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)
Oh those are so cute. Perfect way to decorate my kids room.
Thanks — we love it too 🙂
Love handprint trees!
I’m so glad you like them!
What a great idea!! This would be perfect above our nature table.
It would be lovely above a nature table!
I love how they all hang together to make some great art – good idea!
We love it hanging on our wall! It is a lovely piece of art that my daughter and I made together–best thing ever 🙂
Nice activity! I have a group of 3/4 year olds so i’ll use tempera instead !
That’s great! Have fun!
Peakles loves this idea! It’s very cheerful and fun plus ideal for Father’s Day! Your post has been featured on this week’s Frugal Family Linky via Peakle Pie! Hope to see you joining in again soon and remember to pop by and grab your ‘I’ve been Featured’ badge too!
Thank you so much for featuring my work and thanks for hosting such an awesome link party! I grabbed my button and will be back for sure 🙂
I would really like this child-made artwork hanging on our wall! Thanks for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot!
This is such a beautiful keepsake idea. I will be featuring this post tomorrow at the Thoughtful Spot. Thanks for linking up your creativity!
This is brilliant! Pinning and all excited, because now I already know what we’re making for the grandparents for Christmas!!
I’m so glad you like it and are as excited as we are about it. I love how it turned out! We are giving ours to daddy for father’s day 🙂
Really beautiful and so creative ! Can’t wait to make it with my boys. Thank you very much. 🙂
Beautiful idea! The perfect Christmas gift for my children’s godmothers and godfather. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us. Your blog is wonderful!
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked it. I would love to see a photo of yours if you would be willing to share. 🙂
Very cute! I love the use of all of the seasons – it is a great keepsake!
Thank you! My daughter and I really enjoyed making it. It took us several days but it was so worth it! We have it hanging on our bedroom wall. 🙂
This is so cute. I teach Pre-K in Orlando, FL and want to have all 20 of my kids do one for their parents as an end of the year present. Now to figure out how to raise money for the canvases. :0)
That sounds like fun Leigh Anne, I’m sure the parents will love such a wonderful gift. 🙂
I work in a combo k/1st grade special ed classroom. We did this art work, but simplified it a bit. I just used construction paper. Cut 4 6×6 squares of different colored paper; one for each season. Placed them together to make one big square.
Then I painted the hand and forearm brown of each child and printed them in the middle of my squares. Separated the squares, let the brown dry before preceding the other painting. So much fun!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Kathy! I love, love, love how you simplified it! Sounds like it was a great success! Your comment made my day 🙂
Oh my goodness, this is such a cute project. 🙂 Kids will love this idea! Can’t wait to try this out for an art project with the kids. 🙂
Thank you!
Love this! Having grandson make for mom for Christmas present. We are using tempera paints. They do not come out a bright as yours but still lovely.
That sounds wonderful, Regina! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this four-season handprint art project. I bet that his mom will love it!
hi, this looks AWSOME and I would love to try it! what I’m going to do is for each season I’m going to give my parents that part of the tree and at the end of the year, they are going to have a full tree. great thinking!
Hi Oliva! I love your idea of making one for each season to give as a gift, I hope they love it!
I just did it for Christmas and it looks AWESOME my parents will love it!
I’m so glad that you made the four-season handprint tree as a gift! Well done!
Thanks for this great project! I used it for a home school enrichment class (6 kids, grades 1-5.) Wish I could attach pictures! It was so fun that this was “artist-y” but attainable for all the kids.
Hi Dorothy,
I’m so glad that you found this four-season art project for kids, fun, educational, and attainable for a wide range of ages and abilities. My daughter and I had so much fun creating the original fingerprint art pictured here. And, the handprint tree my daughter made over 6 years ago continues to be one of our favorite pieces of artwork. Enjoy!
Nell