Kids Hand and Foot Print Garland

Step 2: Make some prints!

Allow the child to play in the finger paints and become relaxed. My daughter is just under two, so I started making handprints about 3/4 of the way through her first picture and then throughout her second picture. This way, she had ample time to explore the paint and feel it's texture before I wanted her little hand print. I swapped out the cardstock very quickly and took one hand at a time and pressed them to the paper. Then I switched her picture back to her quickly. I get the prints quickly without her even noticing really what I'm doing, and she gets her paper back with the blobs of paint on it so we can get a "refill" on her hands before the next hand printing round. I got three pages of prints before she was done painting, and had plenty for my garland with a couple left over for hand made cards.

If you have an infant, it's very easy to get footprints. Pour a mixture of different colored paints into a recycled plastic container and swirl the colors around a bit. Hold the baby in front of you and press her feet/foot into the paint as if he or she were standing in it. Then press their little feet onto the paper the same way. Press quickly and pull up off the paper, before they get the opportunity to wiggle those toes! If you want to get tiny hand prints, it's best to do this when your wee babe is sleeping, or during a nursing session if you have a partner to work with you. Hold out their little hand and open the fingers up gently. Press it into the paint and then again onto the paper.