Happy Friday everyone! And Happy October!
Despite the 87 degree temperatures here in Iowa on Wednesday, we are all about the fall fun in our house lately. We tried out a brand new pumpkin patch this year and for once managed to go at a time when the crowds were low.
The boys are finally all the perfect age to enjoy every activity and had an absolute blast. Josh and I almost didn’t know what to do with ourselves because we’ve had babies or small toddlers that needed constant help for the last 6 years!
Our kids are also at awesome ages for baking and crafting little Halloween decorations. We made these adorable suncatchers with contact paper, leftover party streamers and construction paper.
And these Jack O’Lantern luminaries with old (clean) milk jugs, a permanent marker, and orange Christmas lights.
But I’m here today to talk about my favorite thing we’ve made so far! A handprint pumpkin keepsake plaque! I’m a sucker for handprint art – we all know how fast our littles grow – and I never want to forget how teeny tiny their hands were! This plaque is super easy to make and you can look back on it for years to come.
You need:
Ceramic Plaque (I found mine at Michael’s craft store but they are only sold IN store)
Paint – any kind
Paintbrushes – fine tipped
Pencil and eraser
Permanent marker in desired color for writing
1- Paint the face and sides of your plaque the desired background color. Don’t worry about streaking or making it perfect. Some pieces will be covered up and the rest of the imperfections give it character! Let dry.
2) Lightly paint your child’s palm and fingers. Don’t glob on the paint or the handprint will be difficult to see. Position the plaque in a sturdy place. Ask your child to spread out their fingers as best they can and gently place the hand onto the plaque. Carefully press down each of their fingers and lift their hand straight up. (I flipped ours upside down so our pumpkins would be larger on the bottom than on the top. You can decide how you want yours to look!) Let handprints dry.
3) Use a pencil to draw on your writing and details. Erase as needed with a regular eraser.
4) Paint over using one color at a time. The material of the plaque allows paint to dry very quickly but I still waited a little while in between each color to make sure I didn’t smear any wet paint. Use permanent marker for any writing and for writing your child’s name and age near their handprint!
5) Once finished, erase all leftover pencil marks and display on a small easel!
These little hands grow so fast! I love having their prints in memory form so I can always remember how tiny they once were.
Update 2021: This year, there is even more Fall Fun Printables for your littles for you to choose from! Click the photos or links below to head to my Etsy shop for these expanded choices! $3 instant download! Our sweet kiddos love these fall themed coloring pages and activities.
Fall Coloring Pages and Activities Pack – Instant Download!
Fall Activity Worksheets Pack – Instant Download!
Happy Fall!
Ah you make this look so easy. Last time I tried to do painted hands was a disaster but they were a whole year younger. I will need to try this again!
This is so cute! Handprint art is really fun, I agree, and I like that the hands are upside down. I think that works best!
-Lauren
These are cool. And those gallon jugs with the lights in them are pretty cool too! Thanks for sharing.
I love the handprints! And the lovely window art! These are such fun decorations to make, and good memories as well!
I love hand print art! This one with the pumpkins is so cute! Thanks for the idea!
This is so incredibly cute! This is something that would be great for my daughter to make this year!
So cute! I love DIY keepsakes. Creates great memories.