Grandparent Gift Idea: DIY Handprint Art For Grandma

Struggling to find a gift for your parents? Grab your kids and make some DIY handprint art for Grandma she’s sure to love it!

Buying gifts for your parents is arguably the worst thing everrrr.  Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration.  But, if your parents are like mine (or my in-laws) they already have everything!  That’s why this handprint art for Grandma is the perfect solution!

I spend hours, days, YEARS (exaggeration again 🙂 )trying to come up with the perfect gift.  I normally start thinking about Mother’s Day gifts in January.  It’s gotten out of control.

Finding Inspiration for Handprint Art for Grandma

Recently, I’ve stopped trying to come up with a “wow” gift and focused on something more meaningful.  I try to combine my love for DIYing anything with the fact that I have really cute kids into a thoughtful, personal gift.  Actually, I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to making crafty gifts!

It became the dreaded time to think of a birthday gift for my mom. I naturally scoured Pinterest for ideas, and handprint art really popped out at me. Of course, I wanted to do something unique and pretty, but also a quick DIY project.  

A clear, un-smeared, precisely painted handprint does not mix well with 3 kids under 4 years old (this project included my nephew!).  I’m sure all of you mamas can relate.

It came out perfectly!  And you guys, I only spent $13 on this whole DIY!!

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Step 1. Stain Wood Plaque

This is the wood plaque I purchased from Michaels.  I had a 40% off coupon, too!!  (Are you guys addicted to Michaels like I am??  If they had a credit card, all hope would be lost ).

You could totally just keep it as is.  The plaque has some interesting marks and patterns in the wood already.  But, if you’re like me, you can’t just leave something be.  So, I used my favorite stain to “distress” the wood.

I have no idea how to properly stain wood.  I use an old ripped-up t-shirt and those yellow rubber gloves that are supposed to be used to wash dishes.  

Should I be washing dishes right now?  Probably, haha.  Anyway, use very little stain and just rub horizontally with the grain of the wood until you achieve your desired look.

I love how it turned out.  The best part is no two pieces will look the same.  Using stain in your own personal way really creates a unique look.  You could even use a gray stain!

Step 2. Use Paint for Handprint Art for Grandma

The next part was tricky.  I needed to get a 3-year-old, 2-year-old, and 1-year-old to put their hand straight down on wood with paint on it and not move.  Yeah, ok.  Impossible.

Didn’t it turn out great??  I was so surprised.  My baby, Charlie, was actually the easiest.  He put his little hand right on the wood and didn’t move.  And didn’t try to eat it!  Small miracle!

I used a regular paint brush I had lying around to heavily coat the paint on each of their hands.  Make sure you get it in all the creases and in between the fingers.   Also, make sure to keep their fingers spread fairly wide so no fingers blend together.

For the paint, I used American Decor Chalky Finish (obsessed!!!) in Legacy, Treasure, and Serene.  I love love these paints because they leave the look of a chalky finish, without it flaking away.  

The Serene color looks white in the above picture but it’s really a lighter blue.  The colors went together perfectly. You could also do an ombre pattern here for a cool effect!

Step 3. Transfer Font onto Wood Plaque

The next part was a little more tedious.  But, it only took me one afternoon nap time to complete 🙂

You guys, this is the easiest way to transfer your favorite font onto any medium. PicMonkey has great fonts to print out “Grandkids” in my favorite font Amberlight, which I purchased from Creative Market.  

I printed this out right at home, super easy, and then used regular white chalk to color the back of the paper where the words were printed on the front.  You want to heavily chalk the back of the paper.

Securely place the paper in position, words facing up, and the side you colored with chalk touching wood.  I used painter’s tape to ensure it didn’t ruin the stain or the wood.  

Then, using a ballpoint pen, pencil, or anything with a small point, trace over the letters on the paper.  You want to press firmly but not firmly enough to tear the paper.

Here’s how it comes out!  I mean, how easy is that??

Step 4. Fill in Font on Handprint Art

I used a small paintbrush I found in the artist section of Michaels.  Of course, I used Americana Decor Chalky Paint in Everlasting (a fancy name for white) to fill in the lines of chalk.

See?  Super easy.  And it looks like you freehanded it!  I don’t know about you guys but I cannot write in cursive or calligraphy with a paintbrush.  

It’s not happening.  I use this super easy transfer method on just about every word art piece I make.

Step 5. Add Kids’ Names for Grandma

I repeated the same above steps with the kids’ names and didn’t use a ruler or any exact spacing.  My main goal was trying to line it up centered under their names.

And that’s it!  Totally doable in an afternoon nap time = my ideal DIY crafty gift!

My mom absolutely LOVED it and the kids were so proud to give it to her, too!  If anyone has any questions or comments feel free to reach out to me!

If you loved this handprint art for Grandma be sure to check out these other chalk paint DIYs. They are seriously simple and always have a great farmhouse look I love.

Upcycled DIY chalk tray | Farmhouse Distressed Antique Side Table