One thing I love about having children is using their handprints and footprints to make art! Everyone loves getting a hand or foot made present from my kiddos and believe me…we have decorated everything!! One of our favorite gifts to give loved ones is custom PJ’s! These would make a wonderful gift for grandma or grandpa on Grandparents Day, September 11th!
What you’ll need:
Comfy pair of PJ’s or PJ pants
Big piece of cardboard or a couple sheets of thick paper
Fabric/puffy paint in colors that match or compliment the PJ’s you picked out
Paper plate
BIG paintbrush
Little hands and feet
LOTS of wipes…to wipe paint off little hands and feet!
What you’ll do:
I usually plan out our design first…which color hands where (I limit colors to 2 per kid, because 2 hands means 2 colors…less mess and less confusion that way, besides then I can tell the recipient whose hands each color are!). Sometimes I use the kids’ hands to make a flower(s) or the sun, and use little feet for the grass. OR I just let them put hands everywhere, in an organized, pre-planned manner of course!
Lay the PJ’s down on a flat surface. Place the piece of cardboard inside, in between the fabric. This is so the paint does not soak through to the other side and make the PJ”s (1) ugly on the back and (2) stuck together!
Squeeze the first color of fabric paint onto the paper plate.
Use the paint brush to brush a layer of paint over your child’s hand or foot. Make sure to cover every little nook and cranny! My kids LOVE this part because it tickles!!
Have your child spread their fingers apart. With your guidance have them press their hand or foot down, leave it there a few seconds and then pull straight up.
Yay…a hand or foot print! Now repeat as many times as you want with as many colors and little hands/feet that you have available!
Use wipes to clean up the little hands and feet!
I always go back with the paint brush and “touch up” each hand and foot print, make them a little darker, etc. I also use the fabric paint and add “Hand/footmade with love by (my kid’s name) and the year.
Leave garment to dry for the next 24 hours.
Once it is dry, you can add hand/foot prints to the back or you can gift wrap your hand/footmade present!!
