These salt dough handprint and footprint heart crafts make a great keepsake craft and gift idea for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparents Day!
Salt dough handprint crafts make a wonderful homemade gift idea for parents and grandparents. This salt dough craft also has a footprint in it, and, is made in the shape of a heart!
Learn how to make salt dough with a child’s handprint and footprint in the shape of a heart with this simple handmade craft tutorial. You may also like this list of homemade gifts that kids can make!
Salt dough handprint and footprint heart crafts are an easy craft and gift idea for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparents Day!
Related: Valentine Crafts and Gift Ideas Kids Can Make
Related: Four Season Handprint and Fingerprint Tree
We were inspired to make this adorable handprint and footprint heart keepsake craft by the super cute pumpkin craft by Parker’s Mommy that you can see HERE!
When I saw how cute the pumpkins looked with both and handprint and footprint inside, I knew I had to try this salt dough craft in the shape of a heart!
Related: Watercolor SURPRISE Heart Art
Salt Dough Heart Craft Supplies
- Flour
- Salt
- Hot water
- Acrylic Paint
- Paint Brushes
- Mod Podge
- Old towel
- Your child’s hand and foot
Related: Shell Frames with Handprint Keepsake Gift
Handprint and Footprint Heart Kitchen Supplies
- Measuring cups
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Straw or chopstick (optional)
Related: Thumbprint Heart Magnets
Salt Dough Recipe
This salt dough recipe was enough to make the two large hearts pictured above with a little bit of dough leftover to make another small cookie cutter heart.
- 4 cups flour
- 2 cups salt
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups of water
Related: Heart Art Salt Painting
How to Make Salt Dough for Crafts
- Mix salt and flour in a mixing bowl.
- Slowly add water. (You may not need it all.)
- Mix flour and water together and knead until it is the consistency of play dough.
Note: If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour
Related: Personalized Painted Heart Candle Holder
How to Make a Handprint and Footprint Salt Dough Heart Keepsake
This salt dough creation is a fun, heart craft to make with the kids. Homemade keepsakes like these handprint and footprint crafts are always a hit with parents and grandparents.
Consider making one for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and/or Christmas. Make one (or two) today!
Step 1 – Make Salt Dough
Use the salt dough recipe and the instructions listed above to make salt dough.
Step 2 – Form the Salt Dough Hearts
First, place the parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Next, form two large hearts out of the salt dough. Make the salt dough heart crafts directly on top of the parchment paper and cookie sheet. (Kids love to help with this.)
Step 3 – Make Footprint in Salt Dough Heart Craft
- Lay an old towel down on the floor and place the cookie sheet with the salt dough heart crafts on it.
- Have your child sit on the towel on the floor facing the cookie sheet in order to make the footprint in the salt dough heart.
- Dip child’s foot into flour before making a footprint in the heart in order to make sure that it doesn’t stick when you press it into the salt dough.
Step 4 – Make Handprint in Salt Dough Heart Keepsake
- Use the opposite hand to make a handprint next to the salt dough footprint. In other words, if you made a print with the left foot, use the right hand to make the handprint and vice versa.
- Coat the child’s hand in flour before making the handprint in the salt dough heart to be sure that it does not stick.
Step 5 – Create Hole to Hang Heart Shaped Salt Dough Handprint and Footprint Craft (Optional)
Use a straw or chopstick to create a single hole in the middle of the top of the salt dough heart crafts in order to make it easy to hang them.
Step 6 – Allow Salt Dough Footprint and Handprint Heart to Air Dry Overnight.
The thickness of these salt dough heart crafts makes it necessary to allow the salt dough hearts to dry a bit before they are cooked. Allow the salt dough handprint and footprint crafts to dry overnight before placing it in the oven.
Step 7 – Bake Salt Dough Heart Craft
Bake at 200 F for about 1-3 hours in the oven. Take this handprint craft out of the oven if you notice the salt dough heart start to brown. It may need a bit longer than 3 hours to cook depending on the size and thickness of the salt dough heart craft,
Step 8 – Place heart keepsake on a cooling rack and allow to cool overnight.
Take the salt dough handprint and footprint craft out of the oven and allow it to cool and harden on a cooling rack overnight before painting it.
Step 9 – Paint Handprint and Footprint Heart Salt Dough Craft
Make sure the salt dough hearts are completely dry before painting this footprint and handprint craft.
- Paint the handprint and footprint keepsake any color you like. Kids love to help with this!
- Don’t forget to write the child’s name and date on the front or back along with any personal message or poem that you would like to include.
Related: Thumbprint Heart Necklaces
Salt Dough Handprint and Footprint Heart Crafts: Step by Step Photo Tutorial
Related: Slow Falling Heart Sensory Bottle
Handprint and Footprint Salt Dough Heart Craft
Handmade gifts are always a hit with friends and family. A handprint and footprint heart craft made out of salt dough makes a great gift idea for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparents day!
Make a Fingerprint love bug card to go with your salt dough handprint and footprint heart gift. We have lots of card message ideas you can use to personalize your gift for almost any occasion including Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparent’s Day.
You may also like this amazing collection of Valentine crafts and gift ideas kids can make… Just click on the link to see them all!
We hope you enjoy creating this salt dough heart craft for someone you love. For even more ideas have a look at this collection of Heart Art Project Ideas.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
If you Liked this Footprint and Handprint Craft, You may also like:
- Slow Falling Heart Sensory Bottle
- Thumbprint Heart Keychains
- Best Valentine’s Day Art Projects
- Thumbprint Crafts and Gift Ideas
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elizabeth says
atwhat is the mod podge for?
nell says
atGood question Elizabeth. Mod Podge is a glue based sealer. Using it to seal and protect the salt dough heart with handprint or footprint is optional.