Handprint and Footprint Canvas Christmas Gift

Here is a simple personalized gift you can do with a young child. At this age the process is more interesting to ER than anything else and she loves to paint. She had a ton of fun painting the canvas, I used a Making Memories scrapbook colors acrylic in a shade that would blend with my parents' decor and still be masculine. It took her a long time and there are several coats of paint on it as she painted it over and over. She'd still be doing it if I'd let her!

Then I used a slightly darker color to make her handprints and footprints. I had a bit of trouble with the feet, because I rolled one foot. I was trying to make sure we got a good impression, but if I had to do it again I wouldn't have pushed up from underneath the canvas to get the print.

Since we'd run out of the first color we couldn't fix it. The perfectionist in me wanted to, but I made myself leave it alone and be her art. I am very type A and don't want to give her too much of a complex yet. I want her to know that art is fun and that there is no doing it right.

Making Memory rub-ons in Trademark Small White were used to add their names and the year. I didn't think ahead of time how difficult this would be on a canvas without a solid back. I think white chipboard letters or another kind of textured letter like the foam alphabets from American Crafts would look great. I had planned on using those but didn't have all the letters and wanted to try and use what I had on hand.

The buttons were added with hot glue and the photo I attached with glue dots. If it had been for my mom I would have attached a ribbon hanger from the top with a staple gun and maybe put it around the edges of the canvas too. ER is very proud of her art and kept saying, "I makin' it for Papa."

We gave it to my Dad for his birthday as it was the day after Thanksgiving, but if it hadn't been it would've made a great Christmas gift. It wasn't too expensive since I got the 12x12 canvas fifty-percent off at Joann's and the other things I had around the house in my scrapbook stash.

This post has been added to Handmade Holiday's at The Snail's Trail, because let's face it no one but me and my husband read my blog last year, when I started it in December. So it might be new to you! To get find more inspiring ideas click on over to see the rest of the links☺