Fun Handprint Crafts

Here are some fun "recipes" for making a handprint tablecloth, handprint magnets and even handprint cookies. Ask your kids to "give you a hand" with these projects. ;)

Recipe 4 Handprint Tablecloth
Materials Needed:

• Tablecloth (Cotton blend works best.)
• Plastic to put underneath tablecloth
• Acrylic paint(s) -- colors of your choice
• Textile
• medium Bowl
• Sponge
• Thin paintbrush (optional)

Step 1: Iron tablecloth. Lay plastic underneath cloth to prevent paint from soaking through.
Step 2: Mix paint and medium in bowl, following directions on textile medium bottle.
Step 3: Use sponge to paint palm of hand. Spread fingers and press hand down firmly on tablecloth. Repeat with as many hands as you want.
Step 4: If you want to, you can paint an edge around the hands using a small paintbrush. This works well on barbeque aprons and t-shirts.
Three tips: Prewash the shirts to remove sizing, do not use fabric softeners of any kind, and put scrap cardboard inside the shirt so that the paint doesn't bleed through to the back.
 
Recipe 4 Handprint Magnets
What you Need:

• Poster Board
• Scissors
• Sticky backed magnet
• Poster paint and a paint brush
• Black permanent marker

Here is what you do:
Step 1: Paint your right hand with poster paint and make a handprint on the poster board. Do the same thing with your left hand.
Step 2: Let the prints dry.
Step 3: Cut around the outside of both handprints.
Step 4: Write the possessive form of your name on one hand and something like "work" or "masterpiece" on the other hand.
Step 5: Put a piece of sticky-backed magnet on the back of each hand.
Put these handprints on your refrigerator to hold up your school and art work for all to appreciate.
 
Recipe 4 Gingerbread Handprint Cookies
Supplies:

• 1 Cup shortening
• 1 Cup sugar
• half a teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 Cup molasses
• 2 Tablespoon vinegar
• 5 Cups sifted flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon each: ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves
• 1 package "red hots" candy
• 1 jar silver ball candy decorations

Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar, and salt. Add egg, molasses, and vinegar; mix well. Sift together dry ingredients. Add to molasses mixture, mix well. Chill about 3 hours.
Roll out, 1/4 in. thick, on lightly flouredsurface. Trace children's hands onto paper and cut out with scissors. Place paper hand on dough and cut around with a knife.
Place on greased cookie sheet and let children decorate thier own hands. Use "red hots" for fingernails, silver balls for rings, etc.
Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes, cool on wire rack, makes about 15 hands.
 
Merle:) merle@sodamail.com