In less than two weeks is Mother’s Day and I am trying to get ahead of the game by getting everything made now. Even though I think all moms should be celebrated daily, I enjoy giving a little extra on Mother’s Day. The most popular gifts have always been those that are homemade, one-of-a-kind, and are made with the help of my little ones.
It never fails, grandparents always adore artwork that their grandchildren make (as well as parents). This year I decided to take something we have done before, and change it up a little. Over the past years, we have made handprint flowers, footprint butterflies, and even did a sun project. We have always created the artwork on (or with) paper. This year, I wanted to do more.
A few weeks ago I saw some canvas tote bags at Michaels, a package of 3 for just $10 (I have also seen some at Walmart, but I don’t remember the price or quantity). I decided to get a couple for the simple fact that I can never have enough tote bags. Plus the blank canvas was just begging to be painted.
My boys (ages 2, 3, & 4) love painting. Maybe it’s just the perfect opportunity to get extremely messy, but they love it. This project is great for toddlers and preschoolers, but infants can join in with a little help.
So far, we have made three different designs on the totes.
Handprint Flowers Tote Bag
One of the most popular gifts is a simple handprint flower. This one my four year old wanted to do, so I put paint on both his hands and each print was a flower. For the grass he used his fingers. The rest was added with a paintbrush.
A little tip, make sure to put a piece of cardstock or cardboard in the bag before painting it. If the paint is too thick, it will seep through.
Now I am trying to decide what to write on it. The white area just looks like it needs a quote or little saying.
Handprint Sun Tote Bag
With some yellow paint, my three year old created a sun with his hand. For the middle of the sun, he made a fist and with paint on the side of his hand, he filled it in.
After it dried, I painted ‘you are my sunshine‘ for some additional love for Grandma. Something that can make her smile when she sees it and knows how loved she is.
Handprint Flower Pedals Tote Bag
After we did the sun, my three year old said he wanted to do the same thing with a different color paint. That’s when I had the idea to make the flower petals out of handprints. The result was perfect!
I can’t wait to give these as gifts. My boys are extremely proud of them. I am going to have them make more so I can have some too and include the footprint butterflies.
