Mail A Hug

I’m not what you would call a “crafty” mom. Sure, I do crafts with my children but I have some guidelines. After all, I can’t cut a straight line, I got a ‘D’ in sewing class in junior high and I still draw stick figures. So any craft has to be fairly simple. In fact, I named one of my Pinterest boards "Art I Can Do!" I also have to have most if not all the items readily available in the house or it has to be easy to find at JoAnn’s, AC Moore or Michael's. Finally, it can’t make too much of a mess.

I’ve lightened up on this last one quite a bit since I started crafting with my older
daughter. Looking back at how rigid I used to be about messes makes me wince just a little. Thankfully children are resilient, have short memories at age 2 and tend to forgive easily.

My latest craft is for my in-laws, who live in North Carolina. They visit us a couple of times a year and we vacation there every summer. It’s been a while since they saw their only two grandchildren and I know they miss them.

We are all about hugs and kisses in this family. My two girls know what I like better than anything and they know Mommy treasures their hugs and kisses. So that’s what I sent Pop-Pop and Gobby in the mail today (my oldest couldn’t pronounce grandmother, it came out Gobby and the name stuck ever since).

This craft is easy and is fun to do!

I used washable finger paints and helped the girls paint their handprints onto card stock paper.

Let it dry and cut out their handprints.

Attach each handprint to the end of a ribbon that will fit around the person getting the hug. I used a hole punch and then knotted the ends of the ribbon. You can also measure your children’s’ arm length and cut the ribbon accordingly.

I wrote the date on the back of the handprints, the girls signed their names and it was ready for the mail. Dear Pop-Pop and Gobby, be on the lookout for a very special envelope coming your way very soon. From our house in Little Rhody to your Carolina blue skies, some love and hugs are on their way just for you!