Birthday Prints and Portraits

Here is a project that I shared over at Mess for Less last week. Enjoy!

I have to admit that I am overly sentimental at times. Having two pre-schoolers doesn’t make things easy as I am holding on to their early years for dear life. I enjoy finding creative ways to capture and document their growth. So I would like to share a little birthday project that has become a family tradition each year.

Materials:

6x6 canvas (I stock up on these when they are 60% off/under $2)

Craft paint /brush (under $1)

Birthday girl (priceless)

Ikea Easel ($1)

 

Here is what we do:

Step One

Let the birthday girl pick her color. Our birthday girl picked pink so I squeezed two shades of pink and some white paint into an old yogurt cup.  

Step Two

Birthday girl paints the canvas.

Step Three

Once the canvas is dry, paint birthday girl’s hand with a generous coat of white paint. I find this method easier than dipping the entire hand in paint. It saves paint and you can control coverage. Guide hand and make print on canvas. Seal with mod podge.

A brand new tradition:  

To go along with our handprint keepsakes, I decided to have my daughter draw a self portrait. Using an 8x10 canvas board and a sharpie, my little one whipped up this self portrait in about 30 seconds (pigtails and all). We painted the edges with some left over pink paint for a simple border.  Seal with mod podge.

Finally, we printed up this little “favorites” list, had an interview session and stuck this to the back of the portrait. 

As my little ones grow, so will our collection of prints and portraits. A simple and cherished birthday tradition.   :)




See this project and more fantastic ideas here:
WhipperBerry
30 Handmade Days
Tatertots & Jello
Six Sisters' Stuff

I Heart Nap Time
One Artsy Mama