logo

DIY Keepsakes: Thumbprint necklace

Originally printed in the pages of Simply Family Magazine’s September 2017 issue. Never miss an issue, check out SFM’s digital editions, here!  article and photos by Jessica Robbins One of my favorite memories with my Grandma was making play dough in her kitchen. She used to let me stir in the food coloring, and we would spend hours playing with homemade play dough. This DIY thumbprint necklace took me right back to my Grandma's kitchen. I love being able to pass on our tradition to my kids. Are you ready to create some fantastic keepsakes? Let's get started!

Supplies:

Directions:

  1. Take 2 cups flour and mix with 1 cup salt. Stir together and then add cold water slowly until the mixture becomes a dough consistency. I used about 1 cup of cold water before I got a perfect consistency.
  1. Grab a small amount of dough and start rolling it together in your hands to make a ball. Start rolling the ball out on a flat surface until you have a little flat circle. Repeat so that you have two circles.
  1. I had both of my kids place their finger in a dough circle. Once I had both of their fingerprints, I cut the excess dough away and helped shape the two fingerprints into a heart. The size of your heart is up to you. I kept mine smaller and thinner.
  1. Take the closed jump ring and tuck it into the top of the heart. The ring will be what the necklace is strung through. Place the heart in the oven at 200 degrees for 2 hours or use your crockpot on low for 2 hours. Both worked great for me.
  1. After 2 hours, let the dough heart cool down completely before painting. I chose to paint mine a gray color because it made it look like cement. If you want to accent the fingerprints a little more, take a toothpick and pull through the lines of the fingerprint. Mine is very subtle, but I love that I made it with my girls and had a great time doing it.
  1. When the paint has dried take your necklace and run it through the closed jump ring that is attached to the dough. Voila! You have a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind thumbprint necklace!
  1. I was able to make an imprint of both of my girls' hands and engraved their names on it with all of the extra dough. I am going to use those as accent pieces in each of their rooms. The kids played for hours with this dough and made many of their own treasures. I only wish that I had discovered this DIY a long time ago.
What a great way to spend a craft day with your kiddos. What better present for a grandparent than a gift made with your own hands? Embrace the mess and go for it! Who knows, these lasting memories with your kids could one day be passed on to their kids. about the author...Jessica Robbins has lived in Billings, MT for 15 years and is proud to call Montana home! She is married to her husband Zach and has two beautiful girls. She loves refurbishing furniture, crafting, and playing with her children.