I, am a sucker for a sentimental family tradition. Those moments that allow you to be truly in the present and your heart swells with joy with the memory of the last time that ‘tradition’ was enjoyed being brought to the forefront of your mind. Forcing the hand of time to give you a nudge in the grateful direction. Especially at Christmas.
We have quite a few of them over the years. Some intentional and some, not so much. But fingerprint Christmas cards? Very intentional. And might be both my most favourite; and the long(est)standing one of all. Also. Big Christmas fan. BIG. HUGE. Anything that can make it even *more* magical I am here for.
How It Started
One year, back in 2014. When I only had one child, with one 7 months growing (silent tears of nostalgia cried) and kind of on a whim. Must have been feeling very “pinterest mum’ at the time. Or maybe call it extreme nesting?! I decided to start making Fingerprint Christmas cards.
The very idea of the children’s fingerprints frozen in time. Where three would become four as our family grew, was enough to have me running (or waddling) to The Range and Hobby Craft for supplies. The rest, as they say, is history. Here we are 11 years and 11 card designs later, still loving every single second.
The good thing is that the cards can be made from pretty much birth to adulthood (willingness not included) and double up as a Christmas advent activity too. If that’s your thing. They can be as simple or as complicated as your whims, and family participation levels, would like.
The Planning
Fail to plan and plan to fail and all that. I would say I do have to agree on this particular occasion. A little planning goes a long way! This stage might be the most time consuming but it really is worth it and makes the actual process run smoother with just a few steps.
Supplies – We buy plain cards from The Range, Hobby Craft or Amazon. Favouring a 4 x 4 textured white here. Though many others are available from craft shops. Ink Pads work best. We have a variety of colours but you can buy them individually if you want specific colours, or just one. This and a good pen (I use a fineliner) is all you really need. Oh and some patience but as far as I know this is a models own type situation.
Of course you will need to plan the card. So get scouring the whole of the internet (looks like you’re already half there if you are reading this) and even more of brain space to search designs and *crucially* that you all agree on. Harder than anything else that bit. Especially these days for us.
We mock them up on paper to see how they will turn out or which particular style we like for our own fingerprint to really inject our own personality into it before committing to the ones that will be made, written, sent and ok ultimately discarded with the rest of the Christmas cards in history. Or put in a frame for the rest of eternity in our house. Precious.
Then essentially try to convince each other they’re the best! Maybe this is part of the fun now, the negotiation skills, though for years when they were smaller people with smaller opinions this was all me. And I would be lying if I didn’t say I was still the head judge of the final decision!
Once the design is in place, we keep a mock up handy so everyone knows where their fingerprint will go.
You can of course add as little or as much design, detail, writing as you want. Or have time for! We have chosen less is more over the years but it really depends on the specific design and your willingness to spend your evenings finishing them off when no-one else wants to and you realise that you send ALOT of cards. More on the actual designs below.
Finally command a space and a time when you have everyone’s attention so the ‘doing’ is the fun bit. Oh and have some hand washing or kitchen towel ready for rogue fingers…or wipeable chairs!
The Process
From that very first year where I had to hold Roma’s finger for each and every card. Because yes each print as it drops onto the mats of the chosen recipients is actually made by a different person. Not just me using less of my finger to emulate that! To the now, when we have a little production line on the table and everyone is pretty self sufficient between school, extra curricular, work, meals (ate on any other suitable surface for the duration) and other commitments. I have learnt a lot about the process.
We put on some Christmas music, have everything set up and ready, snacks to hand and try to keep it as relaxed as possible taking it in turns to add our fingerprint and moving onto the next with another family member waiting in the wings for their space. Occasionally complaining that the previous isn’t quite aligned for theirs to stand out perfectly in their allotted area. Family life ey!
To make the print as clear as possible we use the ink pad after every one. Yes we have tried adding more in the first instance and stretching it to a few but they never look the same. The first is overloaded and the rest look weak. Take it from me!
Let them dry and then really that is it in terms of the family involvement and you have yourselves a stack of blank fingerprints to make into the masterpiece they will become!
Then comes my bit. The fingerprints are complete. Designs locked in. Here is where I shine. I love nothing more than sitting with a finished pile of cards and some Christmas music or a movie and a hot drink to finish the detail of the design. I have tried over the years to let everyone do their own but that, is a step too far. I write our surname and the year on the back (not sure why I write the name part but it’s a thing now!) and just get creative. I’ve learned to love every second.
Once they are fully complete I of course get to writing them and passing them onto the children to write their own too. I love the pride that they have to write to their friends and teachers every year.
The Designs
Here comes the part maybe you’re here for. The Designs. The ideas. So lets get into it. Most of the designs come from research online, social media, and my old friend pinterest. The original ideas tool. Though some have been thought up ourselves or ideas that have evolved over time and many many family discussions where veto seems the word of the day.
I have learnt – with trial and error as my friend here – that I much prefer a single design for each person rather than a collective effort like a tree or wreath but of course, each to their own.
Without further ado here are most of the designs that we have made over the years. Because I cannot for the life of me find 2015 (our first one as a family of four) which I am sure was Reindeer faces. I think you can really see when I got into my design groove but I do love that each one tells a little story of the time in it’s own unique way and can transport me back to those moments in an instant.
- Penguins
- Christmas Tree
- Santa Sleigh
- Reindeer Faces
- Reindeers
- Robins
- Carol Singers
- Christmas Puddings
- Christmas Lights/Baubles (you decide)
- Christmas Trees (I LOVED these but the rest of them were not that fussed by them)
- Sprouts (my favourite)
- Presents
Many designs have been mocked up over the years, and screenshot and saved, but haven’t quite made it past the family dynamic vote. Yet! So here are the ideas in writing and who knows you can do your own design or maybe just maybe… watch this space!
- Stockings
- Wreath
- Elves
- Snowman
- String of Lights
- Christmas Jumpers – help you mix and match the ideas above and each person gets their own design on a jumper
My Tips
Here’s my tips, tricks and some friendly advice with a 11 years of hindsight in case you also want to embark on this Fingerprint Christmas Card tradition as a family.
- Choose a design that suits your family. Some take more than one fingerprint per character. Some are simple. Some take one colour. Some take more. Planning is key so it is fun and not stressful.
- Organisation is imperative. We have everything on hand and make a little production line which makes it way easier for everyone to do it together. Overlapping the cards helps to use the space, just make sure they are the right way up and the front is showing not the back!
- Know how many you are going to make. There is nothing worse than scrambling when you run out and can’t think of anything worse than to start all over again! I have a list on a spreadsheet I can refer to and make the right amount. Plus a few more. For also you don’t want loads leftover you have nothing to do with and time wasted either.
- Get yourself a big enough space to put them all out, even if that is the floor. They need time to dry before putting away otherwise you will have smudged prints or backs of cards with them printed on – and yes we have been there and done that!
- Create in batches if need be. If it’s easier whether that’s space or time and attention span depending on how many children you have or their ages.
- Set up a production line. Like I mentioned before, this has been our saving grace. Get the first person to do the first one in place, then the next in order so that everyone knows the space on the card and you reduce (not limit) the chance that two end up squashed together like some kind of *insert that years design label* hybrid.
- For young children (Roma started at 10 months) be prepared for wonderful precious (albeit slightly annoying) imperfections. Be that a double fingerprint, a squish, smudge, it all adds to the charm and the memories…..or you give them to the relatives who are on the ‘really should do’ list of Christmas card giving!
- Know that every one will look different, some will look, let’s say, less than ideal. But these really are the charm.
- Make an extra one for you to keep. One to treasure. Then you can put them side by side so you can see how your family grows. I keep three, one for each girls memory boxes (no I don’t know what they will do with 18 (or more) family fingerprint Christmas cards when they come to move out but I couldn’t think of anything worse than them wanting them and not having one each!) and one for mine.
- Finally. Relax – easier said than done I know. But accept they may get bored (husbands included) try again later and eat dinner at the sink if you have in fact left them all over the dining room table. Or hold their finger this can work well like helping – if you don’t have a strong willed independent child who just wants to ‘do it myself’ that is.
- AND Embrace the chaos. It likely will be chaos. They will all look different and there will be ones very close to each other, in the wrong space, it all adds to the story. We have learned to add Christmas music and some snacks to the party to make it a really enjoyable, albeit still slightly chaotic experience.
Stand back and look at the beauty you have created.
How Long Will We Do Them?
With Eva being 15 this year I don’t know how long we will continue to make the fingerprint Christmas cards. *cries all the ‘why do they have to grow up so fast’ tears* I am definitely not one to force situations that are naturally grown out of though, as sad as the time passing may be. I mean is she coming back here from her own home one day to make them? Somehow I don’t think so.
Though I guess the fact we will still have the younger one at home at some point might go down to a three again then what? Just Eddy and I? Even the thought of that makes me laugh. Who knows? For now. I am going to treasure every single little ‘please don’t get ink on my white dining chair’ moments that I can and bottle them up because as with all things parenting, you never quite know when it’s the last.
Whether you send 5 or 150 cards the fingerprint ones can work for you and are just a lovely moment to share and to keep for years to come. People always comment on ours, say they have started the same or that they look forward to seeing what we do each year. So that’s always nice and we’ll keep doing them as long as they work for our family….or we run out of ideas maybe!!
And as usual in true me and my raw honesty style. Don’t actually worry if it isn’t all sunshine and roses. We have ALL been there and I promise you that you won’t always remember those stressful moments even if you do persevere, even if you feel the ‘process’ might actually finish you off on the third day of no dining table. And hey, maybe they make those sweet moments even sweeter!
Let me know if you try any of them and I would LOVE to see or hear your experience. Plus any new ideas you may have of your own, send them my way! Always on the look out for the next design winner over here. It’s been so fun all these years I hope it is as fun for your family too.
Here’s this years design.
Merry Christmas
