the final Hot Paw™ glass print. If you made the Hot Paws™ for you, just put your home address you want us to send the final glass print. If you are creating the Hot Paw™ for a unique gift, then write the address of the gift recipient you would like us to send the final piece to on the information card instead.
What’s the deal with the information card? What do I do with that?
Cracks around the edges of your print are totally normal. The material has water in it and as it dries, small cracks can appear around the edges of the impression. This is normal and in no way will affect your casting. In fact, it’s expected.
My paw print has cracks around the edges now that it’s dry. Is that normal?
No problem. All you need to do is make a snowball again and take another impression. Make sure you use the disc size guide on the bottom of the tin so your disc will fit back inside the tin. If you’re maxing out the size of the disc with your big animal, just pack the sides in a bit without disturbing the impression. Let it dry and send it back to us in the tin.
My print impression does not fit back in the tin, what do I do?
It’s totally ok. We know hair and dirt is a part of having a furry companion in your life and that will not affect your paw print in the least. If we need to, we’ll clean up the paw impression a bit before we cast it for you.
I have hair and dirt in my paw print, is that ok?
I see a few bubbles in my Hot Paws™ glass print. Why is that?
In the process of casting glass, small air bubbles are part of the process. These inclusions are totally expected and a facet of handmade glass objects that makes them unique!
I want 2 copies of my Hot Paws™ print. How do I do that?
To receive 2 copies of your Hot Paw™ glass print, just select the option for 2 prints when you are placing your order on the product page.
Can I have my foam impression back? I’d really like to keep it.
The foam impression is consumed in the manufacturing process. We recommend you take a picture of it for memories before mailing it to us.
I don't live inside the United States. Do you ship Hot Paws™ Kits outside of the United States?
Unfortunately we are not offering shipping outside of the United states at the moment.
I’d like to offer Hot Paws™ in my shop. Do you offer Hot Paws™ Kits for resale?
Please contact us at studio@HotSandAP.com for more information regarding Hot Paws™ Kits for resale.
Is Hot Paws™ the best do-it-yourself kit for making a lasting glass impression of my furry pet’s paw and will it make my life immeasurably better?
Undoubtedly.