Day 15 – Hand Prints

This classic craft is always something nice keepsake for parents to hold onto. We made the classic version today, but I am also including directions for an updated version I have made for my family when LeeAnn was younger.

In Chauvet Cave in Southern France, a simple cave painting made 32,000 years ago helps to connect us to our human ancestors across time. It is done with the simple outline of a hand print.

With Mothers day coming up LeeAnn and I made three hand prints, one for us to keep, one for granny and one for Aunt Lab. After making bright pink dough I let LeeAnn make the handprints herself, because the dough does not harden until you bake it so it was very simple to re-roll it and let her try again. We then baked it and wrote her name and age on the back.

This is an instant keepsake, for an added special touch, take a nice picture of your little one and buy a shadow box frame, mount the picture with the print and you’ll have lovely keep sake you can hang on the wall. I have also included a more contemporary version of this project that I did with LeeAnn last year using a double paned frame and a stamp pad.

How to Make a Clay Handprint Keepsake and a Glass Ink Handprint

Supplies:

1 cup Flour

¼ cup Salt

1/3 cup Water

Food Coloring

Measuring Cups (liquid and dry)

Measuring Spoons

Rolling Pin

Baking Sheet

Cooling Rack

Permanent Marker

Ink Pad (non-Toxic)

Double Paned Shadow Box Frame

Childs Art Work

Instructions:

-          Mix together flour and salt, add food coloring to water if desired and add to flour mixture. Stir together. If the mixture is still dry and crumbly add a small amount of water. Mix until smooth.

-          Roll out and/or mold into shape desired, make sure it is no more than 1 ½ inches thick.

-          Have child press hand print into the surface while it is on the backing sheet as the handprint can be distorted as you try to move it.

-          Bake at 300°F for 30 – 60 mins. Do not let brown.

-          Once cool, write name, date and age on the back.

For contemporary handprint project, mount the child’s picture on the back of the shadow box. On the middle frame of glass, have the child put his handprint using the nontoxic ink pad. This makes a very unique looking handprint that you can share with the rest of you family.