With Father’s Day quickly approaching I wanted to share this fun and easy “Best Dad Ever Hands Down” Handprint Card that’s the perfect card for kids to make and give Dad.
We all know how adorable little kids’ handprints are so of course a handprint card makes the perfect gift for a child to give their Dad.
Not only is this Father’s day gift idea a great keepsake it’s a perfect last minute kids gift for dad’s birthday or Father’s Day.
Because of how easy this craft is it’s perfect for classroom use too. Doing this craft with a group in a school class, daycare, or children’s Sunday school can be a lot of fun.
Supplies to make this Father’s Day Handprint Craft
This handprint card for dad is quick and easy to make all you need is a few basic craft supplies.
- free printable digital files (bottom of the post)
- cardstock (white cardstock or colored will both work)
- paint or ink (there is a crayon/marker option that’s less messy)
- a cute little handprint
Printable Father’s Day Cards
Before starting to make this handprint gift for dad the first thing you need to do is print out the cards.
To give you a few different Options I made 3 different designs if this printable. You can pick whichever of the printable templates work best for your child to give dad on his special day.
3 Different Handprint Card options for Dad
All of these handprint card designs are in one downloadable file you can find at the bottom of this post.
Foldable Card
This card is a vertical card designed to be printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and folded in half. On the inside of the card, kids can draw a picture or write a special message for Dad.
The foldable card has space for one larger child’s handprint and two baby or toddler size hands.
2 Cards Per Page
This card also prints on an 8 1/2 x 11 paper but instead of folding the card there are two Best Dad Ever hands Down cards if you cut the page in half. Kids can draw a picture or write a special message for dad on the back of this card.
Full Page Card
The full page best dad card is sized for an 8 1/2 x 11 paper and takes up the whole sheet. This is perfect for older kids with larger hands or if you want to put multiple handprints on the page.
If you have 2 or 3 young children that can all fit their handprints on one page it can be fun to have them each use different colors and put all the hands on a single page.
Editable Version
If you would like your card to say best daddy, best papa or another name for your father figure you can get an editable version of these cards in the shop.
How to Make a DIY “Best Dad Ever Hands Down” Card
Print the Card
Before starting to make this handprint gift for dad the first thing you need to do is print out the digital files (get it at the bottom of the post). Pick which page will work the best for you and print.
For the best results I personally recommend printing the card on card stock since the paint works better with cardstock.
If you print on regular paper consider using an ink pad (like one used for stamps) instead of paint so it doesn’t go through the paper.
You could also use a crayon or marker and trace the child’s hands instead of doing your child’s handprints.
Once you have printed the card you’re ready to add the the child’s handprint to your printable cards.
Add the Handprint
Flip the card upside down so your handprint is upside down when you have the card the right direction.
Paint or ink the child’s hand (older children will have so much fun painting their own handprints but younger kids will probably need help).
If you’re making multiple handprint cards (like this grandpa option too!) do all the handprint stamping at one time for easier cleanup.
When using paint be sure to paint their hand lightly. A thin layer of paint or ink gives the most crisp and detailed handprint. Too much paint and it’s harder to work with and the handprint isn’t as defined.
You may want to do a practice handprint or two on a scrap piece of paper before doing it on the card. It took us a few tries to get a handprint we really liked.
If you want to be able to do multiple handprints and pick the best one for the card you could do the handprints on a coordinating colored cardstock. Then you can cut out the handprint and glue it to the card instead of painting directly on the card.
Pro Tip: A stamp pad of ink is easier to work with than paint for younger kids.
Doing this craft with a class or group of kids? Instead of stamping a handprint use crayons or markers to trace kids hands and then let them color and personalize the card. It will be a lot easier and less messy!
Let the Handprints Dry
Once the handprints have dried you can write a message on the inside or back of the card and get it ready to deliver.
How to Gift Best Dad Handprint Card
Include it on a breakfast tray – If you’re doing breakfast in bed for dad you could add this handmade card to the tray as a great way to wish dad a Happy Father’s Day.
Put it in a gift basket or with another gift – If you have a special gift you have purchased for dad including this handprint card with the gift is a great way to make the gift special.
Frame it – Get a picture frame and put the handprint art inside. It’s the perfect gift for dad to display on his desk.
Add a Questionnaire – On the back of the full size printable you could print our All About Dad Questionnaire and answer questions about dad. Just make sure to print before you add your handprint.
Give it to him – Don’t worry about doing anything special just give him the printable gift. We know he will love it!
No matter how you decide to give this fathers day gift we know it will be a special keepsake.
Hands Down Best Dad Ever Free Printable
Please keep this printable for class and personal use only. There are 3 printable pages included in this free father’s day card printable.
If you would like an editable version of this card so you can change the name from Dad to anything you would like (Daddy, dada, papa etc) you can find an editable version in the shop.
More Free Father’s Day Printables
If you’re looking for some more Father’s Day gift ideas and free printables check out these posts.
Free Printable All About My Dad Interview (3 Different Options) – have fun filling out a questionnaire and giving it to dad. (This is one of my favorite dad printables!)
Father’s Day Coupon Book – Get this free printable coupon book with all ready filled out coupons ready to give dad.
Little Book About My Dad Card – This cute card is designed with 8 little pages all about dad, with questions and things to color like on a coloring page.
My Grandpa Interview Printable – Have fun answering questions about grandpa and giving him this fun printable.