Handprint Christmas crafts for kids : family hands

Everyone loves handprint Christmas crafts for kids, our family included.  Years ago, back when we were a family of four, we made this cute “Family Hands” project. Since my boys brought home a bunch of handprint projects from school, I wanted something a little different from a turkey or reindeer, etc.  Something more like a family portrait.

Now I know you may be thinking, this doesn’t exactly scream Christmas, but bear with me. We settled on this family hands project, using a handprint for each family member, in their favorite colors.

Handprint Christmas crafts for kids : Family Hands

What you’ll need:

• Paper for cutting out the handprints
• Paper for the background
• Glue
• Scissors
• Picture frame
• Paint/ crayons/ markers, whatever else you want to use to embelish the hands

Step 1: Pick your colored paper for each hand. We looked though my leftover scrapbook paper stack to find what we needed. The youngest brother picked out the colored papers he thought best suited each of us, and the other helpe

Step 2: Trace all of the hands on to the colored paper using a pencil and cut out.  The oldest brother handled this task for us.

Step 3: Glue the hands down on to the background paper.  Both brothers did this together using my favorite stick – the Elmer’s School Glue Stick which is purple so you can see what you’re doing, and then dries clear. Make sure you glue the tips of the fingers because they tend to curl.

Step 4. Finsh it off with a simple frame. We used an old one we had in the drawer and it was perfect. Everyone loved how it turned out, and it helped brighten up our kitchen.

You can make a set of family hands using whatever materials you have on hand. The handprints can be cut out of construction, scrapbook, or even wrapping paper. Kids can embellish the hands with whatever they wish, such as washi tape, little beads or sequins, or with paint and crayon. If you want to go for more of a traditional Christmas project look, try seasonal scrapbook papers for a festive feel. Alternatively, the frame can also be decorated. There are so many ways kids can get really creative on this project. It’s perfect for experimenting with all kinds of different materials. It’s also a great way to use up any small amounts of whatever scraps you’ve been saving.

Family handprint projects also make really sweet gifts for grandparents!

If you make Family Hands at home, drop a comment below and let us know! We would love if you’d share a photo with us.