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What You Will Need
You’ll need the following:
- Art Smock
- Fabric Paint
- Sponge Brushes
- Stencil Letters
- Paint Brushes
- Qtips
- Paper Plates
- Paper Towels
- Paint Drop Cloth or old sheet
My son loved making this caterpillar handprint art mock with me! It was a creative way to have fun together and get him excited for school and art class.
Prepare Your Craft Space
Put a dollop of each color paint you want to use on separate paper plates with separate sponge brushes. I used these brushes to paint the color onto my sons hand evenly and to ensure it was fully coated.
You will likely want to use a drop cloth or old sheet to cover the craft area in case of spills. I had the hose out and ready near our space along with baby wipes and paper towels to immediately clean off his hand in between colors. Find a space at your child’s height to comfortably be able to place down their hand. I used our outdoor picnic bench, covered in a drop cloth, which worked great.
Start with the Outermost Handprint
Decide which direction the head of your caterpillar will be and with fingertips down, point your child’s thumb towards the head of the caterpillar. I explained what we were going to do beforehand and did a “practice” handprint with no paint so he got the concept of what we were doing.
Start with the outermost handprint, furthest from the caterpillar’s head. Wash and wipe your child’s hand in between each color. Once complete, let sit until dry.
Paint Child’s Name and Finish Caterpillar Design
Finish the caterpillar by painting a circle for the head and get creative with the face and design. I used a stencil for the letters and a sponge brush. I had to do several coats and clean things up with a paint brush and Qtips once I removed the stencil as the paint bled a little bit.
You could also use foam letters to stamp your child’s name and this is something they can help with or do on their own if they are old enough. My son was only 2.5 years old so it was easier for me to finish this part on my own.
Enjoy the Memories you Made!
My son loved doing this and it is a tradition I would like to do with him each year. It got him excited for the school year and something fun to show off to his new teachers. I hope you have fun and your child enjoys this as much as we did! Happy crafting!
We hope you enjoyed learning how to make a Caterpillar Handprint Art Smock. For more craft inspiration check out the Crafts section of our blog here.
If you are interested in children’s birthday party inspiration, check out our Two Fast Two Curious Birthday Party Here!
