Baby Handprint and Footprint Crafts

Did you just welcome home a new little one? Share those cute little hands and feet with loved ones far away by creating some crafts that showcase prints of your baby's hands and feet. Here are a few ideas: Create a brag card. You'll need heavy cardstock or matting, ink, a photo of your new baby. Place the cardstock or matting so that the longer sides are at the top and bottom (horizontal layout). Adhere the photo in the center. Cover a foot with ink and make a print on one side of the picture. Cover one hand in ink and make a print on the other side of the photo. Use a nice pen and write the name of your child on top of the picture and put the date underneath the picture. Put imprints of baby's hands and feet on items that certain family members would use often. For example if your mom loves to cook put prints on an apron, if your father-in-law likes reading make him a bookmark with a print of your child's foot on it. Just be sure to use paint that is child safe and will wash off easily.

Make ornaments out of handprints or footprints. Be sure to put the date on them and they will bring back fond memories every time they are brought out to be placed on the tree. You can make simple ornaments by putting a print on cardstock cutting around the print then attaching a ribbon loop to hang the ornament. You could also get the plastic clear ornaments that can have items put inside them and put a cut out print inside. Put hand and footprints on a small plain gift bag. Put pictures, a brag book, maybe even a DVD of video of your child inside to create a special gift. Use a stepping stone kit to make an imprint of your child's hands and feet. They are perfect for nearly anyone, whether they garden or not. Paint a canvas in a solid color, use a darker hue of that same color to make prints of your child's hands and feet. Attach a ribbon in the darker color to the top of the canvas and tie a bow. These are simple to create and look great hanging in a nursery. Smaller versions of this same project are perfect for grandparents to hang on the fridge, just add a magnet to the back of the bow and top part of the canvas. By Rebecca Hayes