Four Seasons Handprint and Fingerprint Tree Art

Make this four seasons handprint and fingerprint tree with your kids! 

Create a four-season handprint tree with fingerprint art leaves, and snow, in seasonal colors with toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners at home or in the classroom. Making this four-seasons art project is a great way to teach young children about the changing seasons while making beautiful fingerprint and handprint art.

Once finished, this four-seasons handprint tree is a unique fingerprint art keepsake craft and gift idea for mom, dad, or grandparents. It also makes a lovely personalized piece of DIY home decor that families can treasure for a lifetime. We have ours hung on our master bedroom wall, and we love it! You might also enjoy this list of homemade gifts kids can make.

How to Make a Four Seasons Fingerprint Handprint Tree

This fun craft is a fun art activity and keepsake gift that kids of all ages can help make. Handprint and fingerprint art makes a unique homemade gift idea for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, or a birthday.

Work in stages to make this four-season art project easy for young children. My 2.5-year-old daughter and I worked on this handprint and fingerprint tree together for about 10 – 20 minutes over five days. Scroll down for the craft supply list and all the DIY details to make this gorgeous four-season art idea.

Related: Fingerprint Art Magnets

Four Seasons Handprint Tree Art Supplies

• Square canvases (we used THESE 6 by 6 inch) or square wooden canvases
• Acrylic paints
• Paint tray
• Paintbrushes (this set includes a foam brush)
• Mod Podge or other selant and a foam brush (optional)
• Art apron or smock (optional)

Related: Best Art Supplies for Kids and Why Young Artists Should Use Them

Four Seasons Handprint and Fingerprint Tree Art Step by Step Video Tutorial

Related: Fingerprint Flower Glass Magnets 

Four Seasons Fingerprint Tree Art Step by Step Directions

To keep this four-season art project fun for kids–it’s best to work on one step per day, but you can paint your four seasons art however you wish. Here’s what we did:

• When my daughter and I made this four-seasons handprint tree art, we completed step 1 on the first day and then put it away for another day.
• The next time we worked on our four seasons art project, we traced my daughter’s handprint and painted the handprint tree. (Step 2 & 3)
• Finally, we spent four different days creating the four seasons of fingerprint tree art. In other words, we worked on creating the fingerprint art for one seasonal square at a time. (See how we did it in Step 4)
• We had loads of fun, and it made it a lot easier to complete the entire project with my toddler breaking it down this way.

Scroll down for the step-by-step instructions to make this gorgeous four-season art project with kids. It’s the perfect project for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and even school-aged children.

Step 1 – Paint each wrapped canvas square a different color for each of the four seasons

• Next, choose an acrylic paint color to paint each seasonal square.
• The photograph above shows the color of celery for the spring background, pool blue for summer, coral for fall, and bright blue for winter. However, in the video, you will notice that the autumn seasonal square was initially yellow. Because we wanted to create lots of yellow and gold fall leaves, we repainted it coral before adding the autumn fingerprint leaves.
• Invite children to paint each canvas in the color of your choice, and feel free to join the fun!
• Allow the paint on each fo the four seasonal canvases to dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 2 – Trace your child’s hand to make handprint tree art

• first, put all four seasons of the canvas squares together with spring in the upper left corner, summer in the upper right corner, fall in the lower right corner, and winter in the lower-left corner.
• Arranging the fingerprint tree art in the order described above makes it possible to create fingerprint art snow, and fingerprint art autumn leaves on the ground of the handprint tree art. If the four seasons are arranged in any other order, this would not be possible.
• Next, put your child’s right or left hand and forearm in the middle of all four canvas squares. Please make sure your child’s fingers are spread across as many of the individual squares as you can manage, and their arm is dividing the lower two canvases.
• Finally, trace your child’s right or left hand and forearm with a pencil to create the framework for your four seasons handprint tree art.

Step 3 – Paint the handprint tree

• Use a paintbrush to paint the handprint tree art the color of your choice. We used espresso to paint the tree, and added thin lines of cinnamon to it that gave it the texture of bark.
• Depending on the age of your child, this step may best be completed by mom, dad, a teacher, or another caregiver.
• I opted to paint it for my toddler and recruited her to help me paint the fingerprint art leaves and snow for each of the four seasons.
• Please have a look at how I painted the handprint tree in the photo below.

Related: Handprint Art Jewelry Dish and Ring Bowl

Step 4 – Invite children to use their fingertips to paint leaves or snow for each of the four seasons to complete this fingerprint tree art project

Arrange your four seasons handprint tree with winter and fall on the bottom so your child can create fingerprint art snow and fingerprint art leaves on the ground. Don’t forget to add fingerprint art to the sides of the canvas squares to give your fingerprint tree art a lovely 3-D effect.

It does not matter which colors you use to make this four-season handprint tree, as long as you like them, and they remind you of the colors of the season. And, you may not have the same paint colors that we used, but that is just fine. All you need to do is use a smattering of colors in seasonal tones to make four seasons fingerprint tree art.

And, there is no need to be concerned if your children end up mixing the paint a bit on their little fingertips. Mixing paints will create a mottled leaf effect that looks gorgeous. Just look at the photos of our four-season art!

Spring corner of four seasons fingerprint tree art

• Acrylic colors: pink blast, pink chiffon, light pink, leaf green, apple tart, and kelly green.
• Use a piece of paper with a semi-circle cut out and taped to square if you want to maintain the tree’s shape. (The video shows this step in action.)
• Invite children to dip their fingers in the summer paint colors to make fingerprint tree leaves in spring colors.

Summer fingerprint art for the four seasons tree art

• Acrylic colors: green, kelly green, Christmas green, vineyard green, celery, apple tart, and bright yellow.
• Use a piece of paper with a semi-circle cut out and taped to square if you want to maintain the shape of the tree. (Once again, the video shows this step in action.)
• Please encourage your child to dip their fingers in the summer paint colors to create summer fingerprint tree leaves.

Winter fingerprint paint colors for handprint tree art

• The acrylic color: white.
• Invite your child to dip their fingertips in the white paint to create fingerprint art snow. Make fingerprint art snow on the branch of the handprint tree, falling from the sky, and on the ground below your four seasons handprint tree.

Fall fingerprint tree paint colors for handprint tree art

• Acrylic colors: dark yellow, buttercream, tangerine, orange, cinnamon, espresso, tapestry wine, metallic copper, and metallic gold.
• Allow your child to dip their fingertips in autumn paint colors to create fingerprint art falling leaves and fingerprint leaves on the ground.
• Allow Four Seasons fingerprint tree art to dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 5 – Apply a Top Coat to Preserve, Seal, and Protect Four Seasons Handprint Tree Art

• Use a foam brush to apply Mod Podge to the surface of your handprint tree art so you don’t ruin your paintbrushes.
• Use long top to bottom strokes.
• Mod Podge goes on milky and dries clear.
• Work quickly – it gets sticky.
• Allow four seasons fingerprint tree art to dry.

Related: The Best Fingerprint Art Ideas for Kids

Related: Best Flower Art Projects for Kids

Give Fingerprint Tree Art as a Keepsake Gift Kids Can Make or Hang and Enjoy!

This four seasons handprint and fingerprint tree art is a unique homemade gift idea that kids can make. You may also like our ultimate family gift guide with DIY and ready-made ideas for the whole family!

Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!

Check out this gorgeous collection of homemade gifts kids can make for more handmade gift ideas. (photo below)

More Handprint Art and Crafts

• Salt Dough Handprint and Footprint Heart
• Shell Frames with Handprint Art
• Four Leaf Clover Handprint Art with Printable Poem
• Handprint Shamrock with Printable Poem
• Valentine Handprint Art Ideas
• Handprint Christmas Carolers 
• Christmas Handprint Art Ideas 
• Handprint Art Jewelry Dish and Ring Bowl (photo below)

More Fingerprint Art and Crafts

• Fingerprint Art Glass Magnets
• Thumbprint Heart Magnet Craft
• DIY Thumbprint Heart Necklaces
• Thumbprint Heart Keychains
• Easy Fingerprint Flower Magnets
• Fingerprint Flower Necklace and Keychain Pendants
• Thumbprint Heart Crafts and Gift Ideas
• Christmas Fingerprint Tree Cards
• Fingerprint Lights Christmas Tree Cards
• Easy Fingerprint Snowman
• Fingerprint Love Bug Cards for Every Occasion
• Best Fingerprint Art Ideas for Kids (photo below)

If You Liked this Four Season Tree, You May Also Like:

• Forest School Outdoor Learning and Nature Activities
• Rainbow Rainy Day Art
• Black Glue Rose Watercolor Art
• DIY Rainbow Peg Dolls
• Calm Down Sensory Bottles 101