Halloween time is nearly here!
For lots of people Halloween means scary costumes, haunted houses and other spooky stuff, but around here, we like to keep it very kid friendly.
We love doing lots of Halloween activities for kids that range from sensory play to worksheets, crafts and of course, art projects!
Today we’re sharing one of our favorite Halloween art ideas – this cute handprint ghost art project.
It’s a fun way to get a little hands-on sensory play and turn your child’s hand into a very cute, very silly little ghost!
Read or watch our video below to see how simple it is to make with your kids or students!
Handprint Ghost Art Project
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We love this kids’ art project because it uses supplies most people already have in their craft closet.
Supplies
- Canvas or thick black card stock
- Black acrylic paint (if using the canvas)
- White acrylic paint
- White card stock
- Paint brush
- Markers (in black and orange)
Directions
1 If you’re using the white canvas, cover the entire canvas in a few thin coats of black paint so the entire surface is completely covered in black paint. Let dry completely. If you’re using the black card stock, skip to step 2.
2. Use the paintbrush to brush on a medium coat of white paint all over your child’s hands.
3. Press your child’s hand firmly down on the canvas/card stock, with their palm at the top and the fingers pointed down. Press all along the hand to be sure the paint is transferred to the canvas.
4. Pull your child’s hand gently up, being sure not to smudge the paint as your pull the hand up.
5. Repeat as many times as you’d like all over the canvas. Let dry completely.
6. Use black paint or a black marker to draw eyes and a mouth on each handprint ghost.
7. To add a little more embellishment, use the orange marker to write the word “boo!” on the white card stock. Cut out in the shape of a speech bubble.
8. Glue the speech bubble above each of the handprint ghosts.
That’s all there is to it to make this cute Halloween craft!
How To Minimize Messes
If you’re reading this section, you may be a bit like us…
You want to give your kids hands-on, potentially messy play experiences, but you don’t want a paint trail of disaster spread all over the house.
We get it.
And we’re here to tell you there are a few simple way to keep the mess contained and still have fun!
First, make sure you have some baby wipes nearby. These little guys are a lifesaver when you’re doing paint based handprint projects.
When we do these projects, we paint the hands as many times as we want and let our kids feel all the squishy paint they want. Then when we’re done we place the wipe on their hands and walk them to the sink. This way, even if they accidentally touch something the wipe keeps the paint aways from anything in your home.
Another option is to take this entire craft outside to do. This way, you can take all the pressure off and just let the kids have fun and use the hose to rinse off.
One last tip is to wear play clothes if you think your child will be extra messy. This way, if they do get something on their clothes they’re not ruining any new outfits.
If you’re really worried about the mess but you still want to make something similar, you can instead make these cute little handprint ghosts out of white construction paper.
Simply trace your child’s hand on the white card stock, cut out and glue to a piece of black card stock. Then you can follow the rest of the directions above (with the markers, not the paint).
Share With Me
Did you make this handprint ghost art with your kids or students?
We love seeing how your art work turns out. Share a picture with us by posting it to our Facebook wall or in the discussion area of our private Facebook group.
More Handprint Crafts For Kids
- Turkey Handprint Craft For Kids
- Skeleton Handprint Art Project
- Handprint Forky Craft
- Handprint & Footprint Pumpkin Keepsake
Ghost Books For Kids
Handprint Ghost Art Project For Kids
Learn how to make this simple Halloween handprint ghost art!
Materials
- Canvas or thick black card stock
- Black acrylic paint (if using the canvas)
- White acrylic paint
- Orange acrylic paint
- Markers
Tools
- Paint brush
Instructions
- If you're using the white canvas, cover the entire canvas in a few thin coats of black paint so the entire surface is completely covered in black paint. Let dry completely. If you're using the black card stock, skip to step 2.
- Use the paintbrush to brush on a medium coat of white paint all over your child's hands.
- Press your child's hand firmly down on the canvas/card stock, with their palm at the top and the fingers pointed down. Press all along the hand to be sure the paint is transferred to the canvas.
- Pull your child's hand gently up, being sure not to smudge the paint as your pull the hand up.
- Repeat as many times as you'd like all over the canvas. Let dry completely.
- Use black paint or a black marker to draw eyes and a mouth on each handprint ghost.
- To add a little more embellishment, use the orange marker to write the word "boo!" on the white card stock. Cut out in the shape of a speech bubble.
- Glue the speech bubbles above each handprint ghost.
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