# Shiny Hand Print Heart Cards
> Kids press two painted hand prints into a V-shaped heart on cardstock. While the paint is wet, the card is flipped onto a tray of salt, glitter and sequins for a sparkly homemade Valentine's Day card.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/valentines-day-cards-for-kids/
- Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 20 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: fine-motor, sensory-exploration, colors, pre-writing
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 sheet Cardstock paper
- Paint in 3 favorite colors
- 1 piece Paper plate (household)
- Salt (household)
- Glitter
- Small sequins
- 1 piece Tray (larger than the card) (household)

## Safety
- Glitter and small sequins are choking hazards. Keep them away from mouths and supervise closely, especially with babies and toddlers.
- Keep salt and glitter away from eyes, and wash hands well after hand printing.
- Use non-toxic, washable kids' paint. The post doesn't name the paint used.
- An adult helps spread the paint on little palms and does the flipping and pressing onto the salt tray.

## Before you start
- Fill a tray with salt, then add plenty of glitter and small sequins to make the salt glitter tray.

## Steps
1. Pour salt into a tray, then add lots of glitter and many small sequins.
2. Squeeze 3 favorite paint colors onto a paper plate.
3. Press one hand firmly into the paint. An adult helps spread the paint evenly over the palm.
4. Press the painted hand on the cardstock at a slant, then paint and press the other hand across it in a V shape to form a heart.
5. Right away, flip the card paint-side down onto the salt glitter tray and press gently.
6. Lift the card to see your shiny heart, then let it dry.
7. Use the leftover paint on the plate as a writing and drawing surface until it dries.

## Tips
- Flip the card onto the salt tray immediately (this part is important). Once the paint begins to dry, it won't pick up the glitter as effectively.
- The salt is there for a reason: glitter and sequins show and shine better on a white base, and they stick better.
- I usually re-purpose the salt glitter tray as a shiny writing surface.
- Making quite a few cards? It's more exciting for kids to use different techniques than to make many similar-looking cards.
- It's so easy that even toddlers and babies can make them, and family members would love a cute hand print card from the baby or toddler!
- After the cards were done, we used the paint plate as a writing surface for about 10 minutes before the paint dried out completely.

## FAQ
**Did you use a special bright paint?** The post doesn't say which paint was used. The salt base helps the glitter and sequins show and shine better.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

What we have today is an easy Valentine's day craft for kids that is actually a simple homemade card. Have you seen our [**Salt Glitter hand print**](https://www.funlittles.com/homemade-christmas-cards/) Christmas cards? They are so easy to make and turn out very pretty. If you are making quite a few Valentine’s day cards it is more exciting for the kids to make cards with different techniques, as opposed to making many similar looking cards. Yesterday we made [**Blow Painting Valentine’s day cards**.](https://www.funlittles.com/valentines-day-cards/) Today we have shining hand print hearts Valentine's day cards for kids.

- - Salt
- Glitter
- Sequins
- Paint
- [**Cardstock Paper**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D4YF3K4/?tag=blmemo-20)

We made a cool salt glitter tray with a heavy rose of pink glitter. In a regular tray Big A added salt, glitter and many small sequins. I usually re purpose this and use it as a shiny writing surface!

 I started off with giving the girls a paper plate with 3 of their favorite colors – of course, purple, pink and orange. After Big A firmly pressed her hand on the paint, I helped spread the paint on her palm evenly and she made 2 hand prints ( one for each hand) across each other in a V-shape forming the heart.

 Immediately ( this part is important) we flipped the card on the salt tray and pressed it gently on the surface. This makes the glitter and salt adhere to the paint. Once the paint begins to dry on the card, it wont pick up the glitter as effectively.  Note: Reason for adding the salt is that the glitter and sequins will show and shine better with a white base and will adhered better Tada! That’s our simple shiny home made Valentine's day card.

 Up close and personal

 This homemade Valentine’s day card is so easy that even toddlers and baby can make them. Family members would love a cute hand print card from the baby/toddler! Once the cardmaking session is over, we used the paint plate as a writing surface for about 10 minutes before the paint dried out completely.



Thanks for reading

Please take a moment to comment

We encourage you to stick around and take a look at [**couple of**](https://www.funlittles.com/paint-with-spaghetti-brooms/) our [**>popular posts.**](https://www.funlittles.com/animal-resist-painting/)

---

---