Bridging the Distance One Keepsake at a Time: September’s Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

 The military has a habit of putting hundreds-sometimes thousands-of miles between our children and their grandparents. We have quick video chats, phone calls, and photos we can send through text day-to-day. Though that doesn’t quite capture the tangible reality of how quickly our babies are growing!

That’s why I decided to launch a monthly series dedicated to bridging the distance we face as a military family, with creative keepsakes. Every month, I’ll share a fun and easy craft as a physical snapshot you can send the family that you love the most. Whether it be a footprint, handprint, or other personalized keepsake-these crafts can be packaged up as a moment in time, and mailed straight to those who adore your babies from a distance when duty has called your family elsewhere.

For September, my household leaps right into pumpkin season head on. Including all those scrumptious pumpkin treats…which is where our September craft was inspired. What feels more like the start of fall than a pumpkin spice latte? Adding their tiny handprints to the drawn cup, just sends a warm fall wish, and reminder of those tiny hands they’re missing so much across the miles that separate them.

Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• Washable Paint
• Pens/Markers (Whichever you prefer to write with)
• Paintbrush
• Damp Rags (to wash their hands)

Directions:

1. Draw the Latte cup with marker on a clean sheet of construction paper.
2. Add a seasonal phrase to the empty space next to the cup.
3. I have two kids, so I chose two fall color paints since I was stacking their handprints. Paint the larger hand well and stamp inside the cup.
4. Paint the smaller child’s hand and stamp it on the top of the other hand.
5. Once everything is dry, I normally use a marker and write the child’s name and age in their handprint. Before folding it to put into the envelope to mail.

Notes:

• I usually write the year somewhere on the sheet. The coffee lids felt like the perfect place for this craft.
• There are a lot of different ideas to make for your phrase, but I used “Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice”.

Now, whether your loved ones are states away or across continents, you can take a few extra minutes to package up this physical piece of your kids’ childhood to mail. These little handprints might end up taped to the fridge, tucked into a frame, or even saved in a keepsake box for years to come-a simple, tangible reminder that no matter how far our military life takes us, the tiny hearts they love most are never too far away. We will see you back next month for an October milestone craft in the Bridging the Distance One Keepsake at a Time series!

Find Out More with My Military Savings and DIY & Crafts!