Handprint Leprechaun for St Patrick's Day

To make the leprechaun, paint the fingers orange to create a beard. Then use a peach color to paint half the palm making a face. Next, paint a strip of orange hair. Lastly, paint the rest of the palm & thumb green creating a hat. Now your ready to press it onto the paper! It would also look good having the fingers closed instead of open to make it resemble a beard even more.

To make the rainbow, finger paint the colors of the rainbow. Then paint each pointer finger blue & dab a bunch of dots on each end of the rainbow to create clouds.

Don't forget to check out the one I made with my son when he was 1! It includes a fun poem as well!

Cool Footprint Motorcycle Art

This Footprint Motorcycle Keepsake is easier to create than it looks. First, start with a gray footprint. When it dries paint or use markers to draw in the black tires. Once you have the tires in place, add in the red parts you see (in color of choice). Then, draw/paint in the black seat. Using gray, draw in a long bar starting at the center of the front tire. Add in the headlight and rims. Last, detail everything with black to give it a nice, clean finish. I looked at motorcycle clip art images for inspiration.

What is the Best Paint to Use for Kids?

Not all paints work the same. The best ones to use for fingerpainting and handprint painting are tempera paint that is not too runny (I use Crayola paints). They should be labeled non-toxic and be sure to check that the label says washable. These are usually found at craft stores such as Michael's as well as stores like Wal-mart and Target. You may use acrylic paints, however, they dry on the hand really fast causing the print to not turn out very well with lots of gaps. Although they are non-toxic, they are not very suitable for children. They are not washable! Be sure to use these with caution and make sure your entire work surface is covered. Probably the most practical and cheapest would be to buy the powdered tempera paints. You can then mix them to the consistency you would like to use and you get more for your money. Just remember to store the leftovers in an air tight container.

Also, check out their fingerpaints:

Springtime! Butterfly Hand Print and Thumbprint Caterpillar

This makes a great spring craft!

To make the Handprint Butterfly, paint each hand except for the thumbs. Use thumbprints & fingerprints to make the body. Decorate the wings however you like...I used my son's fingerprints to make dots on the wings.

To make the Thumbprint Caterpillar, paint each thumb a different color. Alternate thumbprints making a curvy line. Add antennas & face. This caterpillar would also look cute with little feet drawn on.

Colorful Handprint Turkey Thanksgiving Card

This Handprint Turkey card is a great way to get your child involved in the Thanksgiving fun!

Fold a piece of card stock or construction paper in half. Paint the palm of the hand & thumb brown. Paint 3-4 stripes of different colors going across each finger. Press down on the front of the card (don't forget to make sure you aren't placing it upside down). Gently roll the hand side to side to make it a fat turkey. Paint a red gobbler and orange feet & beak.

This is a very cute poem that goes perfect with this card:

This isn't just a turkey,

as anyone can see.

I made it with my hand,

which is part of me.

It comes with lots of love,

especially to say,

I hope you have a very

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Adorable Handprint Father's Day Card

We made Papa this super cute Handprint Fish card for Father's Day.

Fold a piece of blue construction paper or cardstock in half. Pick the colors you would like to use for your fish (you may use just one if you'd like). If using more than one color, paint face, stripes on the tail, & the body all at once- then press down on the center of the card's front. Slightly roll the hand from side to side to make sure all the gaps are filled in. Paint a fingertip white to make the bubbles. When dry, draw on the face & seaweed. Write Happy Father's Day on the front.
On the inside, print or write in one of the poems found under the poems-handprints label.

Footprint Keepsake Gift For Dad

This footprint craft would make a great keepsake for dad! Print one of the poems found under the Poems-footprints label . Glue it to a piece of construction paper or cardstock. Paint child's foot in color of choice then press onto the paper. Repeat with other foot. Add the child's name, age, & the date. Daddy will love getting this as a gift for Father's Day, Christmas or his birthday!

Keep in mind that if you would like to make this a keepsake that will last a long time and not turn brown eventually, use acid-free paints, paper, and glue.

Variation: Place in an 8x10 picture frame.

Follow in Father's Footsteps Poem and Craft

This makes a great keepsake for Daddy! To make this Footprints with Poem Craft, first print the poem found under the poems-footprints label. Glue it to a piece of construction paper or card stock. Next, paint child's foot in color of choice & press onto paper. Repeat with the other foot. Don't forget to put the child's age, name, & the date. This craft is great for a Father's Day gift, birthday present, or Christmas present.

Variation: Place in an 8 x 10 picture frame (make sure you precut the paper before placing footprints on).