This sweet fingerprint flower pot can be made with supplies you probably have on hand. This project will easily engage children ages 3-10 with lots of creative steps and makes a perfect project for spring!
Fingerprint Flower Pot Tutorial
These flower pots are a great keepsake for Mother’s Day or as a birthday gift. It reminds me of this Fingerprint flower bouquet! If you don’t have terra cotta pots, I’ve included some options you can use instead.
You can extend this project by turning it into a science lesson by planting seeds in pots and having the children document the germination and growth of the seeds. Or, you might like the idea of making one Homemade Plantable Seed Paper That you can include with some clay as part of the gift!
Craft supplies you will need
Options:
- If you have old plastic pots, use fine-grit sandpaper and gently scratch the outside so the paint adheres better. You can see our full tips Painting on plastic here.
- Paper cups work great too! I will skip steps 1-4 and start with step 5 below.
Optional:
- Soil and seeds
- plastic wrap
- rubber band
Craft information
- Age Level: 3-10 years old. Younger children (3-5) will need help with some steps.
- Confusion factor: messy. Both acrylic paint and markers are permanent, so have kids wear aprons or old shirts to avoid staining.
- Completion Time: 45 minutes including drying time.
- Cost Estimate: 6” terra cotta pots are about $1.50 each.
Craft Tips
- As an alternative to using newspaper to cover my work surface, I use an old window shade. It’s easy to clean and roll back up for next time use!
- Use a hair dryer on a low setting to help the paint dry faster.
- If the acrylic paint is too thick, dilute it with a couple of drops of water to thin it out.
- Scoop some paint onto a damp sponge and have your kids dip their fingers in the sponge instead if you’re worried about spillage.
How to make a fingerprint flower pot
- Make sure the flower pots are clean. Wash and dry as needed.
- Use white acrylic paint to paint the outside of the pot and the dish. Dry with a hair dryer on a low setting. Repeat those steps until you have an even, dry white surface. It took me 4 coats of paint to get good coverage.
- Mix a light yellow color by adding a small amount of yellow acrylic to the white and blending with a brush. Paint the rim of the terra cotta pot and dish or the bottom of the plastic pot (or rim). I took 2 coats of yellow paint for each part I painted. Dry with a hair dryer.
- At this point, children should stop and wash their hands, paint palettes and brushes.
- In the paint palette, mix the colors you want to use for the fingerprint flowers.
- Using 1 color at a time, lightly press a finger into the paint and then “stamp” the flower design onto the pot. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the paint off that finger and choose a different color and “stamp” an additional design on the pot. You can layer multiple colors on top for the petals, and use a different color for your toe and center of the flower. Dry with a hair dryer.
- Again, at this point, children should stop and wash their hands.
- Finally, using a green marker, add stems and leaves to the flowers.
This fingerprint flower pot is fun for kids to make and makes a perfect keepsake gift that can be kept for years to come! Plant seeds or flowers in them and enjoy their happy place on the windowsill.
You can also add Printable Mother’s Day Cards For an extra special gift.
More clay pot crafts
Fingerprint flower pot
These fingerprint flower pots make the perfect gift idea for spring! Place seeds or flowers in it to give for Mother’s Day or a birthday.
Makes: 1 pot
supplies
- 1 6-inch Terracotta pot with tray
- Acrylic paint in different colors for flowers
- White and yellow acrylic paint for the pot
- Green permanent marker or paint pen
Craft tools
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Paint palette
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Paintbrush
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Tablecloth or newspaper
Instructions
How to make a fingerprint pot:
-
Make sure the flower pots are clean. Wash and dry as needed.
-
Use white acrylic paint to paint the outside of the pot and the dish. Dry with a hair dryer on a low setting. Repeat these steps until you have a nice white dry surface. It took me 4 coats of paint to get a good coat.
-
Mix a light yellow color by adding a small amount of yellow acrylic to the white and blending with a brush. Paint the rim of the terra cotta pot and dish or the bottom of the plastic pot (or rim). I took 2 coats of yellow paint for each part I painted. Dry with a hair dryer.
-
In the palette, mix the colors you want to use for the fingerprint flowers.
-
1 Choose a color and lightly press a finger into the paint and then “stamp” the floral design onto the pot. Wash or clean the paint off that finger and choose a different color and “stamp” an additional design on the pot. You can layer multiple colors on top for the petals, and use a different color for your toe and center of the flower. Dry with a hair dryer.
-
Using a green marker, add stems and leaves to the flowers
Expert tips and FAQs
- As an alternative to using newspaper to cover my work surface, I use an old window shade. It’s easy to clean and once dry, I roll it back up for next time use!
- To dry the paint faster, use a hair dryer on a low setting.
- If the acrylic paint is too thick, dilute it with a couple of drops of water to thin it out.
- If you have old plastic pots, use fine sandpaper and gently scrape the outside so the paint sticks to the pot.
This post was originally published here on April 10, 2020.
