Handprint and Footprint Valentines

What is cuter than your child's tiny hands and feet? Realizing that my kids hands and feet won't be little much longer, we have been doing lots of projects lately that preserve their child sized prints. The grandparents, Daddy and I treasure these keepsakes. The kids just think it's awesome to put paint on themselves and make prints.

  1. Ages: 3 - 8

  2. 30 minutes - 1 hour

  3. Messy

Tags:

Materials you'll need

Step-by-step tutorial

  • Step 1

    The kids painted one hand, then I painted the other.

    Photo reference of how to complete step 1

  • Step 2

    I showed them how to press their hand onto the paper evenly and without moving from side to side to avoid smearing. For my preschooler, I held his hand and pressed it down on the paper like a stamp.

    Photo reference of how to complete step 2

  • Step 3

    After pressing each hand slightly angled to make the heart shape, they wiped the excess paint off of their hands.

    Photo reference of how to complete step 3

  • Step 4

    Feet were super fun and tickly to paint. I had them sit on a small chair with the paper on the floor in front of them. I brushed some paint on their feet, then helped them place their feet on the paper in a heart shape, one foot at a time.

    Photo reference of how to complete step 4

  • Step 5

    Once the paint dried, we drew a heart shape onto construction paper slightly larger than the hearts they'd made with their hands and feet. They cut out the hearts on the construction paper. I helped them trim around the hand and feet prints to preserve the heart shape. We used a pinking shears for some of the hearts, just to give it an extra fancy edge. This was my son's idea and it added a nice touch to the finished Valentines.

    Photo reference of how to complete step 5

  • Step 6

    Next, the kids glued their prints to the construction paper hearts.

    Photo reference of how to complete step 6

  • Step 7

    They wrote the names of the recipients on the valentines. You can have them add their names and ages as well.

    Photo reference of how to complete step 7

  • Final result!

    Our Valentines are ready! Don't they look lovely, these sweet little hands and feet? I know that mine will be going in my keepsake box.

    Photo reference of how to complete step 8

You might also like

Top categoriesBurst graphic

Share what you made & tag us at!

;