My maternal grandmother has four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. If we're not careful, holidays turn into knick-knack central. There are only so many snow globes, figurines and candles one grandmother can handle. Last year, we decided to give her a craft from all of the great-grandchildren to hang on the wall next to her recliner. Needless to say, she was beside herself when she received it. You would have thought we gave her the moon.

So what did we do? 

We captured a moment of the children's growth for her to be able to enjoy, even though most of us are several hours away. 

What you will need

  • Something to put the handprints on:  I used a bread cloth for cross-stitching, since I was stitching the names and lines. A piece of acid-free paper or uncut matboard will also work. 
  • Acrylic paint:  If you don't have acrylic paint sitting around, the strips of paint that come with paint by number kits are perfect for this. You only need a little to cover each child's hand.
  • A way to put the names on the finished product:  I stitched mine with black thread, using a cute kid-like font. If you're using matboard or paper, an acid-free pen would work just fine. Be creative with how you put the names on.

Instructions

  • Draw it all out on paper first! Plan whose hand is going where. I stitched the vertical and horizontal lines ahead of time so the spacing was right.
  • If you're using fabric, make sure it's ironed because you won't be able to iron it well once the handprints are on.
  • Paint each child's hand with the paint. Make sure to apply it all over and thick enough to come off on the fabric or mat. 
  • Place the hand firmly and press. Make sure to press all joints and tips of fingers. 
  • Allow the paint to dry and then put the names by each hand. 
  • Don't forget to add the date.
  • Have the item framed or put it in an inexpensive frame yourself. 

Other ideas

  • If there are a lot of children, make handprint trees and flowers. Draw or paint the stems and trunks first and have each child use different shades of green for the trees and pinks and reds for the flowers. Flowers can be made with fingerprints too.
  • You can use tiles to make handprint memories, especially if there are only one or two children. 
  • Put the age of the children next to their names. 

This is an easy craft that anyone can do and everyone will enjoy.