Quick & Adorable Handprint Projects

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I love the idea of making homemade Valentine’s! That said, I have an active 22 month toddler who doesn’t sit still long and can’t do much in the way of crafts yet. So, I put my preschool teacher hat back on and came up with 5 quick and adorable hand print projects that you can do…in a matter of minutes!

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No paint necessary. No messy glitter. Just a pencil and marker, paper and glue. Oh, and maybe a bit of tape and string if you choose the first project.

I focused on hand print projects because I love capturing the size of little hands at any given time. To keep these projects simple, you need to trace your little one’s hand. I started by tracing it on a piece of plain white paper. It took me two quick tries to capture a good one. That was the one I kept and cut out. Then, I simply used the best hand print as my model and traced more from that good tracing. That hand print was the basis for all these adorable hand print projects.

My long distance hug project is still one of my favorites but I didn’t want to get out the paint with my one year old. So, I started by adapting that one.

Simply trace 2 hand prints onto red paper. I recommend using a sturdy red cardstock for this one. Cut out the hand prints. Cut a short piece of string or ribbon. Attach to the back of hand prints using tape. If you are using one hand print, be sure to flip one over so you have a left and a right hand print pair. You can write a little note to include or simply send the hand prints in an envelope saying “I’m mailing you a hug!”

Not only is this one perfect for Valentine’s Day but also Grandparents Day when you want to remind grandparents how much they are loved!

Next up was the ever classic hand print flower. Again, trace two hand prints in red (or whatever color you choose) and overlap them on the top half of a paper. Draw stems and you have flowers! Add a cute saying such as “My love for you keeps growing…” and you are finished!

For the next project, I got a bit more adventurous and traced a foot print as well. I discovered my son has ticklish feet (like his mama) so that took me a couple tries. I cut out a hand print and food print and glued them to opposite sides of the paper. For this one, I wrote “I love you from the tops of my fingers to the tips of my toes!” And quickly, I was finished with another project.

For the next hand print project, I traced my husband’s hand as well as my own. I alternated them by color and sizes and mounted them on the paper. I think this would be a fun project to do from year to year and compare how hands change – especially the little ones.

The final hand print project takes a tiny bit of work but turns out so nicely when it works. First, fold a piece of paper in half. Then, on the fold, trace your child’s hand so the thumb and index finger go off the fold. You can see exactly what I mean in the picture below.

Now, carefully cut the hand out and open it up. When you do, you should see a heart shape in between the two hands. Then, mount the hands carefully to your paper. This is a great (basic) introduction to symmetry as well, says the former preschool teacher still in me!

There you have it! In a matter of minutes, you can complete any (or all!) of these quick and adorable hand print projects. We’re mailing these to different grandparents and great-grandparents, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

If you want to preserve these projects longer, consider framing the papers you created. You could also mount the hand prints on a mat.

Which one of these hand print projects is your favorite? And do you have any other hand print ideas to share?

If you really want to go out, check out these directions for how to make a hand print calendar! Whether you do it for Valentine’s Day or a Christmas gift, it’s a hand print project that is sure to be cherished!