One of my favorite things to do for holidays, is make festive hand and footprint art with the boys. I love watching their hands and feet grow, and displaying their art project's every year. I get so excited when it's time to get them out and put them on our bookshelves. Even if I don't get much decorating done, their little hands and feet make our house so festive.
These first two prints are what I made with the boys last year. Kai was 8.5 months old and Kona had just turned 3. Their hands were so small, and I remember thinking at the time how big Kona's hand looked. I'm sure I'll be thinking the same thing next year.
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For Kai's handprint flag I used:
A canvas I had, painters tape, red, white and blue acrylic paint.
I taped off the corner of the canvas, measured out the stripes and taped them. With taping off the whole corner I didn't have to worry about Kona painting the wrong spot. Even with the painters tape and little bit of paint spread, but I love the character it adds. After the red paint was dry, I took off the tape in the corner and let Kona paint the blue. Once the blue was dry, I painted Kai's hand and tried my best to press his little hand down. Getting a baby to open their hand all the way is hard!
For Kona's hand and footprint flag I used:
Cardstock cut down to fit a 8x10 frame and red and blue acrylic paint.
For Kona's I started with his feet so I knew how big he could make his handprint.
These last two prints are what I made with the boys yesterday.
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For both of these I used cardstock, a black sharpie, red, blue, yellow and orange acrylic paint.
I cut the paper, before I put their hand and footprints on, to fit a 8x10 frame. Kona wanted his hand and footprint, so that's what we did, and I love the way it turned out!
I wanted to share my tips and tricks for making hand and footprint art with kids, because getting them to cooperate and open their little hand can be hard!
1. When the boys were really little I tired to only do their footprints. I found it worked really well to put them in their highchair with lots of snacks or toys and go outside. This provides for lots of distractions, which make painting their little toes a lot easier. If your baby is really small, waiting until they are asleep and relaxed is my best trick!
2. If you are wanting to do a handprint with a little one, it works best to put lots of paint on their hand. This way when they squish their hand together, and trust me they will, there is enough paint to get a good handprint. After I get their hand painted, I hold their wrist close to the canvas and when they open their hand wide I press it down as fast as I can.
3. Use a paintbrush to paint their hand or foot instead of dipping it in the paint.
4. If you use acrylic paint make sure you have your work space covered and clothes on that can get ruined. Acrylic paint doesn't come out of clothes so be prepared! It also dries very fast so make sure you have enough paint on their hand and foot. When I think I have enough I add a little bit more.
5. When you press their hand and foot down, roll it from side to side. Make sure you have pressed down on all fingers and toes.
6. Have a wet paper towel or sink nearby to clean off the paint. My boys love playing in the sink while I wash them up. I'm pretty sure it's their favorite part!
I hope these tips help with your next hand or footprint craft. If you are looking for more ideas check out these posts!
These first two prints are what I made with the boys last year. Kai was 8.5 months old and Kona had just turned 3. Their hands were so small, and I remember thinking at the time how big Kona's hand looked. I'm sure I'll be thinking the same thing next year.
For Kai's handprint flag I used:
A canvas I had, painters tape, red, white and blue acrylic paint.
I taped off the corner of the canvas, measured out the stripes and taped them. With taping off the whole corner I didn't have to worry about Kona painting the wrong spot. Even with the painters tape and little bit of paint spread, but I love the character it adds. After the red paint was dry, I took off the tape in the corner and let Kona paint the blue. Once the blue was dry, I painted Kai's hand and tried my best to press his little hand down. Getting a baby to open their hand all the way is hard!
For Kona's hand and footprint flag I used:
Cardstock cut down to fit a 8x10 frame and red and blue acrylic paint.
For Kona's I started with his feet so I knew how big he could make his handprint.
These last two prints are what I made with the boys yesterday.
For both of these I used cardstock, a black sharpie, red, blue, yellow and orange acrylic paint.
I cut the paper, before I put their hand and footprints on, to fit a 8x10 frame. Kona wanted his hand and footprint, so that's what we did, and I love the way it turned out!
I wanted to share my tips and tricks for making hand and footprint art with kids, because getting them to cooperate and open their little hand can be hard!
1. When the boys were really little I tired to only do their footprints. I found it worked really well to put them in their highchair with lots of snacks or toys and go outside. This provides for lots of distractions, which make painting their little toes a lot easier. If your baby is really small, waiting until they are asleep and relaxed is my best trick!
2. If you are wanting to do a handprint with a little one, it works best to put lots of paint on their hand. This way when they squish their hand together, and trust me they will, there is enough paint to get a good handprint. After I get their hand painted, I hold their wrist close to the canvas and when they open their hand wide I press it down as fast as I can.
3. Use a paintbrush to paint their hand or foot instead of dipping it in the paint.
4. If you use acrylic paint make sure you have your work space covered and clothes on that can get ruined. Acrylic paint doesn't come out of clothes so be prepared! It also dries very fast so make sure you have enough paint on their hand and foot. When I think I have enough I add a little bit more.
5. When you press their hand and foot down, roll it from side to side. Make sure you have pressed down on all fingers and toes.
6. Have a wet paper towel or sink nearby to clean off the paint. My boys love playing in the sink while I wash them up. I'm pretty sure it's their favorite part!
I hope these tips help with your next hand or footprint craft. If you are looking for more ideas check out these posts!
Very cute ideas! and fun projects for kids. :)
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