My Special Dusty Hand Print Wreath

This hand wreath sort of holds a little special place in my heart.  [Yea yea I know I am so sentimental].  To you it's a four year old, dusty, green, construction paper hand print wreath.  When I look at it, I remember a time in my life that was bittersweet.  

This was my boo bear's first Christmas and daddy was deployed to Afghanistan.  It was really tough to not be together during this time.  I made this for his Christmas box and I still remember him showing it to me hanging up in his office.  So every year when I pull it out [dust and all]  I give thanks that we can spend Christmas together.  That year all I wanted for Christmas was to be a family.  It's a good reminder when I get Christmas crazy that I already have the most important thing, family.  The rest is just an added bonus. 

Here's the how to:

You will need some green construction paper, ribbon, a paper plate, glue, red paint [optional].

Fold the green construction paper into halves, or fourth's depending on how small your kiddos hands are.  Trace their hands on the paper.  This was no easy task with a wiggly almost 10 month old. 

Cut the little hands out.  Use the ones with the pen marks as a stencil to create even more hands so you don't have to keep tracing your little one's hands.  If your kiddo know how to use scissors let them help. This is great practice to fine tune those motor skills.

Cut the inside of the paper plate out so you only have the rim.  If you don't have a paper plate you can essentially use anything that is circular.

Tie a piece of ribbon to the top.  This will be how the wreath will be hung.

Now start gluing those little itty bitty hands on in all sorts of directions.

Overlap them and make the wreath as thick or thin as you want until it is all filled.

This is how it looks on the back.

I added some red berries by dipping an ear swab into red paint and randomly dotting different areas of the wreath.  Then I added a little ribbon to the top.  It is goofy looking, but I worked with what I had. 

And WALA a hand wreath!  It actually turned out a lot nicer than I expected.  I think it is so cute and I hope it puts a smile on her daddy's handsome face.

Last week I got an email from a reader [which I love by the way].  She shared pictures of one her kiddos made.  How adorable is that!  All three of her kid's hands are in there.

She let her oldest use her creativity and she added the green garland and bow.  I love it!  Thanks Kathryn, Audrey, Caroline, Howard, and Joe Joe for sharing your garland with us!

Until next time.  Toodles!