Handprint art has been popular for decades, it was maybe even something our grandparents did as kids, and it's not going anywhere soon. It's easy to see why handprint art is so popular - it's messy, fun and creative, yet it's so simple to do. It's not only a great craft for sparking your kids' imaginations, but it can also make beautiful keepsakes - in a few years you won't believe that their hands were ever that tiny!
From sea creatures to Christmas, you'll find the best handprint art ideas right here, we're sure you'll find something you and the kids love. There's also plenty you can do with your creations too: give them as gifts to loved ones, make them into greetings cards or simply hang them up around your home.
If you want to involve the whole family, we've also included a number of family handprint ideas in the list too - if you want to create a special print you can enjoy for years to come.
Before you get started you'll need the essentials:
- Washable paint - This is a biggie (we're just looking out for your kitchen table)
- A canvas - this can be anything, the classic canvas, salt dough or colourful paper
- A paintbrush to paint hands
- Your little one's hands!
If you're looking for even more crafts to keep the kids entertained, don't miss our popsicle stick crafts for kids, or try the egg box crafts. If you need some inspiration check out our mega list of craft ideas for kids.
31 handprint art ideas
Ladybug handprint art
Celebrate wildlife and nature with this lovely big bug, the bright and fun colours will capture the imagination of your little ones. This beautiful ladybug handprint art is great for pre-schoolers, follow the simple step-by-step guide from The Inspiration Edit.
Handprint art ice cream cone
Who doesn't love ice cream?! And what a way to capture the summer fun in this handprint art ice cream cone from Glued to My Crafts. The kids are bound to love this one, getting messy with their most imaginative ice cream styles. We will warn you though they will likely be asking for the real thing after this one!
Space rocket handprint art
We're absolutely loving The Inspiration Edit for their range of handprint art ideas, we just had to include this awesome space rocket handprint art. Perfect for any mini astronauts out there, they'll be able to create their very own rocket complete with hand flames!
Family handprint art
If you want to make your handprints into a special keepsake, we'd recommend Kate Peach Designs, send your handprint scans over to them and they'll create this special piece of artwork. You can also personalise your print with your own poem or words, you can choose the colour of the handprints too! Find the family handprint art on Etsy.
Watermelon handprint art
Crystal and Comp have created this bright and summery watermelon handprint art that would be a great summer project. Head over to their blog for the how-to guide.
Family handprint art
This one might be more of a keepsake for the parents, but the kids still get to do the fun bit! This tutorial from Welcome to Nana's will show you how to create this family handprint art, perfect for hanging on your wall as a lovely memory.
Peacock handprint art
From Sweet and Lovely Crafts we bring you this bright blue peacock handprint art. The fan of handprints is really effective in celebrating the peacock's glorious feathers! It can be a little tricky making the fan, it might take a couple of attempts, but the outcome is definitely worth it.
Photo family handprint art
We absolutely love this piece from MiMi Adores, it's filled with such creativity and meaning. You can submit your photos and handprints, and their graphic designer will produce this lovely piece of artwork that you can hang on your wall and enjoy for years to come. Find the photo family handprint art on Etsy.
Clownfish handprint art
Just keep swimmin'... our favourite little fish are making an appearance on our list. This is also a little bit different, instead of using paper or canvas, salt dough is used which creates a rough ocean-like surface! The Fun Hand Print Art Blog have full instructions on creating this fantastic hand art print plaque.
Footprint art penguin
We know this is a list for handprints, but we couldn't resist this adorable footprint art from All About Teddy, it's just so cute! You will be sent everything you need to create this wonderful keepsake, your choice print and baby-safe ink. Find the footprint art kit on Etsy.
Bird handprint art card
This bird print would make a special greetings card for a loved one, something to be treasured! The tutorial for this bird handprint art comes from Ceramic Doodles, where they'll take you step-by-step on how to make it. It's just right for pre-school ages, a simple design yet really effective.
Campfire handprint art
Spark their imagination with this campfire handprint art idea, it captures the fun of camping and the draw of the outdoors. This handprint art tutorial comes from Mom Dot, where you'll find full instructions on creating this campfire, they also provide a free log template, bonus!
Foil Family handprint art
One for the parents, if you wanted to create something with a little extra sparkle, this beautiful foil family handprint art is made by Daisy Designs. Simply send in your scanned handprints and details and they'll create this personalised print for you. You'll have a choice of foil colours too. From only £16.95, we'd say quite a bargain too. Find the Foil Family handprint art on Etsy. As an added bonus, you can also include pet paw prints.
Blue birds handprint art
Create this cute pair of bluebirds by Glued to My Crafts, your little one could use both hands to create the pair, or one sibling each for them, you could let them choose their favourite colour for their bird. For the trees in the background try using fingerprinting for the leaves!
Baby Footprint art
How adorable is this footprint art from The Wild Flower Print Shop? The kit contains a guide, a baby-safe inkpad and an A4 sheet of paper (in a colour of your choice). It's the perfect way to remember your newborn's footprints as a truly one-of-a-kind keepsake. Find the footprint art kit on Etsy.
Earth day handprint art
This print is a wonderful way to celebrate planet earth, and you can make it any time of year with your children, they'll love the bright mixture of colours. You can find the tutorial at Happy Toddler Playtime.
Handprint art flower pots
Make something special for Mums or any loved one with these amazingly creative handprint flower pot kits from Baker Ross. These kits are easy to assemble and contain a foam template and pot, self-adhesive foam decorations and ribbon - everything you need to create these cute keepsakes. Find the handprint art flower pots on Amazon.
Cactus handprint art
What a fabulous design from Millie and Mommie! These adorable handprint art cacti would look great framed and displayed on a wall. We love them as two handprints, however, you could add in the whole family if you like! Follow the full instructions at Millie and Mommie.
Love handprint art
Take a look at this sweet project you can do with your little one, it makes the loveliest gift for Mums, Dads and loved ones. Perfect Chaos Digital is providing a digital download of the text, ready for your little one's handprint to fit in the middle. Find the love hand print art on Etsy for only £3.55.
Flamingo handprint art
It's easy to create handprint art with these flamingo-rgeous designs from The Chirping Moms, make sure you add a googly eye to make it pop!
Bee handprint art
No paint needed! Create these bee-utiful handprint puppets, you won't need many materials but this might be a good one for the slightly older kids due to the cutting out techniques. A fun variation would be to put them on slightly longer wooden sticks and stick them in the soil of your plant pots. Find the full guide at Kids Craft Room.
Crab handprint art
If your little ones have been feeling a bit crabby, keep them busy working on this little masterpiece! It's a really fun handprint art idea, add some goggly eyes and real sand to make it feel like you're at the seaside. Find this tutorial and other exciting handprint art ideas on Puppy Dog Tails.
Christmas handprint art ideas
Christmas tree handprint art
Keep your little ones busy over the Christmas period with this Christmas handprint art idea from Kids Activities, where you'll find the full guide on how to create this handprint Christmas tree art. It is a great way to include the whole family. You could each write your name and age on your handprint, to make it a special keepsake.
Snowman Christmas handprint ideas
We're a fan of the salt dough as a base for handprint art! It's easy to make and it just gives that extra layer of depth to a keepsake. This very special design comes from Paging Fun Mums, we absolutely love the creativity of it, and it's definitely something you can enjoy every Christmas. You'll find the full tutorial for this snowman Christmas handprint art over at Paging Fun Mums.
Handprint Christmas cards
Choose from three lovely designs and create special handprint Christmas cards to give to loved ones this Christmas. The full tutorial for these can be found on Art Crafty Kids, where you'll even find a handy (no pun intended) video tutorial of all three designs.
Salt dough handprint Christmas tree ornament
We love the fact that you'll be able to hang this ornament on your tree every year! Create these sparkly salt dough ornaments following a simple guide from The Imagination Tree. We think it would be a lovely touch to etch the kids' names and ages on the back of the ornament to make it a magical keepsake. They would also make a lovely gift for the grandparents.
Reindeer Christmas handprint card
Follow along with Mommy Savers tutorial for this fun reindeer handprint art. It would make a wonderful Christmas card for loved ones. The decoration features a big red rose and the famous bell, which makes it impossible to mistake it for anyone else but Rudolph.
Santa Christmas handprint art
Who could forget the big guy in red?! This adorable Santa Claus handprint art would make lovely Christmas cards, or even a gift tag to add that special personal touch this year. Find this design and loads more Christmas handprint art ideas at A Little Pinch of Perfect.
Angel Christmas handprint art
Keep your little angels (ok, maybe not all the time) busy with this angel handprint art idea from A Little Pinch of Perfect would make lovely Christmas cards, perfect for the grandparents!
Polar bear Christmas handprint cards
The magical polar bear is up there with many kids favourite winter animals, so create this ice-cool polar bear handprint art from Love to Sew. You'll find the simple instructions and everything you need to get started!
Well, we hope you found our handprint art ideas handy (ok, we'll stop now). But if you loved this article and are left wanting more, then check out our children's crafts ideas, it's bursting with inspiration to keep those little ones busy. If like us you have a tonne of spare paper lying around you could try out paper crafts for kids, a creative list of fun crafts that will use up that odd paper. If you're looking for something for yourself, or you're in need of some me-time, check out our five-minute crafts for adults.
