One of the best parts of being a mom to be is being able to do fun arts and crafts with my tiny human. It’s a special bond that I’ll always have a memory of, even if she doesn’t.
So I really love the month of February. It brings such joy as well as many holidays to celebrate. One of my favorite holidays to celebrate is of course Valentineโs Day. But did you know that much like other holidays, I actually enjoy the preparation leading up to the holiday more than the holiday itself.
So to continue in this tradition, My tiny human and I did the cutest little arts and crafts project, Handprint Love Bugs.
Amelia is 1 years old and at that age, they really are too big to just lay still like an infant and not big enough to do some other types of crafts like older toddlers. So the most ideal project and by far one of our favorites is hand painting crafts.
I think this love bug hand project will just make your heart sing. Not only is it ADORABLE, but it is also a good keepsake of your little oneโs hands. The best part is it can be done not only on toddlers but on infants as well. All you need is a little time, some paint, some paper and a cute little tiny human.
I have prepared the steps below for you as well as some templates that you can download for free.
What you need:
*Paint of your choice ( washable paint)
*Paper (card stock or poster board)
*Construction paper
*Paint brush
*Googly eyes
*Black sharpie
*Stickers (optional)
I prefer to use card stock paper not only because it is a heavier type of paper but it also holds very well when pressing kids hands on it. I have used construction paper in the past but like I mentioned before, due to it being thinner, The paper would tend to stick to the hand. Not necessarily what you want when youโre working with a tiny human. If you canโt find card stock, a poster board is another great option. You can just measure and cut it to the size that you need like a standard piece of printing paper (8โ x11โ).
I also prefer to use acrylic paint because I find that it produces a brighter and richer color. But please feel free to use another washable paint made specifically for kids. Especially if your kiddos are old enough to paint their own hand by themselves. I have used these in the past and they work well too. Again itโs just a preference. Once you do a couple of these projects youโll see what I mean.
Almost all the materials for this project can be found at one of my favorite stores. The Dollar Tree. It is great for arts and crafts materials. The only thing that didnโt come from The Dollar Tree was the card stock paper. If you donโt have a Dollar Tree near you, Iโll link some amazon.com products that are equally great!
Okay so letโs get started.
Step 1: Paint your tiny humanโs hands or if they are old enough, let them paint their own hand in the color of their choice.
Step 2: Gently press their hand on the paper making sure to keep the hand open so you get the smoothest hand print. Kids at this age tend to like to ball their fist or slightly close their hand.
Step 3: Use your finger with a little paint on it to make a circle for the head at the bottom of the palm. Wouldnโt want our little bug to not have a head lol
Step 4: While the paint is drying. Trace and cut out heart shapes for the wings. ( Templates are included below).
Step 5: Let the older kiddos decorate the wings how they like it. If you are a parent of an infant or younger toddler like I am, Then this is the fun part for you. Get creative. I did different colors and polka dots for the wings. But have fun Momma.
Step 6: Once the paint has dried, glue on the googly eyes and wings. Then draw on a smile and add the antennas.
Step 7: Youโre all done!! You have the most Adorable little love bug hand craft!
If you liked this one, check out my other Valentineโs Day craft.
Templates:
