Four-legged critters such as this zebra work best with single handprints. Use four fingers for the 'legs', and a pinky or thumb for the 'tail'.

Make a unique gift and a precious memory for those who love your child using their handprints or footprints. Unlike a standard print or impression, by turning your child's print into art you create not only a record of your child's youth, but also a lovely piece of handmade art that any loved one will be touched to receive.

Here are some tip for creating a quality print:

Use a stiff, sturdy paper. Our favorite is watercolor paper, which is resilient and has an attractive texture.

Decide ahead of time what kind of creature or image you'd like to make, and whether it would be best suited for a handprint or a footprint.

Use a vibrant, water-based, non-toxic paint or ink for your prints. You may want to do a few trial prints on scrap paper to experiment with getting that perfect print.

Always read labels and never use paints or inks on a child that warn against skin contact. Particularly avoid oil-based materials or anything that contains the word "cadmium" in the name. These paints are especially toxic.

There are several options for embellishing your child's print to create a work of art. If you have quality photo or art software such as Adobe Photoshop, you can consider scanning in your print and doing all the embellishing on the computer. This has the advantage of allowing for trial an error. You can also make several prints of the same artwork for multiple recipients.


Also consider two-handed designs, such as this butterfly designed with the handprints of a 3-year-old.
Painting directly on your print is a technique best left to experienced crafters and artists. Most amateurs will be more confident embellishing their print with pieces of cut out paper or other materials that allow experimentation. Lay the pieces out, and adhere with glue once you are satisfied with the result.

As a final touch, label your artwork with a cute phrase, name, and date using a computer or a fine-tip permanant marker.


Your print doesn't need to always be a critter. Consider a mountain, a tree, a cloud, or even a house or vehicle.