Handprint and Footprint Crafts: 17 Keepsakes Parents Will Treasure Forever

Handprint and footprint crafts are the sweetest way to freeze time, because those tiny hands and feet will never be this small again. One day you are wiping orange paint off a little heel, and the next day that same child is taller than the kitchen counter. These keepsakes cost almost nothing, take about ten minutes, and turn into the art you will pull out of a box and cry over years from now. We gathered ideas for every season, from footprint ghosts and handprint turkeys to reindeer cards, snowmen and gifts for grandparents. Use washable, non-toxic paint, keep a damp cloth close, and let the mess be part of the fun. Pick one idea for this weekend and start your own little collection of memories..

Handprint and Footprint Crafts Start With Footprint Pumpkins and Ghosts

This is the idea that started it all. A short video of tiny painted feet turning into pumpkins and ghosts has been played more than 400 million times, and you can watch the original footprint art clip here. Paint the bottom of one foot orange and press it on white paper for a pumpkin. Paint the other foot white and press it on dark blue card for a ghost. Add stems, vines and dot eyes once the paint dries, and write the date on the back..

You will need: Washable non-toxic paint in orange, white, green and black, white paper, dark blue card stock, a soft brush, a damp cloth, a marker.

How to make it: 1. Brush orange paint on the sole of one foot and press it firmly on white paper. 2. Wipe the foot clean right away. 3. Paint the other foot white and press it on blue card. 4. When dry, add green stems, curly vines and black dot faces.

Handprint Bats That Fly Across Orange Card

Of all the handprint and footprint crafts, this is one little ones love most, because their fingers become wings. Paint the whole hand black, spread the fingers wide and press it on bright orange card. Turn the paper and press the other hand so the palms meet in the middle, and you have a bat. Add googly eyes and two tiny white fangs with a paint pen. Hang a few on a string across the window for a cute, not scary, Halloween look. Want more ideas for the season? Try our easy Halloween crafts for kids next. Who will make the biggest bat?

You will need: Black washable paint, orange card stock, googly eyes, white paint pen, glue stick, baby wipes.

How to make it: 1. Paint one hand black and press it on the card with fingers spread. 2. Paint the other hand and press it so the palms overlap. 3. Let it dry for 20 minutes. 4. Glue on googly eyes and draw small white fangs.

The Classic Handprint Turkey

Every family needs one handprint turkey on the fridge in November. It is one of the oldest handprint and footprint crafts around, and still one of the best. Paint the palm brown and each finger a different fall color, then press it on cream paper. The thumb becomes the head and the fingers become the colorful tail feathers. Add an orange beak, a red wattle and a googly eye. Make one every year on the same kind of paper and you will have a sweet growth chart by the time they start school. Grandparents love getting these tucked into a Thanksgiving card. Which colors will your turkey wear this year?

You will need: Washable paint in brown, red, orange, yellow and green, cream card stock, a googly eye, a small brush, a marker.

How to make it: 1. Brush brown paint on the palm and thumb. 2. Paint each finger a different fall color. 3. Press the hand on the paper and lift straight up. 4. Once dry, add the beak, wattle, eye and little legs.

Handprint and Footprint Crafts for Fall: A Fingerprint Leaf Tree

This one uses the whole arm, which makes kids giggle every time. Paint the forearm and hand brown and press them on white paper so the arm is the trunk and the fingers are branches. Then comes the best part: fingertip leaves. Dip fingers in red, orange and yellow and dot them all over the branches and on the ground below. Pop it in a simple frame and it becomes autumn decor you will want to keep up until December. Will you add a little name and date in the corner?

You will need: Brown, red, orange and yellow washable paint, large white paper, a paper plate for paint, a picture frame, wet wipes.

How to make it: 1. Paint the forearm and hand brown and press them onto the paper. 2. Wash up and let the tree dry. 3. Dip fingertips in fall colors and dot leaves on the branches. 4. Add a few falling leaves near the bottom and frame it.

Footprint Reindeer Christmas Cards

A footprint turned upside down looks just like a reindeer face, and once you see it you cannot unsee it. Paint the foot brown and press it on white card with the toes at the bottom. The heel becomes the head. Add two small handprints on top for antlers, glue on a red pom-pom nose and two googly eyes. A little ribbon bow finishes it. These handprint and footprint crafts make the most loved holiday cards for aunts, uncles and teachers. How many cards can your little helper stamp before snack time?

You will need: Brown washable paint, white folded card stock, red pom-poms, googly eyes, craft glue, thin red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Paint the sole of the foot brown and press it on the card, heel up. 2. Paint both hands lightly and press them above the heel as antlers. 3. Let it dry fully. 4. Glue on the pom-pom nose, eyes and a tiny bow.

Handprint Christmas Tree With Fingerprint Ornaments

Here is one of the best handprint and footprint crafts for siblings to make together. Start with one row of three green handprints at the bottom, then two in the middle and one on top, so they stack into a tree shape. Fingers point down like branches. Add a brown trunk, a yellow star and lots of colorful fingerprint ornaments. Older kids can draw a little garland with a gold marker. Every child can add their own handprint, so the tree shows the whole family. Who gets to put the star on top?

You will need: Green, brown, yellow and assorted washable paints, large white card, a gold marker, a sponge brush.

How to make it: 1. Paint a hand green and press three prints in a row near the bottom. 2. Add two prints above, then one on top. 3. Paint a small brown trunk and a yellow star. 4. Add fingerprint ornaments in many colors.

Paper Handprint Wreath for the Front Door

This wreath is one of the few handprint and footprint crafts with no paint on little hands at all, because it uses traced handprints. Trace each child’s hand on green paper, cut them out and glue them around a paper plate ring with the fingers pointing out. Mix two shades of green for depth. Add red pom-poms as berries and a big red bow at the bottom. It looks lovely on the front door and tells every visitor who lives inside. An adult should do the plate cutting. Whose handprints will go on your wreath?

You will need: Green paper in two shades, a pencil, child-safe scissors, a paper plate, glue stick, red pom-poms, red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Trace hands on green paper and cut out 15 to 20 prints. 2. An adult cuts the center from a paper plate. 3. Glue the hands around the ring, overlapping them. 4. Add pom-pom berries and tie a bow at the bottom.

Footprint Snowman on Dark Blue Card

White paint on dark blue paper makes this snowman really pop. Press a white footprint with the heel at the bottom, and the shape already looks like a snowman body with a round head on top. Once dry, add a carrot nose, dot eyes and buttons, a little red scarf and a black top hat. Finish with white fingertip snowflakes all around. Like most handprint and footprint crafts, it works as a card, a framed print or a winter classroom display. Will your snowman get a name too?

You will need: White, orange, red and black washable paint, dark blue card stock, a fine brush, a damp cloth.

How to make it: 1. Paint the sole of the foot white and press it on the card, toes up. 2. Wipe the foot clean. 3. When dry, paint a hat, scarf, nose, eyes and buttons. 4. Dot white snowflakes around the snowman.

Handprint and Footprint Crafts Mini Version: Fingerprint String Lights

When feet will not sit still, switch to fingerprints. Draw a wavy black line across a card for the wire. Then press colorful fingerprints hanging down from it like holiday bulbs. Add a tiny black cap on each one with a marker. A rainbow ink pad makes this fast and clean, and it is perfect for making a big stack of cards in one sitting. Even toddlers can do it with a little help. Slip them into kraft envelopes and you are done with holiday cards. Ready to start a card assembly line?

You will need: White folded cards, a washable rainbow ink pad or paint, a fine black marker, kraft envelopes.

How to make it: 1. Draw a loose, wavy line across the card. 2. Press fingertips onto the ink and then just under the line. 3. Repeat in different colors. 4. Draw a small cap and a short line linking each bulb to the wire.

Footprint Penguins in Winter Scarves

Two little feet make two little penguins, and they look adorable side by side. Paint the outside of the foot black and the middle white, then press it on light blue card. The toes become the head. Add orange feet and beaks, googly eyes and tiny striped scarves. Make one for each child in the family, or one for each year, and line them up. These handprint and footprint crafts look lovely on the fridge from December all the way through February. Will your penguins hold hands?

You will need: Black, white, orange, red and green washable paint, light blue card stock, googly eyes, a fine brush.

How to make it: 1. Paint a white oval in the middle of the sole and black around the edges. 2. Press the foot on the card with toes at the top. 3. Let it dry. 4. Add beaks, feet, eyes, scarves and snowflakes.

Handprint Flower Tea Towel Gift

Of all the handprint and footprint crafts you can give, this is the gift grandparents use every single day. Paint little palms in bright colors with fabric paint and press them on a plain white cotton tea towel. Then add green stems and leaves so each handprint becomes a flower. Let it dry overnight and follow the paint directions to set it, which is usually an adult with an iron. Fold it neatly, tie it with twine and add a sprig of rosemary. It costs very little and means so much. Who on your list needs a garden that never wilts?

You will need: A plain white cotton tea towel, washable fabric paint, a sponge brush, green fabric paint, cardboard to slip under the towel, twine.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the tea towel and slide cardboard underneath. 2. Paint a palm and press it near the bottom edge. 3. Repeat in different colors, then paint stems and leaves. 4. Let it dry and have an adult set the paint as directed.

Two Handprints and a Heart for Valentine’s Day

Sometimes the simplest idea is the one that melts hearts. Press two handprints facing each other with a little gap between them, then paint a small red heart in the middle. It looks like the hands are holding the heart. Use one child’s hands, or one big hand and one small hand for a parent and child version. Write a short note under it and you have one of the sweetest handprint and footprint crafts for Valentine’s Day, a card that will be saved for decades. Who will you give your heart card to?

You will need: Orange or pink washable paint, red paint, white card stock, a small brush, wipes.

How to make it: 1. Paint one hand and press it on the left side of the card. 2. Paint the other hand and press it on the right, fingers angled in. 3. Paint a small red heart between the palms. 4. Add a note and the date when dry.

Rainbow Handprint Art Banner

Have a group of kids over? Turn the afternoon into a big show of handprint and footprint crafts. Give each child a big sheet of paper and let them fill it with handprints in every color. Clip the finished pieces onto a string with clothespins and let them dry in the sun. The result is a cheerful banner for a birthday party, a classroom or the backyard. It is also a great way to keep a crowd of little ones busy outside where spills do not matter. What colors will your rainbow have?

You will need: Large paper sheets, washable paint in rainbow colors, paper plates for paint, a long string, clothespins, a bucket of soapy water.

How to make it: 1. Pour each color onto its own paper plate. 2. Let kids press handprints all over their sheets. 3. Clip the sheets to a string to dry. 4. Hang the banner indoors or out once dry.

Big Hand, Little Hand Painting

Among all the handprint and footprint crafts here, this is the one parents end up framing. A grown-up presses their handprint in one color, and the child presses theirs right on top in another color. Seeing a tiny hand inside a big one says more than words can. Do it again every birthday on the same size paper and you will have a series that shows just how fast they are growing. You can also add a grandparent for three generations of hands on one page. Whose hand will go first?

You will need: Two colors of washable paint, thick white paper, a foam brush, a frame, wet wipes.

How to make it: 1. Paint the adult hand and press it in the center of the paper. 2. Wipe clean and let it dry for a few minutes. 3. Paint the child’s hand in a second color and press it on top. 4. Write names and the date along the bottom.

Outdoor Footprint Painting Day

Some handprint and footprint crafts get messy, so take them outside. Lay a long roll of paper on the patio or grass, set out trays of washable paint and let kids walk, hop and tiptoe across it. You end up with a giant colorful runner full of footprints that can be cut into cards, gift wrap or wall art. Keep a tub of soapy water and a towel at the end of the paper so nobody tracks paint into the house. Hold hands on slippery paint. Is it warm enough for a footprint day this week?

You will need: A long roll of paper, shallow trays, washable paint, painter’s tape, a tub of soapy water, old towels.

How to make it: 1. Tape the paper roll down on a flat outdoor surface. 2. Pour a thin layer of paint into each tray. 3. Kids step into a tray and walk slowly across the paper. 4. Wash feet at the end and let the paper dry before cutting it up.

Family Handprint Tree Canvas

This canvas grows with your family. Paint a simple brown tree trunk and branches on a large canvas. Then every family member adds handprints in different colors as the leaves. Big hands, small hands and even baby hands all fit. Hang it in the living room and it will be the piece every guest asks about. You can even add new prints when a new baby or a new pet joins the family. It is one of those handprint and footprint crafts that becomes a true heirloom. Where would yours hang?

You will need: A large stretched canvas, brown acrylic paint, washable paints in bright colors, a wide brush, paper plates, wipes.

How to make it: 1. Paint a brown trunk and branches and let it dry. 2. Put each color on its own plate. 3. Each person presses their handprints around the branches. 4. Add names and the year on the trunk with a paint pen.

Newborn Footprint Hearts Keepsake

Newborn feet are so tiny they barely seem real. A sweet keepsake is to press both little feet in paint so the heels touch and the toes point out, which makes a heart shape. Be gentle, work fast and use baby-safe washable paint or an ink-free print kit. Many parents do this in the first weeks and then again on the first birthday to compare. Frame it with the birth date and you have the most precious art in the house. It is the perfect way to end our list of handprint and footprint crafts. Which keepsake will you make first?

You will need: Baby-safe washable paint or an ink-free print kit, thick white card, a soft sponge, baby wipes, a frame.

How to make it: 1. Dab a thin layer of paint on the soles with a sponge. 2. Press the right foot angled out, then the left so the heels meet. 3. Wipe the feet gently right away. 4. Add the name and birth date and frame it when dry.