Parents of Tots

(as seen in Red Envelope for $39.95)

Commission a toddler masterpiece or celebrate art night with the whole family. Four colorful canvases await handprints, footprints and parent-child collaborations.

How to do it: Paint the base first (regular acrylic paint that you can find at the craft store), then paint his/her hand with a different color of paint. Very carefully help them press their hand down on the canvas, pressing on each part of the hand and every finger. Then on the count of three, we lift the hand off the canvas quickly - like taking off a Band-Aid. Of course it's much easier as your kids get older. Trying to get a one-year-old to spread their fingers, etc. is no easy task.

Added note: While the paint is already on the child's hand, have them do a few more handprints on cardstock so that you have that for their scrapbook, or the family scrapbook, or who knows what you might want it for. But you can't go back and do handprints from when they're younger.