Every year I take pictures of children who have grown more than their parents expected them to. It happens between one Christmas and the next, quietly, and nobody notices until they put two photographs side by side.

Handprints do the same job. They’re the one keepsake that can’t be repeated, because the hand that made it changes within months. So I’ve made a set of ten Christmas designs for you to print at home and fill in with a small pair of hands or feet.

They’re free, and they’re yours to use however you like.

Before you start

A few things that make the difference between a print you keep and one that goes in the bin.

Washable poster paint or a stamp pad both work well. Poster paint gives you a fuller print, a stamp pad is far less mess, and with a baby the stamp pad wins every time.

Use the thickest paper your printer will take. Ordinary printer paper buckles when it gets wet and the print goes wrinkly as it dries.

Do the handprint first and let it dry properly before you add anything else. It’s tempting to rush the next bit and it never ends well.

And do a practice print on scrap paper first. You’ll learn how much paint is too much within about two goes.

Every design comes with a placement guide, so you can see exactly where the hand or foot needs to go before you commit.

reindeer handprint

Reindeer — one handprint becomes the face, with the fingers as antlers. The classic, and still the one children ask to do again.

wreath handprint

Christmas wreath — several handprints arranged in a circle, with a green bow at the top. This one suits a whole family, so it’s a good excuse to get everybody involved.

tree handprint

Christmas tree — one handprint as the star on top of the tree.

candles handprint

Candles — two handprints become the flames on a pair of candles.

year handprint

2026 — a handprint fills the gap in the year, so you know exactly when it was made. This is the one to do if you only do one, because it dates itself.

snowman footprint

Snowman — a small footprint makes the nose.

lantern handprint

Lantern — a handprint glows inside the lantern. One of my favourites, because the print really does look like light.

cracker handprint

Cracker — two prints at either end, one per child if you have two.

lights handprint

String of lights — handprints hang from the wire as the bulbs. Another good one for a whole family, and it works beautifully with different sized hands.

holly handprint

Winter berries — three prints make the berries against falling snow. The gentlest of the set.

Ideas once they’re dry

Frame the 2026 one and start a set, one a year. Post the reindeer to a grandparent. Punch a hole in the top of the tree design and hang it. Or do the wreath every Christmas with everyone in the house and watch it change as the children grow.

Christmas Mini Photo Shoots

frosty forest mini christmas photo shoot set 2

My Winter Wonderland sessions run from Friday 13 to Sunday 22 November at my studio in Crawley Down, West Sussex.

Four festive sets, and you get to use all of them during your visit. Sessions are £35 and include your favourite digital image to download, print and share.