GUIDE
It's my baby's first Christmas and I want to make handprint ornaments for both sets of grandparents. How do I get a good print from a wiggly baby and make it last?
By the seenow! teamLast updated:
Use footprints if hands keep curling, press while your baby is drowsy, and make one extra for every ornament you need. For salt dough, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension rolls it 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and bakes it at 300°F until hard. Paint only after it has cooled and dried.
WHY
Why this happens
A first-Christmas handprint ornament is one of those gifts grandparents hang up every December for decades. The hard part is the baby. At nine months, hands curl into fists the moment they touch something cold and squishy, fingers grab the dough instead of resting on it, and you usually get one good press before your baby loses patience. Making two matching ornaments, one for each set of grandparents, doubles the odds that something goes wrong.
The second worry is whether the ornament will last. Salt dough cracks if it is rolled too thin or baked too fast, and anything painted while it is still damp can bubble or peel. Most of these problems come down to thickness, oven time and timing the paint, so it helps to follow a tested recipe instead of guessing.
| Method | What to know |
|---|---|
| Salt dough, baked | UNL Extension: 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 1/2 cups water. Roll 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, bake 1 hour at 300°F or until hard. |
| Air-dry clay | No oven. Drying time depends on the brand, so follow the package and allow extra days before mailing. |
| Paint or ink print on a flat ornament | Fastest. ACMI says to look for its AP Seal on creative products for kids in sixth grade or younger. |
Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Making Holiday Memories (Food Fun for Young Children) / Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI): Classroom Art Materials Safety
HOW TO
What you can do starting today
Choose footprints if the hands won't openNo app needed
Babies this age tend to clench their fingers when you press their palm into something, but their feet stay flatter. A footprint is easier to get cleanly, and it still shows how small they were. If you want a hand, try pressing one finger at a time into the dough instead of the whole palm.
Make the dough, then wait for a drowsy momentNo app needed
Mix the UNL Extension recipe (4 cups flour, 1 cup table salt, 1 1/2 cups water), knead it smooth, and roll it 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut 4- to 5-inch circles with a cookie cutter or the rim of a bowl. Then wait. Right after a nap or a feeding, while your baby is calm, have one adult hold them and the other press the foot or hand straight down and lift it straight up. Smooth any smudges with a damp finger and try again on a fresh circle.
Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Making Holiday Memories (Food Fun for Young Children)
Make extras, and pick the two bestNo app needed
Plan for at least four circles for two ornaments. Some prints will be half a heel or a smeared thumb, and it is much easier to choose the two clearest prints than to redo the whole batch on another day. Keep a third good one for yourself if you get it.
Bake low and slow, then paint only when fully dryNo app needed
Poke the hanging hole with a straw before baking. UNL Extension bakes for 1 hour at 300°F or until the dough has hardened; thicker footprints may need longer, so check that the back is firm too. Once the ornaments have completely cooled and dried, add the name and "Baby's First Christmas 2026" with water-based paint. ACMI says to check for its AP Seal on creative products for kids in sixth grade or younger, which is a simple way to choose paint and markers when a baby is nearby.
Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Making Holiday Memories (Food Fun for Young Children) / Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI): Classroom Art Materials Safety
Wrap them for travel, and add a noteNo app needed
Salt dough is hard but brittle. Wrap each ornament in tissue and bubble wrap, and put a small card in the box with the date and your baby's age in months, since that detail is easy to forget later. If you are giving them in person, let the grandparents hang theirs on the tree on Christmas Day.
WITH SEENOW!
Doing it with seenow!
seenow! is a private family app where everyone shares short videos, about 2 seconds a day. It can't make the ornament, but it can share the making of it.
- Make one group for each side of the family, so each set of grandparents sees the clips that matter to them. Film a 2-second clip of the footprint press with the seenow! camera, which records with the front and back cameras at once, so your face and the tiny foot are in the same clip.
- The week's clips are put together into a recap video automatically, so the grandparents can watch "how we made your ornament" again before they open the box.
What seenow! can’t do
- Only photos and videos taken with the seenow! camera can be posted. Photos you already took on your phone of the ornaments cannot be added.
- seenow! does not print ornaments, mail packages or keep a list of who got which gift.
Core features are free.
POINT
Things to watch for in this situation
Keep salt dough away from dogs and cats
The FDA warns that salt-dough ornaments contain a great deal of salt that can be fatal to pets if eaten, and that a 10-pound pet can get sick after eating just 1/2 teaspoon of table salt. Let them dry where pets can't reach, and mention it in the card if either set of grandparents has a dog.
Make both ornaments the same day
If one set of grandparents gets a crisp handprint and the other gets a smudged footprint made a week later, it can feel uneven. Make all the circles in one session and give each family a print of the same kind.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a handprint or footprint easier with a 9-month-old?
Footprints are usually easier, because babies this age tend to curl their fingers when the palm touches dough. Press while your baby is calm, with one adult holding and one pressing.
How long do you bake salt dough handprint ornaments?
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension bakes its salt dough for 1 hour at 300°F or until the dough has hardened, rolled 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Thicker prints can take longer, so check that the back is firm.
What paint is safe to use on a baby ornament?
UNL Extension suggests water-based paint once the ornaments have completely cooled and dried. ACMI says to look for its AP Seal on creative products for kids in sixth grade or younger.