Handprints

As kids, we all did handprint art. You know what I'm talking about- cover your hand (or foot) in paint, slap it on a piece of paper and call it a present for mommy. Every Christmas my parents still display my handcrafted wreath, circa 1995. After doing a few handprint and footprint projects with Austin, I see why they've kept my wreath all of these years. (Aside from it being a stunning work of art probably worth millions one day.)

This craft is timeless, super easy, and kids love mushing their hands in paint.

This was my mom's Grandparents Day gift... a little messy, but she loves it and will no doubt treasure these baby hand flamingos forever. This year we handmade all of Austin's Grandparents Day gifts at almost no cost. Gifts on this day really should come straight from the heart, or in this case, the hands. Austin is so lucky to have four grandparents, and four great-grandparents, so his little hands have been busy these past couple of weeks!

Another cute idea is to decorate a coffee mug with permanent markers. My dad is a daily coffee drinker, so this was perfect for him. Austin went to town with these Sharpies and created a scribbled masterpiece. I let both the mug and the flamingo plate dry overnight, and then baked them in the morning. Before the plate had been baked, I was easily able to scratch off the paint. And I'm not sure if washing the mug will cause it to fade... so I definitely recommend baking both, just in case ;) I put them in the cool oven, set it to 350 and then turned it off after 30ish minutes.

 If you're making your own art, remember to leave it in the oven until it has completely cooled! A sudden and extreme temperature change can cause it to crack. In my anxiousness to get it out of the oven and wrap it, I almost cost the flamingos their lives. So yeah, don't do that.

I'm seeing Thanksgiving turkeys and Austin's very own Christmas wreath in our handprint crafting future. 

How neat would it be to hang our wreaths together!?

Have a great week folks!