Fingerprinting "101"

My friend and next door neighbor is the director of "Covenant Nursery School" and has been for over 25 years. So, if there is anyone who knows how to create children's art projects for Christmas it is the master, my friend Linda.

Daniel and I arrived at Linda's house yesterday to create a special Christmas craft project to give to his Mom and Dad as a gift. Construction paper, washable paint, sponge and spoon and we were ready to begin. Linda placed Daniel's little hand in green washable poster paint, and then placed the "green" hand, fingers spread onto the white paper. Several refills of dipping into the paint were necessary to complete the project. The handprints were placed in a circle to represent a green Christmas wreath. Daniel was thoroughly intrigued by the whole process and very, very attentive. Hands were washed and again the "side of his hand" this time was placed into red paint and transferred to the paper creating a "red bow". Then little red thumbprints placed "holly berries" onto the green wreath.

Voila! A childs work of art. I think the most poignant thing was the label that Linda handed me to place on the front of the project (which I am framing today). It reads:

Here's a gift I made for you. It's quite unique and quaint.

For we have dipped my busy hands in a little bit of paint.

It will help you to remember when I am grown so tall.

That once I was quite little and my hands were pretty small.

So, now on this glad Christmas day, I'm giving this you see.

And on this note I'm glad to say, "Here's lots of love from me"

Christmas 2008