Bridging the Distance One Keepsake at a Time: Fall Leaves but Love Grows

Fall always brings a special kind of magic with it…pumpkin patches, seasonal treats, and warm drinks. The leaves change, the air turns crisp, and those miles between our children and their grandparents can feel just a little wider as the holiday season begins. Especially for those who can’t make it back “home” for the holidays.

While phone calls and video chats can keep us connected, nothing quite replaces having a physical snapshot of the growth of your child in that season. For our November Craft for this series, we will embrace those falling leaves while changing them into a creative keepsake. Turning their little handprints into vibrant fall leaves with a playful twist. These (complete with hand-drawn leaf veins and a seasonal phrase) capture the exact size of your child’s hands right now, making a flat, easy-to-mail piece of art to those grandparents who live too far to hug your babies today.

Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• Washable Paint (fall colors)
• Paint Brush
• Paper Plate for Paints
• Damp Paper Towels (to wipe their hands afterwards)
• Washable Markers
• Sharpie

Directions:

1. Pour your fall paint colors (orange, yellow, and red) onto a paper plate. You can keep handprints solid or mix a bit of yellow and red directly on the orange hand for a realistic, variegated fall leaf look.
2. Apply a generous coat of your washable paint onto your child’s hand with your paint brush. You’ll want to firmly press their hand completely onto the construction paper, to fully transfer the color to the sheet.
3. Once the paint is completely dry, use a black marker or sharpie to draw a main leaf stem extending down from their wrist area. Trace delicate vein lines extending up the palm and out into each of their fingers.
4. Across the top or center of the paper in bold marker, write: “So cute even the leaves fall for me!” On the bottom or on the back of the leaf hand print sheet, add your child’s name, age, and the current year as a permanent time stamp.

Slip your leaf handprints into an envelope today. Pop them into the mail this week and send a little fall sunshine across the miles. After all, life in the military moves fast, but sending a piece of your children’s growth to those faraway family members ensures they never miss a moment. No matter how many miles lie between us, our long-distance family will always be falling head over heels for these tiny hands.

Don’t forget to check out all of our Bridging the Distance One Keepsake at a Time Series!

Find More fun crafting ideas with My Military Savings and DIY & Crafts!