Every year since my kids were born, they have created something for their grandparents with their handprints (or footprints) for Christmas. We’ve done bells, reindeer, snowmen ornaments and even foot angels – just to name a few. So this year, I struggled with what I could have them make that would be different.
The more I thought about what they had made in the past, the more I realized that their grandparents can only enjoy those items for a few weeks a year – because they are all Christmas decorations! So, I racked my brain for an idea that they could enjoy any time of the year when I looked up and saw the planter in my garden window. It hit me – flower pots!! So, I jumped in with both feet and just figured it out as I went along. What I loved is that since I had the paints here, it cost me only $17 for 2 gifts — which are completely one of a kind!
SUPPLIES:
To do this project with your child(ren), you will need
Terracotta Pot (size depends upon how many hand prints you want to include on it).
White Satin Spray Paint
Decorative paints in colors of your choice
Small paintbrushes
Clear coat spray in satin finish
STEP 1 — SPRAY THE POT
Once you get home from the store, clean it off and then find some newspaper to rest it on. You will want to spray a light coat all around the outside and top inside of the pot. It may take 3 – 4 coats to get a good coverage. Make sure you allow drying time between coats (I was able to reapply every 2 hours). When you are through it will look like this:
STEP 2 – EMBELISH YOUR POT
We used colored paints and allowed our kids to add their hand prints to it – including their names:
On the front we added a saying: Grandkids are Souls in Bloom
We added the year on the inside so they would always remember when they received it:
To finalize the gift we are adding in some garden gloves, a trowel and package of seeds (which we had left over from this spring). I allowed my kids to help as much as they could – and they had fun! The result is a unique, and personalized gift, that my children’s grandparents are going to love!!
Did you make something this year? If so, please share!!
Tracie is a stay at home mom to three young children; ages 8, 9 and 12. In November 2007, she and her husband decided to eliminate their debt and made many changes in their lifestyle to do just that.
eileen says
This is a fabbulous idea. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what to get the grandparents for Christmas from the kids. There are only so many sweaters and slippers you give can give them. I have two teracotta pots and I plan to spray paint them red bacuse i have red left over from a project. I will get them to do their handprints in green or maybe black and then buy pointsettas to put in them. Thank you so much for the idea. It will mean alot to them and basically cost nothing.
Tracie says
Glad to help! And I know they will love it – my mom said she looks forward to her grandkids’ gifts more than anything else! Enjoy!
jan says
Great idea…love it!