O Handprint Trees!

Hi, I am Krista and I am a sentimentalist. I tear up just watching my kids play and their conversations with each other melt my heart. They are so incredibly amazing in every way. I keep just about every drawing, painting, rock or stick that they hand me.  Since they are growing so quickly, I try to create projects that capture their growth…so I incorporate handprints often.  We finished little handprint trees today and here is how we made them:

Step 1:

Make ahead Painted Paper:  (see painting tips here)

If I have a project in mind or if a specific holiday is approaching, we have a painting day using colors of the season. Then, as I think of projects or have some type of inspiration to make something, I have fun painted paper at my finger tips (and I don’t have to wait for paper to dry…woo hoo!).  So for this project we used our pre-painted green paper.

Step 2:

Gather materials:

Cardboard cones (or any kind of cone), paper towel roll, painted paper, hot glue, scissors, brown colored pencils and cute little hands to trace.

Step 3:

Trace and cut out hands. Make sure to trace some of the wrist which will be helpful in the next step.

Step 4:

Wrap and glue hands to cone starting at the bottom. The paper will layer nicely if you work your way up from the bottom. If you include the wrist/arm when you trace you will have more cone coverage.

Step 5:

Color bottom portion of paper towel roll with shades of brown for the tree stump and curl up some of the finger tips (branches). Plop the tree on paper towel roll (or not...they look cute without the paper towel roll, too) and that's it!

O handprint trees, O handprint trees…how lovely are your branches!

I know…I am a cheeseball. :)

12 days!




I am sharing this over at Blue Cricket Design, 30 Handmade Days, Whipperberry & Tatertots& Jello!