Easy Fall Craft for Toddlers- Handprint Art

Our Little Pumpkin Craft for Babies and Toddlers

With two little kids, I am always looking for ways to create little keepsakes. I love having their tiny handprints and footprints in a place I can look at them year after year. They are a sweet reminder of just how small my babies are right now. I know as they grow I will be even happier that I took the time to do this fall craft with them.

I chose to use tempera paint as it is water based, non toxic, and safe for kids. It’s super easy to wash off their skin and any surfaces it might get on. My boys got paint all over their skin and it came right off with no scrubbing. This was really helpful with my 4 month old who got it absolutely everywhere and tried to eat it.

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RELATED: Fingerprint Tree Craft

Supplies

• Orange tempera paint
• Large watercolor paint brush or sponge
• Paper plate
• Free Our Little Pumpkin printable
• Cardstock paper

Directions

1. Print the Our Little Pumpkin printable on cardstock paper in color. The thicker paper is much better for the paint than normal printer paper. The cardstock won’t let the paint go through and it dries quickly. Cut along the dotted lines to create an 8inx10in paper. This will fit in a frame perfectly.
2. Shake the paint well and put a generous amount on a paper plate.

3. Use the brush to paint the palm of your child’s hand. Make sure you paint all the parts of the fingers and the entire palm. I like to use a thick layer of paint so it doesn’t take much effort to get it onto the paper.

4. Open your child’s hand and press it onto the paper right below the stem of the pumpkin. The hand will be the pumpkin. Hold the hand still so the paint doesn’t smear (this is easier said than done). Even if it does smear a little bit, it still makes for a cute pumpkin craft.

5. Lift the hand straight up and off the paper quickly.

6. Let the paper dry overnight.

7. Frame your adorable pumpkin handprint!

Helpful Tips

*If you want to do a footprint instead of a handprint just follow the same steps as above except use your child’s foot instead.

*Once you put the paint on your child’s hand or foot, move quickly to the paper before they can make a fist and squish the paint. When they do this, it makes the paint uneven on their hand and it doesn’t transfer to the paper as well.

*Open the hand completely before pressing it into the paper. If you move it once it’s on the paper it will smear.

*Turn the paper upside down so it’s easier to get the hand in the right position

*Put the child in a high chair, this helps if you are doing the craft without another adult to help.

I can’t wait to hear how the craft goes for you! Let me know in the comments.