Handprint Canada Flags

I wanted to share this adorable craft that I wrote about last year around this time. While I know many of you are not from the great white North, some of you are. So to those celebrating in just a few weeks, Happy Canada Day!

Here is the post:

We have been so busy enjoying the beautiful (long awaited) warm weather outside that I have hardly heard a complaint about the lack of toys and crafts available.  Since we are a little bit packed away for our move (not so much packed away as everything shoved in the garage so we could sell our house) we are without a lot of our usual ‘go to’ things.  One thing that is actually being missed quite a bit is our craft cupboard.  With this cupboard safely stored away at my sister’s house, it seems silly to bring it back here for a couple of weeks before bringing it to our new place.  I was sure we could do without it.  I was wrong.

It seems we cannot go even a few weeks without getting the itch to get creative.  We were making do with what we had – created some great outdoor forts, some yummy frozen snacks, and some creative pebble art too.  But yesterday, it was proclaimed by my 11 year old Madeline that she really missed paint.  Sam agreed wholeheartedly.  So what is a Mama to do?  Well, cave of course.

With some lovely red paint we set out to make our annual hand print Canada Day flags.  We have been making these each and every year since my Madeline was 2!  That is 9 long years – a tradition that simply must be kept, regardless of moving and packing!  Madeline first made these with a caregiver, and we have been doing them ever since.  I in no way lay claim to this idea – I am just unsure as to the original creator (If you know, please send me an email)

Sometimes we use red construction paper for the stripes on the sides of the flag, but this year – with my poor paint-deprived little ones eagerly getting ready – we opted for paint.  And since paintbrushes were nowhere to be found, we opted for finger painting.

First they finger painted a whole piece of paper red.  And I am not even kidding that this is how my wild ones have been finger painting lately:  One finger, tentatively, and oh so neatly!

After, we painted a whole hand and stamped it on a second (completely clean) sheet of white paper.

Once it was dry (well, almost dry), we cut the finger painting piece of red paper in half and glued it to the edges of the white hand printed piece.

And we had another hand printed Canada flag to proudly display in our window before adding it to the growing pile of those from years passed.  I try hard to hold memories and not things, but oh there is something about tiny fingers (did you see my post on 50 Handprint Keepsakes?) Everyone has weaknesses – apparently little hand prints run a close second to chocolate for me.  Hmmm … a chocolate hand print?  Well, no – I have seen what has been on those sweet little hands …  Some things are best kept separate.

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