Fingerprint Art DIY Pendants for Necklaces Jewelry-Making Tutorial

Use your fingers and thumbs to create fingerprint artwork and turn it into a pendant for a necklace with this DIY tutorial.

Create a DIY fingerprint or thumbprint art necklace pendant for a fun crafting experience! This easy jewelry-making craft and homemade gift idea is suitable for kids, teens, and adults alike. You can create these unique necklaces for yourself, friends, your BFF, partners, teachers, coworkers, and family members, such as moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins. Handmade fingerprint art DIY pendants for necklaces and keychains make perfect custom keepsakes for people of all ages. You’re never too old to create fingerprint art DIY necklaces!

Making DIY pendants for necklaces with fingerprint art is a simple jewelry-making project that offers children and adults a creative medium for self-expression. The process enables each person to infuse their unique identity into personalized works of art. Artists of all ages and abilities can explore endless ways to transform fingerprint art into unique jewelry pendants and charms with the ideas and step-by-step instructions below. You may also enjoy learning how to create hand-beaded necklaces to complement these fingerprint art pendants.

When I invented these simple fingerprint art crafts, I was determined to find a way to transform my daughter’s precious fingerprints into wearable art necklaces, as well as pendants, charms, and keychains for backpacks. At the same time, I also created these adorable fingerprint art magnets to preserve her artwork. Both projects are simple keepsake projects that turn art into something useful and unique. First published in May 2018, this fingerprint art necklace craft tutorial for kids and adults is regularly updated to enhance the content.

Beyond their aesthetic appeal, crafting fingerprint art necklaces serves as a therapeutic outlet that fosters mindfulness and relaxation. By creating meaningful gifts from wearable art, kids and adults can infuse each fingerprint art charm with personal significance, making each pendant a cherished reflection of the artist’s or wearer’s journey or identity. Use the fingerprint art ideas and step-by-step instructions below to create personalized DIY fingerprint art jewelry.

Custom Fingerprint Art Jewelry Pendants and Charms for Kids and Adults

Fingerprint art necklaces are a delightful fusion of sentimentality and style. This heartfelt yet straightforward DIY jewelry-making idea is an easy way to make necklaces into a personalized fashion statement with emotional significance. Give handmade fingerprint art necklaces to someone you love, so they can carry a piece of you with them wherever they go. 

DIY fingerprint art necklaces are more than ornamental adornments; they are tangible reflections of cherished memories, relationships, and personal milestones. By making your fingerprints into wearable art, you can transform a simple jewelry pendant into a treasured keepsake.

This DIY tutorial teaches you how to create fingerprint or thumbprint art pendants and charms, offering several options for crafting these gorgeous, custom necklaces with personalized designs. Gather the fingerprint art DIY jewelry-making supplies from the list below, and prepare for a fun crafting adventure that will please young and old alike! You might also enjoy learning how to make a personalized picture necklace pendant. See step-by-step instructions for this DIY jewelry-making project HERE–> DIY Photo Necklace.

How to Make Art Necklace Jewelry

First, gather the fingerprint and thumbprint art jewelry-making supplies you want to use to make personalized fingerprint art necklaces from the list below. Next, follow the step-by-step directions to make fingerprint artwork jewelry at home or in the classroom.

The complete step-by-step DIY craft tutorial for fingerprint art necklaces is below the video tutorial. Scroll down for the DIY details. Take a look at this list of beautiful homemade gifts kids can make for more craft ideas.

Custom Fingerprint Art Necklace Jewelry Making Supplies:

First, scroll through the fingerprint artwork to familiarize yourself with different ways you can use your fingers and thumbs to create art. Next, gather the fingerprint art jewelry-making supplies listed below to create unique, handmade artwork jewelry. You will notice there are several options. Read through the DIY tutorial to determine the supplies you want to use to make fingerprint pendants. Finally, use the step-by-step at the bottom of the post to make fingerprint art necklaces. (Or, click the link to learn how to make fingerprint art keychains and backpack charms.)

• Heavyweight paper (printer or cardstock – bright white is best)
• Fine tip black permanent marker and/or gel pens
• Fingerprint ink pads
• Scissors
• Jewelry glue or adhesive. Choose at least one of the following:
  • Mod Podge
  • Diamond Glaze
  • B6000 Jewelry Adhesive
• Pendant trays with glass cabochon jewelry-making options: (choose at least one of the following jewelry-making supplies)
  • Oval pendant trays and oval cabochons
  • Square pendant trays  and square glass cabochons
  • Round pendant trays with round cabochons
  • Multipack of pendant trays and glass cabochons
• Pre-made necklaces for pendants (choose at least one from the list below or make a DIY necklace):
  • Sterling silver snake chain necklace (fits all pendant shapes)
  • Silver-plated snake chain necklaces (fit all pendant shapes)
  • Imitation leather cord necklaces (fit all pendant shapes)
  • Multi-colored satin silk necklaces (fit oval pendants, but not the square or circle pendant charms)

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

Related: Four Season Handprint and Fingerprint Tree

3 Easy Ideas for Personalized Fingerprint and Thumbprint Art Necklace Jewelry

First, invite children to create art using the fun ideas below. Next, have the kids turn their artwork into necklaces with the video tutorial and step-by-step instructions posted below the fingerprint art necklace ideas list. Or use our craft tutorial to make keychains or backpack charms.

1. Thumbprint Heart Necklaces:

• Invite children or adults to use their fingers or thumbs to create hearts, to make thumbprint heart necklaces.
• Another fun idea is to make thumbprint heart keychains.
• Alternatively, you can make thumbprint heart magnet crafts instead!

2. Fingerprint Flower Necklaces:

• Another simple fingerprint necklace idea is to create fingerprint flower pendants and charms to be worn on a chain.
• Encourage kids or adults to create fingerprint flower necklaces with their fingertips using the step-by-step instructions here: Fingerprint Flower Necklaces or Keychains.
• Alternatively, you can make Fingerprint Flower Magnets.

3. Fingerprint Art Necklaces and Thumbprint Art Necklaces:

• There are several fun ways to create art with your fingertips and thumbs, in addition to the previously mentioned techniques for creating hearts and flowers.
• I recommend learning how to make fingerprint art with Ed Emberley’s Complete Funprint Drawing Book. It contains two of his most popular fingerprint and thumbprint art books combined into one fantastic fingerprint art book for kids:
  • It will teach you how to make fingerprint bugs, animals, flowers, and several more fingerprint characters, symbols, and designs, such as frogs, suns, chicks, bunnies, fish, and snails, which you can use to make fingerprint art necklace charms and pendants with this fantastic thumbprint and fingerprint art book for children and adults.
• My daughter and I also enjoyed some of the art ideas in a few other fingerprint art books recommended below. Invite your children to find inspiration for creating fingerprint art by exploring the ideas in the books about creating fingerprint and thumbprint art below.
• Initially, we created fingerprint and thumbprint art using fingerprint ink pads and a black, fine-tip permanent marker or gel pens to make the pendants and charms featured in the photographs. However, you can also use acrylic paint to make fingerprint art, crafts, and DIY projects. The prints are usually less detailed, and it’s best to use the paint sparingly, but it still works.
• Scroll down for step-by-step instructions on creating these simple fingerprint art crafts.

Best Books with Easy Fingerprint Art Ideas:

Ed Emberley’s Complete Funprint Drawing BookEd Emberley’s Fingerprint Drawing BookFingerprint Princesses and Fairies: and 100 Other Magical Creatures – Amazing Art for Hands-on Fun (Fingerprint Art)Fingerprint & Draw: Animals & Insects: Draw & paint more than 25 cool fingerprint and thumbprint masterpieces (Drawing with your Fingers)Fingerprint Monsters and Dragons: and 100 Other Adventurous Creatures (Fingerprint Art)Fingerprint Activities: AnimalsFingerprint & Draw: On the Farm: Draw & paint more than 30 cool fingerprint and thumbprint masterpieces (Drawing with your Fingers)Fingerprint Drawing: Art Fun at Your Fingertips!Fingerprint Animals (Fun with Fingerprints)Fingerprint Fun: Pictures to Complete with Painty FingertipsFingerprint Fun: Pets and Farm AnimalsElera 20 Colors Rainbow Craft Finger Ink pads for Rubber Stamps Card Making

Related: Handprint Jewelry Dish Kids Can Make

DIY Fingerprint Art Necklace Video Tutorial: How to Make Fingerprint Art Necklaces

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make fingerprint art necklaces. In it, my daughter demonstrates how to make fingerprint butterflies with gel pens. The video also shows how easy it is to use these crafty pendants to make keychains and backpack charms.

Below the video tutorial are the step-by-step instructions for making DIY pendants for necklaces with fingerprint art created on paper safely hidden inside. You may also enjoy learning how to make photo jewelry or personalized picture keychain photo charms. Please visit the step-by-step instructions for either pendant craft project to learn more.

Related: DIY Acorn Marble Necklaces

Fingerprint Art Necklace Step-By-Step Tutorial: How to Make Fingerprint Charms and Pendants for Necklaces

Follow the easy DIY directions below to create custom, personalized fingerprint art jewelry pendants and charms, similar to those shown in the photo below. Please watch the video above and read through the instructions before starting this fingerprint craft so you know the steps involved and what to expect.

1. Create fingerprint and thumbprint art for DIY Necklace Pendants and Charms:

• Start making these creative DIY art necklaces by making fingerprint art on cardstock with the following tips:
  • Trace the glass cabochons directly onto the cardstock with a pencil to create an art window for fingerprint art.
  • This optional step can help ensure the fingerprint artwork is the correct size for each pendant or charm, but you can also create fingerprint art directly on the cardstock without tracing the cabochons first.

How to Create Fingerprint Art for Necklaces:

• Use the easy art ideas from the recommended fingerprint art books above, the photographs, and the video for this tutorial to inspire kids and adults to create art with the tips of their fingers.
• Invite kids or adults to use fingerprint ink pads, or acrylic paint to create the fingerprint art (or thumbprint art) design they like for art necklace pendants and charms, into each traced art window, or directly onto the paper.
• Press your finger or thumb into a fingerprint ink pad, or use a paintbrush to lightly brush acrylic paint onto your or your child’s fingertips.
• As mentioned previously, my daughter and I used fingerprint ink pads to create the fingerprint and thumbprint art charms and pendants for the fingerprint art necklaces in the photos, but acrylic paint also works.
• Stamp your finger with ink or paint onto the paper to create prints according to the chosen design.
• Decorate prints with a permanent marker to complete the desired fingerprint art design.
• Some designs are easier to make if you draw part of the design before making prints onto paper, such as the butterfly in the photo below.
• Or make fingerprint art into magnets; click the link for step-by-step instructions.

2. Glue the fingerprint art to the glass cabochon gem:

• If you didn’t start by tracing the glass cabochons to make art windows, play with them to see which shape will fit on top of the fingerprint artwork, as shown in the video above.
• The fingerprint art must be small enough to fit under the cabochon; otherwise, some of it will be cut off.
• First, place a small drop of glue or adhesive onto the back (flat side) of the glass cabochon.
  • Update: We used Mod Podge in the video, which, like other white PVA glues, works fine. However, since this post was first published, we have discovered that jewelry glues and adhesives work better.
• Then, put it on top of the fingerprint artwork (as shown in the video above) to glue it to the cabochon.
• Allow the glue to dry; overnight is best, but the process can be sped up slightly.

3. Cut away any remaining paper around the glass cabochon:

• Use small detail scissors to trim and cut away paper around the glass cabochon for the necklace. (It doesn’t need to be perfect.)
• The paper will pull slightly away from the glass cabochon when you cut it off. Gently massage the back of each cabochon to press the fingerprint paper back onto the cabochon.
• You might need to place a small drop of Mod Podge under the paper if it pulled away too much, so it can glue it back down. Most of the time, you will not need to do this. Simply massaging the paper on the back of the cabochon works fine. If you use a bit more glue, you do not need to wait for it to dry before moving on to the next step.

4. Glue the glass cabochon into the pendant tray:

• Use a drop of jewelry glue or adhesive to attach the glass cabochon to a pendant tray of the same shape.
• You can either place the adhesive into the pendant tray or directly onto the paper on the back of the glass cabochon. (Both jewelry-making methods are shown in the video below, and either technique works.)
• Allow the glue or adhesive to dry according to the manufacturer’s directions.

5. Place the fingerprint art pendant onto a necklace or cord:

• Thread a necklace through the loop of the fingerprint art pendant to finish your fingerprint art necklace. Choose one of the necklace options below:
  • Sterling silver snake chain necklace (fits all pendant hanger shapes)
  • Silver-plated snake chain necklaces (fit all pendant hanger shapes)
  • Multi-colored satin silk necklaces (fit into oval pendant hangers, but not the square or circular pendants)
  • Imitation leather cord necklaces (fit all pendant shapes)
  • Or click the link to learn how to make a beaded DIY necklace for each fingerprint art charm or pendant. (If you hand-bead a homemade necklace, place the fingerprint art pendant onto it when it is halfway finished. Otherwise, it may not fit over the beads to hang down in the middle of the necklace.)

Related: Fun Art and Craft Ideas

DIY Fingerprint Art Necklace: Homemade Craft and Gift Idea Kids Can Make

Create fingerprint art necklace pendants as a great gift idea for kids and adults of all ages!

Fingerprint and thumbprint art made into a necklace, keychain, or backpack charm is an easy homemade gift idea that moms, dads, and grandparents will LOVE!

Fingerprint art, thumbprint hearts, and fingerprint flower glass magnets are always a big hit with friends and family. Give them to someone special for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents’ Day, a birthday, an anniversary, or Christmas.

Picture necklaces and photo keychain charms also make unique handmade gift ideas.

You might also enjoy the other beautiful homemade gift ideas kids can make. For more arts and crafts ideas, click the link.

Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author, photographer, and creator of these fingerprint art necklace crafts HERE, and about Rhythms of Play HERE!

More Popular Fingerprint Art Ideas:

• Thumbprint Heart Magnets
• Fingerprint and Thumbprint Art and Craft Ideas
• Thumb-Buggy Fingerprint Art Love Bug Crafts
• DIY Fingerprint Art Magnets
• Fingerprint Flower Magnets
• DIY Fingerprint Flower Pendants and Charms for Necklaces or Keychains
• Thumbprint Heart Necklaces

If you liked Art Necklaces, You Might Also Like:

• Four Season Handprint and Fingerprint Tree
• Best Flower Art Projects
• How to Make a Fairy Garden
• Books That Teach Kids Important Life Lessons