I have to say, I was pretty pleased with myself when I came up with the idea for these handprint tote bags. They are a perfect DIY Mother’s Day gift, but are also great for all the grandparents, moms, aunts, etc. in your life, and work well for Mother’s Day, Christmas, birthdays, or any other special occasion!

Right on Target

Gifting to grandparents is notoriously challenging: by that stage of their lives, most people have all the necessities of life pretty well covered. If they want something, they simply buy it for themselves. But they love anything to do with their grandkids, so my strategy is always to make some sort of personalized, unique gift involving the kiddos. This is obviously easier said than done! So I was maybe a little overly excited when I was brainstorming prior to Christmas last year, and struck on this idea!

I think these totes are the perfect combo of practical and fun! Plus, they are cheap and easy to make. Read on for tips on how to make this DIY Mother’s Day gift (or any other occasion gift!) for yourself!

Tips and Tricks

The Bags

You have lots of options when it comes to ordering tote bags. I don’t have a Cricut and didn’t want the pressure of hand lettering all these bags, so I wanted to get ones that already were personalized with the names of the gift recipients. I ordered them on a stellar deal from this seller on Etsy. The bags are high quality canvas, have a zippered opening, and extra pockets on the outside. For less than $10 each (on sale)! If you’ve read any other of my blog posts, you know by now that I love a good deal…

I did learn the hard way during this process that lighter colored bags are much easier to work with. Light-colored paint on a dark-colored fabric does not show up very well (see pictures of my finished products). Thankfully I thought they all turned out well enough that I didn’t need to start over, but if I were to do it again, I would use only light-colored tote bags so that the paint would show up well.

Whatever bag you choose, be sure to wipe it down with a damp cloth so you have a clean surface for the fabric paint!

The Handprints

I have attempted many handprint gifts over the years, with several sad failures, before figuring out a technique that actually works. Getting a clear print from a squirmy toddler or baby hand is no simple feat.

The key is somewhat counterintuitive: use a minimal amount of paint on their hand.

When I first embarked upon a baby handprint adventure, I assumed that more paint meant a more solid and distinct handprint. Wrong. A thick layer of paint actually provides a nice slippery medium for their little hand to glide and smear across whatever surface you are working worth. A thin, minimal coating of paint will actually stick to the surface, allowing you to do a quick press and release, generating a (hopefully!) nice and clear handprint. Just be sure to press each finger individually to get a nice print. And it’s always a good idea to do a test print before putting one on the actual gift item!

Also, there is a huge difference between doing a print with a baby versus a toddler. Babies have a reflex that causes them to want to keep their hands closed in a fist. (This is not a scientific statement, just a mom observation over the years.) And a baby has no idea what you mean if you tell them to keep their hand open. Plus, they will probably try to put it in their mouth right when you finish smearing paint all over it. All this to say, if you’re working with an infant, go for a footprint rather than a handprint. Just trust me, and save yourself the headache.

A toddler, on the other hand, can understand simple directions, keep their hand open, and cooperate to press it on the surface you are decorating. Especially if you explain to them that this is for grandma who is going to be soooo thrilled to get such a beautiful gift from her grandkids so we want to be sure to do an extra great job and listen to mommy…and then bribe them with cookies…

The Paint

I looked at a lot of paint options when researching this project. You can get fabric paint, but it doesn’t come in very many colors and often comes in huge quantities, making it more expensive. So I found the best route is to buy a fabric paint medium, and then mix it with acrylic paint in the colors of your choice. I got these at Hobby Lobby, but I think most craft stores carry them.

Finish It Off

The directions on the fabric paint medium recommend heat setting the paint. I think this is most important on fabrics that will be laundered as they are used (ie., t-shirts), so it is probably not crucial for tote bags. But to be thorough, I wanted to try some way to set the paint. Because the canvas bags I bought are not washable and not heat tolerant, I did a little research and got the idea to use a hair drier: simply blow hot air over the dry paint for a few minutes to help set it. You could also spray a clear coat over the bag, but this does pose a risk of slightly altering the colors.

Enjoy Giving These DIY Mother’s Day Gifts!

I hope you love this easy DIY Mother’s Day gift idea (or any holiday gift idea)! Let me know how yours turn out!