Mother’s Day Gift Idea – Handprint Tote Bags

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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.

Mother's Day Gift Idea - Handprint Tote Bags - Easy gift idea from kids great for any holiday!

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.

Mother's Day Gift Idea - Handprint Tote Bags - Easy gift idea from kids great for any holiday!

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

Making a Handprint Flower 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.

Handprint Flowers Tote Gift Idea
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

Handprint Sun - Gift Idea from Kids

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.

Handprint Sun - Gift Idea from Kids

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

Handprint Flower Tote Bag DIY Gift

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.

Handprint Tote Bags - East Homemade Gift Idea Easy for Kids to Make

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14 comments on Mother’s Day Gift Idea – Handprint Tote Bags

  • Ashley S

    Super cute idea! Love it :)

  • Lisa

    What type of paint did you use for the tote project? It needs to be durable to wash right? So cute!

    • Samantha (author)

      Thanks! I used acrylic paint. Most of the ones I have are Craft Smart brand. They are around $1 at Michaels.It is great for fabric, dries fast, and I don’t have any trouble washing it off the little ones hands.

      • Kaitlyn

        I love this idea! I was wondering though: do you know if there are any fabric paints out there that are easy to clean and non toxic to infants? I work in a child care center and I would love to do these for my infants’ parents, but not sure where to find non toxic fabric paint. Thanks!

        • Samantha (author)

          Look up Non-Toxic fabric paint by Color Splash and/or Tulip (on Amazon or Google). They both have some non-toxic ones that would work!

  • Robin

    Can these be put in the washer? If so did so put a coating over the paint?

    • Samantha (author)

      It depends on the paint you use. All the ones we made were gifted, so I am not sure if they were ever washed. I would just make sure you pick a fabric paint that can be washed.

  • Teratai

    Hi! May i know if it needs to be canvas bags? Can it be done on any kind of fabric bags you think? (Sorry if it’s a silly question. It’s my first diy project.)

    • Samantha (author)

      I definitely think any kind of bag would work! I used canvas because that is what we had and it is thicker. I would just be sure the paint you use says it can be used on any fabric (or the one you decide to use).

  • Whitney

    Did you prewash the tote bags before painting on them?

    • Samantha (author)

      I did not on these. I have on others though. It’s not a bad idea just in case it may shrink after first wash.

  • maggie

    What kind of print?
    For the project.

    • Samantha (author)

      I used Acrylic Paint, just be sure to wash it right off their hands :)

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