Ok, my own silly fault, when I had this idea to make a picture of trees using the children’s hands as leave, for a fathers day present, I never thought that a certain little someone would be reluctant to paint her hand.  So I now have three trees on a canvas, and on tree trunk with DD’s name on it, but no hand print.  Any idea how I can get her to do a handprint?  Or would drawing around her hand and using a paper cut out be a better way forward, even of it does detract from the look of the picture?  Please share any ideas you have.

What about the ink pads from Hobbycraft or the Range?
They achieve a very good effect but without the feel of paint which can put kids off.
You can get big round pads and rainbow pads, very effective.

Good luck

Awww, bless! I think it’s kind of metaphorical because not every tree looks the same!

I like your idea of drawing around the hand or could they draw a tree top on green paper for you to cut around afterwards? Or they could do a collage tree; again separate for you to cut out and stick on the trunk. You could even make the collage from real leaves.

Your post really made me smile and I know that whatever you do will be lovely.

How about a foot, just to be completely different…it might look like a tree blowing to one side in the breeze and perhaps your LO wouldn’t mind their foot in the paint trough.

Could you draw round her hand and get her to paint it and then cut out, so it sort of looks like a hand print?  My eldest hates hand and foot painting too.