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Back To School Handprint Keepsake Ideas

A collage of handmade back to school keepsake cards using children’s handprints and paper cutouts to create animals, flowers, and greeting cards for the first day of school. A red circle highlights the title in white text.

The back-to-school season is a time of new beginnings, excitement, and, for many parents, a touch of nostalgia. One of the best ways to capture these precious moments is through handprint keepsakes, which not only create lasting memories but also provide a fun and creative activity for children.

Below you will find a variety of handprint keepsake ideas that are perfect for the back-to-school season. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or craft enthusiast, these ideas will help you celebrate the start of the school year in a meaningful way.

These creations are simple yet heartfelt, making them cherished items for years to come. Plus, the process of making handprints can be a fun bonding activity. From arts and crafts projects to personalized gifts, handprint keepsakes offer endless possibilities. Hopefully we inspire YOU with these ideas today! Happy crafting, my friends!

A green card featuring a blue cat handprint cutout, decorated with star stickers, rests atop two Pete the Cat books. This charming back to school keepsake has @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS written at the bottom.

HANDPRINT PETE THE CAT

A handmade card makes a perfect back to school keepsake, featuring a bear crafted from a cut-out handprint, googly eyes, and heart stickers. The text reads, “This year is going to be ‘bear-y’ sweet!”.

HANDPRINT BEAR FOR A BEAR-Y SWEET YEAR!

HANDPRINT "BACK TO SMORE LEARNING" KEEPSAKE

HANDPRINT “BACK TO SMORE LEARNING” KEEPSAKE

A children's book titled Turkey Goes to School is shown with a back to school keepsake—a handprint turkey craft made from brown paper, googly eyes, and a paper beak—surrounded by fall leaf stickers. @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS is written at the bottom.

HANDPRINT TURKEY FOR STORY TIME FUN

A group of children's books and a drawing of a cow make the perfect back to school keepsake.

HANDPRINT COW FOR STORY TIME FUN

A handmade back to school keepsake card features a brown ice cream cone with a red handprint scoop, gold sequins, and a heart. The text reads, "This year is going to be sweet!" School-themed cutouts border the card.

HANDPRINT ICE CREAM CONE KEEPSAKE IDEA

A group of paper crafts on a table, perfect for creating a back to school keepsake.

HANDPRINT MOUSE FOR STORY TIME FUN

HANDPRINT GIRAFFE KEEPSAKE

HANDPRINT GIRAFFE KEEPSAKE

HANDPRINT BIRD - FLYING INTO A NEW YEAR

HANDPRINT BIRD – FLYING INTO A NEW YEAR

A handmade card features a green handprint frog with googly eyes and a red tongue, sitting on a green circle. Perfect as a back to school keepsake, it says “toad-ally awesome!” below in playful writing. A pink paper flower decorates the corner.

HANDPRINT FROG – TOAD-ALLY AWESOME YEAR!

A book titled *A Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon* with raccoons on the cover sits beside craft paper decorated with school supplies, and a gray sheet featuring black handprint shapes and googly eyes creates a charming back to school keepsake.

HANDPRINT RACCOON FOR KISSING HAND BOOK

A blue card features a red handprint cutout with a child’s photo in the palm, forming a flower with green stem and leaves, surrounded by red hearts. Perfect as a back to school keepsake, the card reads “This year I will grow!” on a craft-themed background.

HANDPRINT FLOWER – THIS YEAR I WILL GROW

A fun back to school keepsake craft: a caterpillar made from green paper handprints and a red paper face, displayed beside "A Day at School," patterned scissors, and colorful paper. @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS watermark is present.

HANDPRINT CATERPILLAR CRAFT IDEA

A handmade back to school keepsake card with a red handprint firework, gold stars, and rhinestones says “THIS IS MY YEAR TO SPARKLE!” Two children’s books, “The Night Before Kindergarten” and “The Night Before Preschool,” are in the background.

HANDPRINT MY YEAR TO SPARKLE

A “First Day of School” craft featuring a large pencil and a red handprint cutout with googly eyes on white paper, placed on a kindergarten book and surrounded by school-themed cutouts—a perfect back to school keepsake.

HANDPRINT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL KEEPSAKE

A handmade back to school keepsake card with a rainbow and two paper handprints is placed on a blue background. Behind it are two children’s books: The Night Before Kindergarten and The Night Before Preschool.

HANDPRINT I’M READY FOR A COLORFUL SCHOOL YEAR

HIGH FIVE TO AN AWESOME SCHOOL YEAR

HANDPRINT HIGH FIVE KEEPSAKE

A children’s book, yellow paper stars, and a back to school keepsake craft featuring a handprint as a lightbulb with googly eyes, hearts, and the text “My future looks bright!” are arranged on a table. @GLUETOMYCRAFTS is written at the bottom.

HANDPRINT MY FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT!

A handmade back to school keepsake card with a gray handprint, the number 5, stars, and “High five to a great first day!” sits next to The Night Before Kindergarten, against a background of colorful patterned paper.

HANDPRINT HIGH FIVE TO A GREAT FIRST DAY

A blue paper craft card features a bird made from a cut-out handprint, a googly eye, and a yellow beak—perfect as a back to school keepsake—with "1st day of school 24" in black marker and gold stars. @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS is at the bottom.

HANDPRINT PIGEON FOR STORY TIME

A blue card features a fish made from a white cut-out handprint, a googly eye, and an orange mouth, surrounded by fish stickers. This cute back to school keepsake reads "Swimming into 1st grade!" handwritten on the card.

HANDPRINT FISH FOR SWIMMING INTO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

A handmade “First day of school 24” sign with a pink foam finger, stars, and confetti makes a charming back to school keepsake. Two children’s books—“Click, Clack, Quack to School!” and “A Day at School”—are pictured. @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS text is at the bottom.

HANDPRINT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IDEA

A handmade card serves as a charming back to school keepsake, featuring a cut-out hand as an ice cream scoop with a red heart, colorful gems for sprinkles, stars, and the text "I had a sweet first day! Aug 2024" on a blue background.

HANDPRINT ICE CREAM CONE – I HAD A SWEET FIRST DAY!

Two handmade bird crafts, perfect as a back to school keepsake, feature cut-out or painted handprints, googly eyes, and drawn beaks and legs—one with two birds on gray paper, the other with a blue bird and stars on light purple.

HANDPRINT PIGEON – PERFECT FOR STORY TIME!

A craft card features First day of school! text, gold stars, and a red apple made from a child's handprint with googly eyes—a perfect back to school keepsake. Brown stem, green leaf, and @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS printed at the bottom.

HANDPRINT RED APPLE – PERFECT FOR THE FALL SEASON TOO!

Text saying LET'S GET CRAFTY! in teal letters, surrounded by colorful stars and heart shapes on a white background—perfect inspiration for making handprint clay ornaments.

As the back-to-school season unfolds, these handprint keepsake ideas offer a heartfelt way to capture the excitement, creativity, and nostalgia of this special time.

Whether you’re a parent cherishing your child’s milestones, a teacher fostering creativity in the classroom, or a craft enthusiast looking for inspiration, these projects are sure to leave a lasting impression—both literally and figuratively!

So, gather your supplies, roll up your sleeves, and let those little hands create memories that will be treasured for years to come. Happy crafting, and here’s to a fantastic school year ahead!

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