Handprint Crafts for Kids: 22 Easy Keepsake Ideas

These handprint crafts for kids turn a little paint and a lot of giggles into keepsakes you will want to keep for years. Below are 22 handprint, footprint and fingerprint ideas for every season, from winter snowmen and spring flowers to summer suns, fall trees and gifts for grandparents. Each lists cost, time, difficulty, ages, materials and steps.

Hands and feet grow fast, so many families repeat the same print every year and compare. Always supervise, use paint labeled non-toxic and washable, and keep small add-ons like googly eyes and buttons away from children under three.

Jump to

• Supplies for Handprint and Footprint Crafts
• Safety and Setup Tips for a Clean Print
• Winter Handprint and Footprint Crafts
• Spring and Easter Handprint Crafts
• Summer Handprint and Footprint Crafts
• Fall and Halloween Handprint Crafts
• Handprint Keepsakes and Gifts Kids Can Make
• Fingerprint and Thumbprint Crafts
• Handprint Crafts by Age
• Handprint Crafts for Kids FAQ

Supplies for Handprint and Footprint Crafts

Most of these ideas use the same handful of supplies, and you probably have several of them already. Set out one color per shallow dish so it is easy to dip or brush.

• Washable tempera or kids finger paint in a few bright colors
• A wide foam brush or a 1-inch paintbrush for painting palms and soles
• Heavy paper: cardstock, watercolor paper or construction paper (thin printer paper wrinkles and tears)
• Paper plates or shallow trays for paint, plus a bucket of warm soapy water and old towels
• Washable markers, a black fine-tip marker for adults to add faces and details
• Extras for older kids: googly eyes, pom-poms, glitter glue, ribbon and white school glue
• For keepsakes: blank canvas, fabric paint, a plain tea towel, and flour, salt and water for salt dough

Washable tempera is easiest on skin. Save acrylic for older kids working on canvas or wood, and use paint labeled for fabric on towels.

Safety and Setup Tips for a Clean Print

• Paint the hand or foot with a brush instead of dipping. Dipping puts on too much paint and the print turns into a blob.
• Press the hand flat, then gently push down on each finger and the center of the palm before lifting straight up.
• For footprints, have the child sit in a chair or on your lap. Hold the paper on a clipboard or book and bring the paper to the foot rather than the foot to the paper.
• Check paint labels for non-toxic certification (look for the AP seal), skip anything with a strong smell, and wash skin right away. Stop if you see redness or irritation.
• Do a practice print on scrap paper first, then make the real one. Write the child’s name, age and date on the back while you remember.

With babies, two adults make it much easier: one holds and distracts, one paints and presses. Plan on just a few prints per session.

Winter Handprint and Footprint Crafts

These snowy designs work from December through February, so they are not just for Christmas. Dark blue or black paper makes white paint pop. If you want holiday-specific ideas like a handprint reindeer, see our Christmas crafts for kids.

1. Handprint Snowman Family

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes plus drying · Ages: 2+

Materials: white paint, dark blue cardstock, orange and black markers, a scrap of fabric or paper for scarves

1. Paint the palm and fingers white and press the hand onto the paper with fingers pointing up.
2. Each fingertip becomes a snowman head and each finger a body, so one print makes a family of four or five.
3. Let it dry, then add tiny orange noses, dot eyes and buttons with markers.
4. Glue on strips of paper or fabric for scarves.

Tip: Add fingerprint snowfall and write the year in the corner.

2. Footprint Penguin

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes plus drying · Ages: 1+

Materials: black and white paint, blue or white cardstock, orange paper, googly eyes (ages 3+) or a marker

1. Paint the sole of the foot black, then paint a white oval in the middle of the sole.
2. Press the foot onto the paper with the heel at the bottom. The toes become the penguin’s head.
3. Once dry, add eyes and an orange paper beak near the toes and two small orange feet at the heel.

Tip: This one works beautifully for babies, because a tiny foot makes a tiny penguin.

3. Handprint Mitten Card

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 20 minutes · Ages: 4+

Materials: cardstock folded into a card, paint in two colors, a hole punch, yarn

1. Paint the palm and press it on the front of the card with the fingers closed together and the thumb out, so it looks like a mitten.
2. Make a second mitten print beside it in another color.
3. When dry, punch a hole at the bottom of each mitten and tie them together with a short piece of yarn.
4. Write a winter message inside.

Tip: Add cotton swab stripes for a knitted look.

Spring and Easter Handprint Crafts

Bright pastels make these perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day and spring bulletin boards.

4. Handprint Flower Bouquet

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $1 · Time: 20 minutes plus drying · Ages: 2+

Materials: paint in three or four colors, green paint or marker, white cardstock, ribbon or a paper bow

1. Paint each hand a different color and press the prints in a loose cluster near the top of the page, fingers pointing up. Each print is a tulip-like flower.
2. Paint or draw green stems running down to one point at the bottom.
3. Glue a ribbon or paper bow where the stems meet.

Tip: Have siblings each add a flower for a family bouquet, which makes a lovely Mother’s Day card.

5. Footprint Butterfly

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes plus drying · Ages: 1+

Materials: two colors of paint, cardstock, a marker or pipe cleaner

1. Paint both feet, each in a different color.
2. Press them on the paper side by side with the heels close together and the toes angled out, forming butterfly wings.
3. When dry, draw a body and antennae down the middle, or glue on a bent pipe cleaner.

Tip: Try matching handprint wings on the same page so you can compare sizes.

6. Handprint Easter Bunny

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes plus drying · Ages: 2+

Materials: white or pale pink paint, pastel cardstock, a pink pom-pom (ages 3+), cotton ball, marker

1. Paint the hand white, leaving the thumb and pinky unpainted or folding them in.
2. Press with only the middle and pointer fingers spread apart. The two fingers become ears and the palm becomes the head.
3. Add a face with a marker and glue a cotton ball tail on a second palm print.

Tip: Fold the card and slip it into an Easter basket as a note from the kids.

7. Fist Print Baby Chicks

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 10 minutes · Ages: 2+

Materials: yellow paint, light green or blue paper, orange marker

1. Have the child make a loose fist and dip the side of it (the pinky side) in yellow paint.
2. Stamp a few round chick bodies across the page.
3. Add orange triangle beaks, little feet and dot eyes with markers once dry.

Tip: Draw a cracked eggshell around one chick for a hatching scene.

Summer Handprint and Footprint Crafts

Paint on the porch or patio in summer and cleanup is just a hose and a towel.

8. Handprint Sun

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $1 · Time: 20 minutes plus drying · Ages: 2+

Materials: yellow and orange paint, a paper plate or large paper circle, blue cardstock

1. Paint the center of a paper plate yellow, or glue a yellow circle onto blue cardstock.
2. Make eight to ten yellow and orange handprints all the way around the circle with fingers pointing out. These are the sun’s rays.
3. Add a smiling face and sunglasses with a marker.

Tip: For more plate projects, see our paper plate crafts for kids.

9. Handprint Octopus

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes plus drying · Ages: 3+

Materials: purple, pink or orange paint, blue paper, googly eyes (ages 3+), marker

1. Paint the hand, fold the thumb in, and press it so the fingers point toward the bottom of the page.
2. Make a second print overlapping the first, so the eight fingers become eight legs.
3. Add eyes, a smile and drawn bubbles once dry.

Tip: Paint fishy fingerprints around your octopus to build an underwater scene.

10. Footprint Fish

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes plus drying · Ages: 1+

Materials: bright paint, blue cardstock, a marker

1. Paint the foot in stripes of two or three colors.
2. Press it sideways on the paper. The heel is the fish’s face and the toes become the tail.
3. Add an eye, a mouth and a few bubbles.

Tip: Make one every summer to see how much the feet grow.

11. Handprint Fireworks

Difficulty: Medium · Cost: about $1 · Time: 20 minutes · Ages: 4+

Materials: red, white and blue paint (plus glitter glue if you like), black or navy paper

1. Paint just the fingers and press the hand down several times in a circle, rotating the paper between prints, to make a starburst.
2. Repeat in different colors around the page.
3. Add glitter glue dots in the middle of each burst.

Tip: Great for the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve.

Fall and Halloween Handprint Crafts

Autumn colors are perfect for handprints. For turkeys and thankful wreaths, see our Thanksgiving crafts for kids. The ideas below work all fall long.

12. Handprint Fall Tree

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 20 minutes plus drying · Ages: 2+

Materials: brown paint, red, orange and yellow paint, white cardstock

1. Paint the hand and forearm brown and press them on the paper with fingers spread. The arm is the trunk and the fingers are branches.
2. When dry, let kids add fingerprint leaves in red, orange and yellow on and around the branches.

Tip: Repeat with green and pink fingerprints for a four-season set.

13. Footprint Ghost

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 10 minutes plus drying · Ages: 1+

Materials: white paint, black or orange cardstock, black marker

1. Paint the bottom of the foot white.
2. Press it on the paper with the toes at the bottom. The heel becomes the ghost’s round head.
3. Add two eyes and a round “boo” mouth near the heel once dry.

Tip: Write “Boo!” in a speech bubble and use it as a Halloween card for grandparents.

14. Handprint Spider

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes plus drying · Ages: 3+

Materials: black paint, orange or white paper, googly eyes (ages 3+) or white paint

1. Paint both hands black, leaving the thumbs unpainted.
2. Press the two hands side by side with the palms overlapping a little, so you get eight finger legs.
3. Add eyes and draw a web from the top of the page.

Tip: A cotton swab dipped in white paint makes great little eyes for kids under three.

15. Handprint Bat

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes · Ages: 3+

Materials: black paint, purple or orange paper, white paint or marker

1. Paint both hands black and press them with thumbs touching and fingers pointing out to the sides. These are the wings.
2. Paint a small black oval body where the thumbs meet and add two pointy ears.
3. Add white eyes and tiny fangs.

Tip: Cut out several and string them into a garland for the front window.

Handprint Keepsakes and Gifts Kids Can Make

These are the projects grandparents treasure. Plan them for a calm afternoon and make one extra in case a print smudges.

16. Salt Dough Handprint Keepsake

Difficulty: Medium · Cost: about $2 · Time: 30 minutes plus baking · Ages: 1+

Materials: 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, about ½ cup water, a rolling pin, a straw, paint and clear sealer

1. Mix the flour and salt, then add water a little at a time until a soft dough forms. Knead for a few minutes.
2. Roll it about ½ inch thick, cut a circle or heart a little bigger than the hand, and press the hand in firmly.
3. Poke a hanging hole with a straw if you want, then bake at about 200°F for two to three hours until hard, or air-dry for several days.
4. Once cool, paint around the print and have an adult seal it.

Tip: Salt dough is not food, so keep raw dough away from pets and toddlers who might eat it. For the ornament version, see our Christmas crafts for kids.

17. Family Handprint Canvas

Difficulty: Medium · Cost: about $5 · Time: 30 minutes plus drying · Ages: all ages

Materials: a small canvas, acrylic or tempera paint, a fine-tip paint pen

1. Paint the canvas a light background color and let it dry.
2. Start with the biggest hand. Each family member adds a print in a different color, layered from largest to smallest.
3. Have an adult write names and the date along the bottom with a paint pen.

Tip: This makes a meaningful gift for a new grandparent or a family reunion.

18. Handprint Heart

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes · Ages: 3+

Materials: red or pink paint, white cardstock, a marker

1. Paint both hands the same color.
2. Press the two handprints side by side, each tilted inward so the bottoms of the palms overlap and the fingers fan out to the sides. Together they make a heart shape.
3. When dry, write a short message in the middle or underneath.

Tip: Use it for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day with a simple “I love you with all my heart.”

19. Handprint Tea Towel

Difficulty: Medium · Cost: about $4 · Time: 30 minutes plus heat-setting · Ages: 2+

Materials: a plain cotton tea towel (prewashed), fabric paint, a fabric marker, an iron

1. Put cardboard under the towel so paint does not soak through.
2. Paint the child’s hand with fabric paint and press it firmly onto the towel. Add more prints in a pattern if you like.
3. Let it dry fully, then have an adult heat-set it with an iron following the paint directions.
4. Write the name and year with a fabric marker.

Tip: Hang one in grandma’s kitchen. For more gift ideas, see our DIY gifts guide.

20. Growing Hands Yearly Poster

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 15 minutes each year · Ages: all ages

Materials: a large poster board or a sheet of heavy paper, paint, a marker

1. Make a handprint at the top of the poster with the date and age.
2. Each birthday or New Year’s Day, add a new handprint below it in a different color.
3. Store it flat in a large envelope or frame it.

Tip: Take a photo each year as a backup.

Fingerprint and Thumbprint Crafts

Fingerprints are the easiest prints for wiggly kids, because they only need one fingertip of paint. An ink pad or a few paint dots on a plate works fine.

21. Fingerprint Painted Rock Paperweight

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: free to $2 · Time: 20 minutes plus drying · Ages: 4+

Materials: smooth rocks, acrylic paint, cotton swabs, clear sealer

1. Wash and dry the rocks, then paint a solid base color.
2. When dry, kids press fingertip dots in rings or patterns, or stamp a fingerprint flower with a contrasting center.
3. Let it dry overnight and have an adult seal it.

Tip: Small rocks can be a choking hazard, so use rocks bigger than a child’s fist for little ones.

22. Thumbprint Bug Bookmarks

Difficulty: Easy · Cost: under $1 · Time: 15 minutes · Ages: 4+

Materials: cardstock strips about 2 by 6 inches, an ink pad or paint, fine-tip markers, a hole punch, ribbon

1. Press thumbprints up and down the cardstock strip.
2. Turn each one into a bug with markers: red ladybugs with dots, yellow bees with stripes, green beetles.
3. Punch a hole at the top and tie on a ribbon.

Tip: These make easy class gifts or a thank-you for a librarian or teacher.

Handprint Crafts by Age

Babies and toddlers (birth to age 3)

Footprints are often easier than handprints with babies, because tiny hands like to curl into fists. Paint the foot quickly, press, and lift. Try the footprint penguin, butterfly, fish and ghost. If paint on skin is a struggle, start with mess-free painting: squeeze paint into a zip-top bag, seal it, and tape it to the high chair tray.

Preschoolers (ages 3 to 5)

Preschoolers love seeing their hand become an animal. They can help choose colors, paint their own palm with a brush and add details with markers. Good picks are the snowman family, bunny, octopus, handprint sun and thumbprint bugs.

School-age kids (ages 6 to 12)

Older kids can plan full scenes and help younger siblings. Try the fireworks, fall tree, family canvas, painted rocks and tea towel.

For more ideas for little ones, see our easy crafts for toddlers and popsicle stick crafts for kids.

Handprint Crafts for Kids FAQ

What paint is safe for handprints?

Washable tempera or finger paint labeled non-toxic is the best choice for skin. Look for the AP (Approved Product) seal from ACMI on the label. Wash skin right after printing.

How do you get a good baby footprint?

Wait until the baby is calm or sleepy, paint a thin, even layer on the sole with a brush, and press the paper to the foot instead of the other way around.

How do you preserve handprint art?

Use heavy paper or cardstock so it does not curl. Once the paint is completely dry, an adult can brush on a thin coat of Mod Podge or spray with a clear acrylic sealer in a ventilated area. Frame it or store it flat.

Can you make handprint crafts without paint?

Yes. Trace the child’s hand on paper and cut it out, press hands into salt dough or air-dry clay, or use a washable ink pad for fingerprints.

What age is best for handprint crafts?

Any age. Newborn footprints make lovely keepsakes, toddlers enjoy simple prints, and school-age kids can turn their handprints into detailed animals and scenes.

For more seasonal projects, browse the full Kids Crafts category, or try our paper plate crafts for kids.

Prices are approximate and were checked at the time of writing.