DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Hand or Foot Print Ornaments

I was searching your website for some craft ideas to do with my kids this holiday -- you have some wonderful ideas -- and thought I'd share with you what I did last year. We made a basic salt dough recipe (See DLTK's  air dry/bake clay recipes) and I let my then 3 year old help mix the dough, roll out the dough, use cookie cutters to cut them out and took a small straw to poke a hole in the top for a string. We baked them, cooled them and painted them. I then sprayed them with a clear polyurethane coating and let dry. We gave some as gifts and kept some for our tree.

Another thing we did with the salt dough was make an impression of both of my children's foot and hand. Poke a hole in the base of the hand (this will be the top), poke hole in the ball of the foot right below the toes, bake and cool.  Then..

Santa Hands

Take the hand; turn it so the fingers are facing down. The top (which is the base of your child's hand and thumb) you paint red with white fur lining and a white ball on the thumb tip for his hat. Paint the palm for his face. Paint the fingers white for his beard.

Reindeer Feet

Paint the foot light brown for the face, and the toes dark brown for the antlers. Paint a large red nose in the heel of the foot and eyes in the ball of the foot.

I have seen these done before but not with dough. My oldest had a great time helping (my youngest was an infant last year and it was a struggle to get his hand and foot impression, but well worth it!). My mom and mother-in-law loved it!

Note from Leanne:  There are many hand and footprint poems available in case you would like to include one with your ornament!

Printable version of these instructions