“Okay, hold still. Just one tiny footprint, I promise.” That was me last December, chasing a wiggly four-month-old with a paintbrush. The footprint came out as a smear, but the grandparents cried happy tears anyway.
Baby Christmas crafts are about the keepsake, not the skill. This list gives you 25 quick projects, most under 20 minutes. They use baby-safe paint and household items. Many double as gifts for grandparents.
Baby-Safe Supplies: What You Really Need
You don’t need a craft store haul. Most of this is already in your kitchen.
- Paint: Washable, non-toxic, water-based paint such as Crayola Washable Kids Paint. Check that the label says non-toxic.
- Dough: Flour, salt and water for salt dough, or air-dry clay.
- Basics: Cardstock, parchment paper, a rolling pin, cookie cutters, a straw for the ornament hole.
- Finishing: Mod Podge, ribbon or twine, baby wipes.
Babies put everything in their mouths. Salt dough and paint are not food. Keep both away from the mouth, and keep small items like googly eyes, buttons and pom-poms out of baby’s reach entirely.
Keepsake Ornaments
1. Salt Dough Handprint Ornament
This is the classic. It takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time, plus oven time.
You need 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup water.
- Heat the oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Mix the flour, salt and water in a bowl. Knead for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Roll the dough about 1/2 inch thick. Cut a circle with a cookie cutter or a glass.
- Gently press baby’s hand into the dough. Press flat and let go fast.
- Poke a hole near the top with a straw.
- Bake for 2 to 2.5 hours, then cool completely.
- Paint it, seal it with Mod Podge, and thread ribbon through the hole.
Pro tip:
Do the handprint during a nap. A sleeping baby’s hand opens up easily. If the print is messy, ball up the dough and try again.
Worth knowing:
Common mistake: rolling the dough too thin. It cracks near the hole. Keep it at least 1/2 inch.
2. Air-Dry Clay Footprint Ornament
Roll the clay out, press the foot, then cut around it with a cookie cutter. Poke a hole with a straw. Let it dry as the package says, usually 24 hours. Leave it natural for a modern look.
3. Fingerprint Clay Snowflake
Cut a snowflake from rolled clay. Press baby’s fingertips into each arm, one print per point. Dry, then paint. A tiny heart in the center makes it feel finished.
4. Baby’s First Christmas Bulb
Use a clear fillable bulb. Tuck in the hospital bracelet, a tiny hat, or a ribbon cut to baby’s birth length. Add a paper tag with name, date and weight.
No paint, no baby required. It takes five minutes.
5. Wood Slice Handprint
Paint baby’s palm with white washable paint. Press onto a wood slice. Wipe baby’s hand right away. Seal with Mod Podge after it dries.
Handprint Christmas Art
6. Handprint Reindeer
Stamp a brown handprint with the fingers pointing up as antlers. The thumb and palm become the face. Draw the eyes with a marker.
Cut the red nose from paper and glue it on. Skip googly eyes and pom-poms for babies.
7. Handprint Angel
Stamp the hand with fingers pointing down as a gown. Add a circle head and a gold halo. Two fingerprints make the wings. These make lovely Christmas cards for grandparents.
8. Handprint Santa (A Cautionary Tale)
My first Santa had a glued cotton-ball beard. My daughter grabbed the card, and a cotton ball went straight into her mouth. I caught it in time. Now I paint the beard with white paint and draw the trim.
Stamp a red hand, thumb out as the hat tip, then paint the details. Use a fingerprint for the nose. Let it dry fully before baby gets near it.
9. Handprint Wreath
Stamp six to eight green handprints in a ring, fingers out. Add red fingerprint berries. Tie it off with a drawn or paper bow. Date it in the corner.
10. Handprint Christmas Tree
Stamp green hands in rows: one at the top, then two, then three. Overlap the fingers. Add a yellow fingerprint star and a brown trunk. It fills a page fast.
Footprint Christmas Art
11. Footprint Snowman
Paint the foot white and stamp it on blue or black card. The heel is the bottom, the toes the head. Draw the face and buttons with a marker once dry. Flip it upside down for a melting snowman.
12. Footprint Penguin
Stamp a black foot. Paint a white belly once it dries. Add an orange beak and two fingerprint wings. Frame it on a paper plate if you like.
13. Footprint Mistletoe
Two green footprints make the leaves. Add three red fingerprint berries. Write the name and date underneath.
14. Footprint Polar Bear
Stamp a white foot with the toes up. Add two round ears and a nose with a marker. Paint a pale blue background with a sponge for snow. Squiggle a scarf in red.
15. Footprint Gingerbread Man
Stamp a brown foot. Paint white “icing” lines for arms, legs and buttons once dry. It reads as a gingerbread man from across the room.
16. Footprint Robin
Stamp a brown foot sideways. Paint a red patch on the chest and add a small yellow beak. Draw a holly branch under it. A good choice for a British-style card.
Fingerprint and Low-Mess Crafts
17. Fingerprint Christmas Tree
Cut a tree silhouette from paper and tape it to a card. Let baby dab green paint around it. Peel the tree off to reveal the shape. Add a star sticker.
18. Fingerprint Lights (Myth-Busting)
What most people think: Fingerprint art needs a baby who can sit still and point.
Reality: You hold baby’s hand and press one finger at a time. Even a newborn can do it. Draw a wavy line, then dot colored fingerprints along it as bulbs.
19. No-Paint Felt Christmas Tree
Cut a tree from green felt and tape it to a wall at baby level. Make large felt ornaments, bigger than a baby’s fist, with Velcro dots on the back. Baby can stick and unstick them again and again.
Zero mess. Watch closely so nothing goes in the mouth.
20. Paint-in-a-Bag Snowflake
Squeeze washable paint into a zip bag, press out the air, and seal it with tape. Tape it to the high chair tray. Baby squishes and swirls the colors. Seal the edge with extra tape so it can’t open.
21. Yogurt Paint Tree
For babies 6 months and up who mouth everything. Tint plain yogurt with a drop of food coloring. Let baby finger paint on thick paper. Skip it if baby has a dairy allergy.
Gifts for Grandparents
22. Handprint Christmas Card
Fold cardstock in half. Stamp any design from above on the front. Write a message inside in baby’s voice. Make four in one sitting by reusing the same paint.
23. Framed Handprint Art
Pick your best print from the list. Trim it to fit a 5×7 frame. Write baby’s name and age in pencil on the back. Skip the glass if baby will be near it.
24. Handprint Gift Tags
Cut kraft paper into tag shapes. Stamp a hand or a foot on each. Punch a hole and thread twine. A tag costs almost nothing and everyone keeps them.
25. Handprint Kit Shortcut
Short on time? A kit like Bubzi Co’s handprint set includes the clay and ink. You can also order a personalized ornament from an Etsy shop and skip the mess. Still make one print on paper for the memory.
Tips for Crafting with a Baby
Time it around naps or the calm window after a feed. Keep sessions to 10 or 20 minutes at most.
Set out baby wipes, a damp cloth and a change of clothes before you start. Use a high chair or a secure seat. Do one hand or foot at a time.
For newborns, you do the work. At six months and up, baby can slap, squish and dab with help.
How to Display and Preserve Baby’s Crafts
Seal salt dough and clay with Mod Podge or clear acrylic spray. Let it dry fully before wrapping.
Hang ornaments on the tree. Frame paper art. Store the rest in a keepsake box with the date and baby’s age on the back. Make one a year, and you have a tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paint is safe for baby handprints?
Use non-toxic, washable, water-based paint such as Crayola Washable Kids Paint. Check the label. Wipe baby’s hand right after the print and keep paint away from the mouth.
How do I make a baby handprint ornament?
Press baby’s hand into salt dough or air-dry clay. Bake or dry it, then paint and seal with Mod Podge. Poke the hole with a straw before it hardens.
What age can babies do Christmas crafts?
Newborns can do handprints and footprints with your help. Babies 6 months and up can dab, squish and press on their own with supervision.
How do I clean baby’s hands after painting?
Use baby wipes or mild soap and warm water. Washable paint comes off quickly if you wipe it right away.
What if my baby won’t cooperate?
Wait for nap time or a calm moment. Have extra dough or paper ready and keep it short. A smudged print is still a keepsake.
One Unpopular Take
Skip the pressure to make all 25. Pick one. A single smudged footprint on plain paper, dated and tucked in a drawer, will mean more in 20 years than a perfect craft you stressed over.
Baby won’t remember any of it. You will.