Four Seasons Handprint and Fingerprint Tree Art

Make a four seasons fingerprint tree with your kids!  Creating four seasons handprint art is a great way to teach 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 the grandparents.

Create a handprint tree with fingerprint leaves, or snow, in seasonal colors with your children. Handprint and fingerprint art makes a unique homemade gift idea for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or any other occasion.

Related: Beautiful Gifts Kids Can Make the Whole Family Will LOVE!

Related: Fingerprint Art Magnets

How to Make a Four Seasons Fingerprint Handprint Tree

This fun craft is a DIY keepsake activity and gift that kids of all ages can help make.

In order to make it easier for young children, it is best to work in stages. My 2.5-year-old daughter and I worked on this handprint tree and fingerprint tree together for about 10 – 20 minutes over a five-day period.

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

Four Seasons Handprint Tree Art Supplies

• 4 wrapped canvas square frames the same size.
• Tempura paint or acrylic paint best selling colors I, and/or best selling colors II
• Mod Podge
• Paintbrushes
• Foam brush for top coat [In brush set above]
• Artist smock or apron
• Pencil
• Paint tray (optional)
• Your child’s handprint art and fingerprint art

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

In order to keep this four-season art project for kids fun, it is best to work on only one step per day.

When we made our four seasons handprint tree art, we completed step 1 on the first day and then put it away for another day.

The next day 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 a total of four different days creating the four seasons fingerprint tree art. In other words, we only worked on one seasonal square at a time. (Step 4)

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

1. Choose a background color for each of the four seasons.
   • At first, we chose a golden-yellow for the autumn square of our handprint tree art. We wanted to use yellow for the fingerprint art leaves in the fall, so we re-painted it a coral color before I invited my daughter to make the fingerprint tree leaves.
2. The background colors that we used for each of the four seasons are listed below:
   • Spring = celery acrylic paint
   • Summer =  turquoise acrylic paint
   • Fall = coral acrylic paint
   • Winter = bright blue acrylic paint
3. Allow painted canvas squares to dry before moving on to the next step.

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

1. Place 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. We made our fingerprint tree art in the order described above in order to have fingerprint art snow, and fingerprint art fall leaves appear on the ground of the handprint tree art.
2. Put your child’s right or left hand and forearm in the middle of all four canvas squares. Make sure their fingers spread across all of the squares and their arm is dividing the lower two squares.
3. Trace your child’s right or left hand and forearm with a pencil to create four seasons handprint tree art.

Step 3 – Paint the handprint tree

Use a paintbrush to paint the handprint tree art the colors of your choice.

• We used cinnamon acrylic paint to paint the base of the handprint tree shown in the photos.
• Next, we added thin lines of espresso acrylic paint to the handprint tree art in order to create the appearance of bark.
• Don’t forget to paint the sides of the canvas squares to give your four seasons handprint art a wonderful 3-D effect.
• Allow to handprint tree art to dry before moving on to the next step.

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 3-D effect.

The colors that we used for the four season handprint tree pictured are listed below. You may not have the exact same names of paint colors that we used, and 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.

Don’t worry if your children end up mixing the paint a bit on their little fingertips. Mixed paint will create a mottled leaf effect that looks gorgeous.

Spring corner of four seasons fingerprint tree art

• Acrylic colors we used: green, apple tart, pink chiffon, pink blast, and fuchsia.
• Use a piece of paper with a semi-circle cut out and taped to square if you want to maintain the shape of a tree. The video shows this step in action.
• Invite your child to dip their fingertips in the spring paint colors to make the fingerprint art leaves and blossoms of spring.

Summer fingerprint art for the four seasons tree art

• Acrylic colors we used: 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.)
• Allow your child to dip their fingers in the summer paint colors to make the tree leaves of summer.

Winter fingerprint paint colors for handprint tree art

• The acrylic color we used: 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 we used: 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 leaves on the ground.

Allow Four Seasons fingerprint tree art to dry before moving on to the next step.

Related: The Best Fingerprint Art Ideas for Kids

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 paint brushes.
• 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: 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!

For more handmade gift ideas, check out this gorgeous collection of homemade gifts kids can make. (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)

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