Handprint shirt- Make It Monday

A few years ago, I made a shirt with my children for Father’s Day. At the time there were three children and we put handprints and ages of each child on the shirt. B loved it and has worn it ever since. Over time, we added two more children and the older three had grown several years and it was time for a new shirt. So, for Christmas, we made B a new shirt. Since it has been such a loved shirt, I decided to make this week’s Make It Monday a how to make the shirt.  This will make a great birthday or Christmas or Father’s Day present for any dad or grandpa.

Thank you goes to Butterfly for taking the how-to pictures!

First, get a cotton t-shirt and wash it. Once dry, slide a piece of cardboard inside the shirt to protect the back side from getting paint on it. The craft stores have t-shirt boards that don’t fit terribly well for larger shirts, but they work fine, any smooth cardboard will do though. Then, spread some puffy paint on the hand and brush it to evenly distribute.

   

Make sure the person holds all the fingers spread open so the paint will evenly coat and the handprint will be crisp and clear.

To place the hand on the shirt, place straight down. Firmly press on each finger and the back of the hand to insure even coverage.

Lift the hand straight up to reveal the handprint. Use the puffy paints to write the child’s name and age on the shirt under their handprints. My children also chose to add little decorations. You can see hearts and flowers in the shirt where my girls decorated their names.

In general, it is hard to get a handprint from a baby under about 15 months old. Footprints are FAR easier. Little One got one good handprint, one smudged messy print, and 2 feet on the shirt. The girls all wanted multiple colors of prints, so this was a very colorful shirt.

    Taaaa Daaa!