Keepsake Toddler Handprint Crafts

Uses

• Handprint crafts from toddlers make thoughtful gifts, especially for occasions like Mother's Day, Father's Day or Grandparents Day. Compare how the child has grown from one point in time to another by setting aside a time each year, month or season to make a new handprint craft. Holidays are a good time for this since they occur at the same time each year. Date every handprint craft. Add poetry for an extra sentimental touch.

Considerations

• Working with a toddler's hand brings challenges such as keeping the child's hand still long enough to trace it or to hold it in the proper position to make a print. Use a pencil to trace around the child's open hand to capture the shape and size. Remedy a mistake by erasing the pencil mark and starting over. Follow up by tracing over the pencil outline with a marker to make the handprint tracing stand out. Deciding on what type of art medium to use is also a consideration. Always use nontoxic and washable tempera paint, clay and inks when working with toddlers. Use paint by applying it directly to the child's palm with a paintbrush. Firmly set the painted side of the hand against the paper or fabric you want to paint. Roll the hand from side to side while gently pressing down on top of the toddler's hand. Use the toddler's handprints to make keepsake crafts in the form of cutouts, molds and casts, holiday mementos, and calendars.

Cutouts

• Cut out several handprints to piece together to make art forms such as sun rays, tulip blooms, art pieces to frame, accents for greeting cards, or a pattern for cloth cutouts. Applique handprint cutouts of fabric onto towels, totes, aprons, shirts or quilt pieces. Attach the fabric cutout to other fabric using iron-on transfer paper. Stitch around the edges for a more distinct and permanent bond.

Molds and Casts

• Handprint molds are made by pressing the child's hand down into clay, dough, plaster of Paris or other soft substances which will harden after being baked or air-dried. Casting, or life casting, is a form of molding that creates a sculpture which exhibits fine details. A casting of the hand will display nails, wrinkles, and creases. The Casting Gifts website explains this process as "re-creating an actual living form into a three-dimensional sculptured work of art."

Holidays

• Holiday handprint crafts mark an immediate time reference based on what holiday you choose to represent and they keep the toddler occupied with a fun hands-on project. Make paper cutouts of the child's handprint or use paint to create holiday artwork such as Thanksgiving turkeys, Fourth of July flags, Christmas reindeer, Hanukkah symbols or News Year's Eve designs. Make it a family tradition to take a picture of your child as well as crafting a new handprint each year. Display the handprint art next to the picture when complete.

Calendars

• Handprint calendars offer a new handprint craft each month using painted handprints to form pictures which reflect each month's theme. For instance, a handprint for the month of February is shaped into a heart. Make a new print on the first of each month.