Giving myself a hand for sneaking this one in just under the wire....
You didn't forget that Mother's Day is this Sunday, did you? And you already have a charming handmade gift ready for mom, right?? If not, here's a quick and dirty DIY project that also makes a very handy gift...Helping Hand Towels! I know. So clever, right? Suffice to say, this is not my unique idea, but I thought I'd share my version anyway because it turned out pretty cute. I was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest a while back, but for the life of me, I've never been able to find the link again. And, yes, it feels a little sexist to me to be giving the grandmom's kitchen towels, but they all like to cook and spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Why not give them a hand while they're in there? I also like that it's actually a useable form of kid art. So there it is. My justification for this project...as if I really needed it. ;)
You only need a few supplies to get this going. I bought new flour sack towels (4/$10) and scavenged our art supply stash for some fabric paint and a paint brush.
STEP 1: Wash, dry and iron your towels.
STEP 2: Grab a paintbrush and start by painting the hand you want to print. We were using puffy paint from a tube, so I just squeezed it into my daughter's hand and let her spread the paint with a brush. I didn't realize we would end up with brush strokes in the final hand-print, but decided I really like the way it turned out. I bet you could use a foam brush for less stroke marks.
STEP 3: Firmly press the painted hand onto the towel making your print. Repeat steps 2 & 3 as needed to make as many prints as you like. My husband and I also took turns making our own hand-prints to send to our moms and we made one towel to keep for ourselves with all of our hand-prints. :)
STEP 4: Let dry, then follow manufacturer's instructions for setting your paint.
STEP 5: Step back and admire your handywork. ;)
Here's a shot of my 5 year-old's hand print next to her 5 day-old hand print...hard to believe how much she's grown!
That's it. That's all there is to it. Hope you liked this project and are able to make some of your own. If you have a little more time and want another cute Mother's Day gift idea, check out the recycled Mother's Day Hat Boxes we made to hold homemade sweets. We're all about handmade holidays around here. So seriously, you didn't forget that Mother's Day is this weekend, right??? Best day of the year... XO, Cindi
