Last year, I decided to do a “Pintrest Christmas”. My son was still very small and napping a lot so it was a great way to spend some quality time with my daughter. We made enough of these dish towels (ok, so technically they’re linen napkins because I couldn’t find towels, but you get the point) to give 2 or 3 to every family member. It was NOT a task completed in one day or even one week. We just tried to utilize every free moment we had and lil Imp didn’t seem to mind all the child labor…as long as she got to squish her fingers and toes in messy paint after she finished “working”!
Of course, these designs can be used on any medium…use your imagination…plates, canvas, holiday cards, etc…this is just what we chose to use because they were small and easily stored for next year.
Supplies
- Linen or cheese cloth dish towels (we found ours in 2 packs at Old Time Pottery far $2.50/ pack). White may work better, but red and green seemed more festive….and by all means buy EXTRAS for oopsies!
- Nontoxic fabric paint
- Sponge paint brushes
- At least one set of adorably cute and small hands and feet
That’s it!
Homemade Christmas Memories: Hands and Feet
We used only one body part and one color per session. Lil Imp had just turned 3 and her attention span was a bit limited. This technique required a bit more planning and organization on my part, but the last thing I wanted was an impatient toddler with painted feet stomping off in a tantrum!
Homemade Christmas Memories: Feet
This craft is perfect for a parent and/or child with limited mobility. There is no cutting or building and the painting requires very passive movement.
Homemade Christmas Memories: Hands
I squirted paint on a paper plate, painted her hand or foot with fresh paint for each print, guided her for placement, then repeated. The planning and organization really came into play when we created the designs that required both hands, both feet, and/or all of the above. When all was printed and dry, I added the small details, names, and dates.
After each session was complete, we used the excess paint to “decorate” the paper plate. When the last towel was finished, I let her create her own “freestyle” prints on all of our “oopsies” towels.
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- Hand Santa
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- Christmas Moose with Hands and Foot
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- Foot Penguin
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- Christmas Hands and Foot Angel
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- Christmas Hand Reindeer/Rudolph
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- Christmas Feet Tree
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- Mistletoes…my favorite
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- Christmas Foot Santa Hat
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- Homemade Christmas Memories…Freestyle/Oops
*Remember: Don’t forget to label and date every design! If you ever repeat this craft with another, or even the same child, you’ll want to be able to tell them apart.
What are your favorite holiday crafts to make with your kids?
