With all my craft catastrophes lately, you may be surprised to hear that this morning I hosted a get-together for my friends and our kids with the sole purpose of creating spring crafts. I just had to get back on the horse and try again; can’t let bad craft karma get me down. We packed seven moms, seven toddlers, and three babies into my modest home and managed to create some beautiful works of art using our kids’ sweet little thumbprints. Bright colors, baby chicks, bunnies, butterflies and more! It was a very cheerful way to start our day and a delightfully easy spring craft.
I got this idea from Lila at Sweet and Lovely Crafts (worth a visit, I assure you!) and she promised an easy, festive craft for less than five dollars. And did she deliver? I promise she did!
Hers looks a bit more professional, but remember we were having what may have qualified as a circus over here. Seven toddlers and three babies? We moms were outnumbered, providing some semblance of a lunch, and still managed to pull it off! I promise that if we could do it, you can do this in the comfort of your home with your sweet little angels just fine.
Here’s what you need for this Easter/Spring Thumbprint Art:
* colorful cardstock
* fingerpaint
* googly eyes
* felt
* markers
* glue
* scissors
Directions:
1. Get out your spring-inspiring, colorful cardstock.
2. Fold the cardstock into quarters and cut.
3. On an individual square, trace a circle which will be the canvas for your thumbprint art.
Since we had so many projects going, we put the kids’ initials on the back but you probably won’t have to. Unless your kids are super-competitive or something.
4. We used fancy scallopy scissors to create a beautiful border around the circle to spice it up. Lila from “Sweet and Lovely” used a cricut to make the scalloped borders, but we definitely did not have one of those handy and scissors worked brilliantly. Lila created two circles, one slightly larger and in a different color, to create a sort of frame. Definitely worth the effort if you’re not trying to juggle ten children in one craft.
5. Then there are a bunch of different options for decorations. Here’s what we did, and I’m sure you could think of many more!
Butterflies
Depending on the size of your child’s hand, you can use his/her thumb or pointer finger for the butterfly body. Jax used his pointer because we were having thumb coordination issues. Then use a different color for the wings. We used a different shade of blue for the top and bottom wings.
Then add some googly eyes, draw some antennae and a smile! See my finished butterfly at the end of this post.
Flowers
Use thumbprints for the flower head and then draw or paint the stems.
Chicks
One big thumprint = one big chick
One little thumbprint = one small baby chick
I had Jax and Em each make a chick using their thumbprints; his was slighter bigger than hers and it makes me smile. Some of my friends made a big chick using their own thumbprint and then their child made the baby chick. Either way, they were all really cute! Added googly eyes so that the chicks were looking at each other or following one another and painted legs and a beak. If you’re super crafty, you can cut legs and a beak out of felt.
Bunny
Only one of my friends undertook a bunny thumbprint, and she changed it up a bit from Lila’s bunny. Lila just made a bunny face using a thumbprint and ears using pinkie print. My friend Katie and her son Andrew made a whole bunny with fingerprint ears (the white and the pink). Then they painted the rest.
And to keep you in suspense no longer, here is my children’s finished thumbprint art.
Em’s chick is on the left, Jax’s is on the right.
I just love them.
This craft was so fun and easy and the kids really enjoyed it! Each individual thumbprint project took five minutes max, and since we had the squares ready and the paint out, there really was no mess or stress.
What you can do after this is up to you. Lila from “Sweet ad Lovely” put hers on a corkboard with “Happy Easter” underneath. I think I may put mine in a frame so that they won’t get ruined year after year. Another of my friends was thinking of hanging hers from a window. The possibilities are endless! I hope you take the opportunity to make these simple but really darling spring crafts and commemorate how little your little ones’ thumbprints really are! And if you do, be sure to let me know!
What a lovely blog post. Thanks so much for the shout out. I can't even imagine what kind of chaos ensued with that many small children, all with paint filled fingers
I love your impromptu photo shoot on the train tracks!
I love your blog. I love your craft ideas and I also love your pictures which is why I'm awarding you the Stylish Blogger Award. I hope you will accept this award for more info check out my blog. http://andweareoffto.blogspot.com/
I have two thoughts: First, those are adorable. I love the chicks! Second, you are BRAVE!
I host a mommy/toddler book club once a month and I need the rest of the month to get my energy back! (although, I think I am going to use this idea in my next get together.)
Oh my goodness, those are adorable crafts. I'm definitely going to be using those ideas here at our home. My girls love doing crafts! Happy Spring!
Blessings,
Rosann
i LOVE the thumb print idea!! sooo sweet … most certainly will be breakin' out the paints * thanx for sharin' ~ ~ ~
Hello! Newest follower from the Thirsty Thursday blog hop! Would love for you to stop by and follow back, whenever you get a chance. Have a great week! (:
Amber
http://beautifullybellafaith.blogspot.com
Well hello! I am here by way of Mommy Chronicles Blog hop and I'm thriled to be here since I have a toddler and we love to do projects like these! I think we'll try the chick one as an Easter card idea- Thanks for sharing.
I'm excited to be your newest follower through the hop
So cute! What a great idea, I'm definitely going to try this with my little one. I am your newest follower from Thirsty Thursday and I love your blog! You have a lot of very neat ideas. You can find me at:
http://www.loveandpancakes.com/
Have a great day!
~xoxo~
Melissa
Super super cute! You're so great to link up!
Hi there! I love this sweet idea – especially the little chicks. I always love hand and finger print crafts, they're such a lovely keepsake. I wondered if you might like to come and share your post with our Play Academy idea swap – you would be most welcome. http://nurturestore.co.uk/play-academy-34-2
I love it, I love it, I love it! Your post made me smile today! Fingerprint art rocks!
so cute, just did a frame for a preschool auction, wish i would have seen your cute chicks and bunnies we did just bugs. Newest fan from blog hop, come visit when you get a chance
http://stayingclosetohome.blogspot.com
Stopping by from Weekend Wander. What a cute post! Sounds like it was a fun activity for the kids and the grown-ups!
OH!! I think you did great. I am bad like that and hate the mess but given we do have carpet everywhere so… but they have so much fun don't they and love it so!
Very cute! And you're so brave crafting with all those kiddies! Fantastic results though – so well worth it!
Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a great week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/
These are great! Such a good idea and way more fun to craft with lots of friends and kiddos.
Two more things…
I LOVE the name of your blog. Cracked me up.
I read your craft catastrophe post – hilarious. And it got me thinking… would that be a craftastrophe?
Very cute thumbprint art and some great ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Cute thumbprint art. Thanks for the ideas and for sharing !
FANTASTIC CRAFT! Great pictures too!
Melissa
MeloMomma
What a great craft for toddlers! I will be doing this with mine : ) Thanks!
Sweet! Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!
They are to cute and look like they enjoyed it all! TFS
Following from: Friday Link Up
Adorable! I miss doing these type of projects with my kids. They are tween/teens and are not into it anymore but I still am! lol
Just saw you on the It's a Keeper Thur. Hop! Stop on over at my blog and link up this tasty idea in my Easter/Spring Recipe/Idea Hop! If you have others, feel free to link up! I'll keep it going for a few months so you should get some visits from it!!!
http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-holiday-goodies-in-jar-and-blog.html
Have a great weekend, SusieQTpies at Scraps of Life
I'm following you on GFC
How cute are those little birds!!! Thanks for sharing on Fancy This Fridays!!!
Can't wait to see this week's project!
I'm absolutely smitten with those little thumbprint chicks! I'm going to have to do that project with my girls. I admire the way you craft with your children! It inspires me!
Jenn/Rook No. 17
awww!! i love the little chickies best
Thanks for linking up to Your Whims Wednesday!! Hope to see ya again this week 
I love handprint and thumb print art…these are adorable.
Thanks for linking up to Creative Juice. Hope to see you back again this week!
This is super cute and easy! Thanks for sharing at Fantastic Friday. I hope that you will join us again this week.
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