Keepsake: Thumbprint Plate for Santa’s Cookies
Keep track of your little one’s Christmases by adding a new thumbprint “light” to this plate each Christmas Eve before you set cookies out for Santa. As those fingers grow, you’ll have a colorful reminder of each print from Chrismas past.
Supplies
- A large plain oven-safe plate
- Acrylic paint
- Permanent black marker
Instructions
Step 1
Using the black permanent marker, draw a line around the border of the plate that will represent the wire that the ‘lights’ hang from, like so:
This line can be as squiggley or as straight as you like.
Step 2
Place tip of thumb in a dime-sized amount of acrylic paint, and dab gently on a paper towel to get rid of excess. Press thumb firmly onto the plate about 1/4″ to 1/2″ from the wire line on either side.
Step 3
Using the black marker, draw a bulb shaped border around the fresh thumbprint. Allow paint to dry for 24 hours.
Step 4
Place the plate in oven BEFORE setting oven to 200 degrees. The plate must warm with the oven in order to prevent breakage. Bake for one hour before removing to cool. NOTE: This process will set the marker and paint to withstand gentle handwashing, but plate design WILL NOT be dishwasher safe.
Step 5
Repeat steps 2 through 4 each Christmas adding new prints. You can use the marker to add the year if desired.
Have You Made This?
“We used my daughter’s handprints around the edge of our plate to form a wreath and used her fingerprints as the holly berries. Every year, she gets to so excited to see ‘her’ plate come out of storage to be loaded with treats for Santa.”
“I had always wanted to do something like this but was too intimidated by the craziness during the holiday season to attempt a paint-your-own-pottery studio. Learning I could use materials I already had to make a plate at home was a game changer! We’ve also given these plates as gifts!”
“I love having a tradition that so easy to implement year after year.”
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