Fun and Easy Handprint Mitten Ornaments – A Perfect Winter Kids Craft

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Mitten Craft for kids

The holidays are quickly approaching, bringing with them festive crafts, cookies, and quality time with loved ones. For homeschooling families, this is the perfect opportunity to engage creative young minds with DIY projects that spread holiday cheer. This easy handprint mitten ornament craft is a fun wintery activity for toddlers and schoolchildren. Not only does it allow them to practice fine motor control while getting their hands messy with paint, but the charming finished project makes for darling holiday decorations. You can hang these precious keepsake crafts on the Christmas tree or use them as unique gift tags. Before gathering the paint and craft supplies, be sure to pin this post for later inspiration. Now, let’s get started on these sweet and simple handprint mitten ornaments!

The Benefits of Making Handprint Mitten Ornaments

In addition to being an adorable holiday decoration, this handprint mitten craft has many developmental benefits for kids:

Fine Motor Skills – Carefully tracing hands, cutting shapes, gluing objects, and punching holes allow kids to practice fine motor control. These motions develop the small muscles in their hands.

Creativity – Decorating the ornaments sparks imagination as children personalize their mittens with their own flair and designs. There’s no right or wrong way!

Focus – Following step-by-step directions keeps kids focused on the task to completion. Completing each one fosters a great sense of accomplishment.

Quality Time – Crafting side-by-side provides a opportunity for meaningful conversation and bonding with caregivers and siblings. Laughs and memories are made!

Sense of Ownership – Displaying their handmade ornaments on the tree gives kids a sense of pride and ownership in holiday decorating.

 Materials Needed for Handprint Mitten Ornaments

Chances are you already have most, if not all, of the things you’ll need to make these adorable handprint mittens. But I’ve included specific product links below in case you need to grab anything.

  • Pencil – Use this to trace your child’s hand onto the cardstock. Any basic #2 pencil will do.
  • Cardstock – Look for standard 8.5×11 sheets, preferably in festive colors like red or green. The heavier weight will hold the handprint shape better. I like this cardstock pack.
  • Glue – Opt for tacky glue or strong double-sided tape to assemble the mittens. Elmer’s Multi-Purpose Glue is always a reliable choice.
  • Scissors – Kid-friendly or craft scissors like these are best for tiny hands. But any basic scissors will work for adults assembling the ornaments.
  • Cotton Balls – These make the perfect mitten trim and they probably already reside in your medicine cabinet!
  • String – Thin twine, yarn, or ribbon will attach these to your Christmas tree. I recommend neutral baker’s twine so they match any decor.
  • Hole Punch– Quickly add a hanging hole with any standard single-hole punch you likely already have on hand.

Watch the Handprint Mitten Ornament Video Tutorial

You can find more video tutorials on our Youtube Channel

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Handprint Mitten Ornaments

Follow along with these simple steps to make sweet handprint mitten ornaments with your kids:

  1. Trace and Cut Out Mittens – Have your child place their hand on a piece of cardstock in a mitten shape (no separated fingers). Trace around it neatly with a pencil. Then cut out the mitten, leaving extra room at the bottom for a cuff.
  2. Make Fuzzy Cuffs – Unroll a cotton ball and pinch off a piece the same width as the mitten cuff. Glue this fluffy trim along the mitten’s bottom edge.
  3. Decorate – Let kids customize their mittens using glitter, markers, pom poms, stickers, whatever they desire! Or leave it plain.
  4. Add Hanger – Use a hole punch to punch one hole near the top of each mitten.
  5. String up Mittens – Cut pieces of twine, ribbon, or yarn. Tie one at each mitten top to create a hanger.

Cozy Mitten Books to Read While Crafting

What better way to get in the winter spirit than to bundle up with a good book? Here are some of our favorite mitten-centric tales to read aloud while crafting handprint mittens:

The Mitten

A Ukrainian folktale of forest animals seeking shelter in a lost mitten. This classic features Jan Brett’s gorgeous winter illustrations.

The Mitten Tree

Sarah loves her knitted mittens, but others need warmth too. How many mittens can one tree hold? Find out in this heartwarming story.

Three Little Kittens

Mittens go missing when three playful kittens ignore their mother’s warning to keep them clean and dry. Another fun folktale retelling.

The Mitten String

A boy’s beloved mitten string keeps him from losing his treasured mittens as he plays. A heartfelt story on comfort items’ sentimental value.

The Mitten Thief

Someone keeps stealing mittens off snowmen! Can the neighborhood kids solve this chilly mystery? A fun, interactive tale.

Pairing stories featuring mittens, snow, and winter together makes for a fun thematic homeschool lesson around this crafty project. Enjoy exploring a few of these tales with your handprint mitten-making kids!

Make Heartwarming Handprint Mitten Ornaments

Creating these sweet handprint mitten ornaments makes for a fun wintery craft that kids of all ages can participate in. The adorable finished products will cheerfully fill your home and make unique Christmas tree decorations. Display them proudly each year to reminisce over childhood creativity.

Explore the arts and crafts section of our blog for easier DIY projects and homeschool activities. And be sure to pin this post to save these special instructions for making handprint mitten ornaments with your kids or students this holiday season. Get ready for lots of merriment and memories!

Pinterest Pin Mitten Craft
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