A handprint keepsake craft always piques my attention. We’ve done our fair share of painted handprint and footprint crafts, but not too may clay imprints. My two and a half year old’s little hands are growing much too fast, so opportunities for small projects are quickly fleeting!
So when I never got around to making Christmas ornaments with the air-dry clay I bought back in November, I started thinking up Valentine’s gifts for the grandmas. The only idea that stuck was a handprint ring dish – and ooooohhhh did it deliver!
Air-dry clay is a magical product. It allows you to sculpt and stamp and create, then air-dry for 2-3 days while it hardens. Paint your projects and you’ll have beautiful kiddo (or momma!) creations!
This was my first time using this type of clay and making a ring dish. I learned a few things in the process. Have a look if you need a fun project or homemade gift idea!
Supplies
Crayola Air Dry Clay, bowl or round cutter with approximately 5.5″ diameter, a smaller bowl with a relatively flat bottom wrapped in plastic wrap, rolling pin cooking spray, parchment paper, sharp knife
Instructions
1. Grab one good handful of clay for each dish you plan to make. This time I’m making 2, so two handfuls.
2. Using a rolling pin, make an 1/4″ thick oval. Ours was about 6″x12″, but make yours just large enough to trace two circles with your larger bowl. If the rolling pin sticks, add a smalllllll bit of cooking spray before rolling.
3. Spray the lip of the bowl with cooking spray and place face down on the clay. Trace with your knife, cutting through the clay. (The cooking spray should keep the bowl from sticking to the clay, but if you have some uneven areas – that’s okay! Read the next step.)
4. To smooth out the edges of your circles and any areas in the middle, dip your finger in water and gently rub away any unevenness.
5. Your toddler can likely help with the rolling pin, but here is where they are the star of the show! Have them place their hand with fingers equidistant (maybe practice on the table first, lol) onto the clay and press down. Using your hands, come back and press down firming on all fingers and the center to get an even print. Don’t push so hard that you make any areas too thin tho!
6. Remove their hand and ooh and ahh over the teeny tiny wrinkles and 5 precious fingers. Remind them that they are a 100% unique creation, designed by God and SOOOOO very loved!
7. Carefully peel off the parchment paper backing. (Flip the piece over in your hand and peel off the back rather than try lifting up the clay. Trust me. I learned the hard way.)
8. Place the disc handprint side down over the smaller bowl wrapped in plastic wrap. The edges of your clay circle will drape down creating the dish! Don’t push firmly, but carefully adjust the edges to make the drape even.
9. Using the same method as in step 4, dip your finger in water and gently smooth out the back.
10. Set your pieces aside to dry (on the bowl!) for 1 day. As it dries, the clay will lighten drastically. After 1 day, carefully remove the dish and allow to dry another 1-2 days face up on the counter.
11. Once fully dry, it’s time to paint! We used basic acrylic craft paint in white and aqua. I let me little lead the way with our base coat. Parenting teaches you a lot of things… patience, debunking perfectionism, etc… But oh did he feel accomplished as he painted HIS dishes with a foam brush.
12. Once dry, add a second coat of why and allow to dry fully. Using a smaller artist brush, I cam back and painted just his handprint in a contrasting color and add the small heart. The color really allows their sweet handprint to pop!
13. Later that day, I added two coats of a clear sealer to protect the dish (clay is porous after all).
We just love the final product and know his Granny and Gigi will too!
Lessons from creating with my son
I’ve been an avid crafter all my life, so it was never a question of if I would craft with Emery, but “how soon can we start?” Embarking on projects with him has taught be so much. For starters, I’ve learned that any time is not always the best time to start a project.
Of course patience is a big lesson and one you gain with multiple projects. But, the bigger lesson has been letting go of perfectionism. We all want our final products to look showroom and Pinterest worthy – but is that really the point?
Every time we make something together, I remind myself that the joy is in the process – not the final product. Yes, we do our best to create something with care and attention, but we’re not going for perfect. It’s homemade so it’s going to look homemade. And that’s the beauty of it.
As soon as our mood starts shifting or I get away from the “joy is in the process” focus, we pause. We pick it back up later – be that a few minutes or maybe a couple days. If I want him to enjoy creating with me, I have make it an enjoyable experience! Even at his young two years, I want him to feel freedom and worth from the creative process. Over direction, critiquing and strained voices do not create that.
I want my son to be proud of what he’s capable of and always excited to stand up on the chair and applaud his creations. Encouraging him to do so means modeling that behavior and self love in my own endeavors as well.
We are all far from perfect, but all wonderfully made. Sometimes it takes admiring the wrinkles in a little handprint ring dish to remind us of that beautiful fact.
Hello! What did you use to seal it, after you painted it?
Thank you!
I used a product called Tuff Top by Rethunk Junk because it’s what I had on hand! But any clear acyrlic sealer would work. ModPodge has several great options!
I love this project Brittany and I am going to do it with my two year old grandson, Weston! I had air dry clay sitting here for over a year, never opened, just waiting for the perfect project and here it is! Thanks 😊
That’s great, Deanne! Have fun making a precious keepsake!