12 Days of Christmas Crafts Using Kid's Hand Prints

Hand print crafts for Christmas are a jolly good time. Kids love finger painting. Creating these easy Christmas crafts that use kid's hand prints means that each craft will be as unique as their own fingerprints. These unique Christmas craft ideas can be used in the classroom, at home, in Sunday school or at Christmas parties. The creations can be used as Christmas decorations, handmade Christmas cards, or even as handmade ornaments.

The even better news is that there are so many ways for kids to create to personalized Christmas ornaments and crafts that you can create a different one of each of the 12 days of Christmas.

1. A symbol of peace: The Dove Hand print Christmas Craft

To create a white dove hand print, you'll want to start with a colored paper background. Blue works well. After the hand print dries kids can add eyes or olive branches. In order for the hand print to look like a dove, kids will need to spread their thumb as far away from their fingers as possible. The hand position when they head to the paper should create a letter v in order for the hand print to resemble a dove.

Tip: Have kids practice making the v formation in the air before they dip their hands in the paint.

2. A familiar favorite: The Hand print Wreath Christmas Craft

Hand print wreaths are created with overlapping green hand prints in a circular pattern.

The hand print wreath Christmas craft can be created individually or as a group with each child adding one or both hand prints. After the green paint is dry, kids can add individual fingerprints for red berries.

Tip: To help guide the shape of the wreath, draw an inner circle and explain that bottom of the hand should be lined up with the circle. Then simply keep turning the paper a few inches to add subsequent hand prints.

3. Oh Christmas tree: The Christmas Tree Hand print Craft

When kids hold all of their fingers close together there will be an asymmetrical, abstract triangle shape that is perfect for creating a Christmas tree hand print. After a green Christmas tree hand print is dry, kids can add a brown thumbprint trunk and pinky finger Christmas ball decorations.

Tip: Kids can create the Charlie Brown Christmas special Christmas tree lot by creating trees in a variety of colors.

4. The Star of Bethlehem: Star Christmas Crafts

The star is a beautiful symbol of Christmas and with five points, it lends itself well to having kids add a fingerprint glow from each finger on one hand to the five points.

Tip: Have kids use a light shade of yellow to color their stars and a brighter color for their glowing fingerprints. You can also add glitter while the paint is still wet as well.

5. Frosty fun: Fingerprint Snowmen

This is a fun Christmas craft that can be created on a small scale making it perfect for handmade cards or even gift tags. Kids will use a thumbprint base, tallest finger middle and pinky snowman head. After the fingerprints dry, kids can add tiny accessories with fine tip markers.

Tip: A family can each add a snowman to a card to create a Christmas keepsake.

6. No Calorie Christmas Candy: Candy Cane Crafts

There are so many fun candy cane Christmas crafts but this one is super easy. With a double outlined candy cane shaped, kids can add red fingerprints to create the stripes.

This is an easy preschool ornament craft that reinforces the colors red and white the idea behind negative space which for little ones will translate into leaving room for the white stripes to show through too.

Tip: Use medium weight white cardboard like from gift boxes or shirt inserts to turn this artwork into a personalized ornament.

7. Rudolph with Your Nose So Bright: Reindeer Hand print Christmas Craft

The brown hand print, with fingers spread wide, will create the reindeer's antlers. A red thumbprint will create a red nose. Now if you're really brave, the reindeer face can be created first from a footprint. Alternatively, I've seen a reindeer craft created with an upside down hand print that resembles a deer with four legs and a lowered head as if grazing.

Tip: Adding craft eyes will give any reindeer craft personality.

8. Christmas by Candlelight: Christmas candle crafts

Kids can create Christmas candles by using the prints of their individual fingers and adding an orange fingerprint flame.

Tip: This is an excellent craft for teaching kids about the advent wreath, with four purple and one pink candle. It can be combined with a hand print as well.

9. The Reason for the Season: Baby Jesus Hand print Craft

A baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes is easy to create with finger paints but this idea doesn't use a whole hand print. Instead the swaddled body is made with white paint on the heel of the palm below the thumb. Add baby Jesus' head with a flesh colored fingerprint. After the paint is dry, two tiny "smile" shaped eyes will create the look of a peacefully sleeping baby Jesus.

Tip: To create a flesh colored paint use white with brown and a touch of orange, mixing until you get the desired skin tone. Work with small amounts, as you will only need one fingerprint for the head.

10. And Lo, an Angel of Lord Appeared: Angel Christmas Craft

After kids create a basic angel body and head, they can use both hands to create the angel's wings. Kids tend to want to make the angel's wings go straight out from the sides which is fine but it can be helpful to tell them that their tallest finger should be pointing at the corner of the paper. This will give the angel's wing a bit of lift.

Tip: Sprinkle the wings with gold or silver glitter before the paint dries for extra sparkle.

11. Lisa Carey's Kid Christmas Party Craft: Santa's Beard Hand prints

You know you've got a good friend when you're writing an article on Christmas crafts made from kid's hand prints and your friend calls to tell you about a favorite Christmas party craft using hand prints. Fellow Associated Content from Yahoo! writer Lisa Carey shared that a favorite craft at her Christmas party this year was a Santa craft completed with an upside down white hand print for the jolly old elf's beard.

Tip: Red thumbprints can give Santa those rosy cheeks too.

12. The Stockings Were Hung: Fire in the Fireplace Christmas Art Projects

This Christmas art project is a little different and is great for older kids that can independently create a fireplace scene complete with a mantel and stockings. Hand prints in orange, red and yellow that are overlapping will create the illusion of the flames in a fireplace.

Tip: Remind students to size the fireplace opening so that there's room for several sets of hand prints flames to create a warm glow for Christmas.

"On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

Finger paints to keep the kids happy."