Kissing Hand Suncatcher Craft for Back to School

There are so many fun traditions that make the first week of school special for children.

One of my favorite books to read is always The Kissing Hand.  It’s such a sweet story with a message that even when we’re apart, we’re always together. This is a message that is important to share during any kind of separation anxiety.

As we started our school year I wanted to share this message with the kids, too. After reading the book together, we made these adorable suncatchers. I just love how they turned out.

This craft is more of a keepsake than an activity for kids. Most of the steps must be completed by adults.  The end result makes a beautiful window display or bulletin board for back to school events or open house. The individual handprints can also be saved as a keepsake reminding parents of those tiny little hands.

Want to try our most popular free back to school printables?

Materials for Kissing Hand Craft

• Clear Contact Paper
• Masking Tape
• Tissue Paper-We used yellow and dark pink from an assorted pack of tissue paper, but if I were teaching in a classroom I would have liked to use Multicultural Tissue to allow the kids to choose the color that most closely matches their skin color.
• Permanent Marker

How to Make Kissing Hand Craft

1. Cut two large sheets of contact paper.

2. Tape the corners of one sheet to the counter and peel off the paper backing so that that sticky side of the contact paper was facing up.

3. Lay the colored tissue paper down on top of the sticky side. Smooth it out so that it is flat.

4. Cut small hearts that will fit in the palms of the kids hands. Place the hearts on the tissue paper. Be sure to spread them so there is enough room to trace each child’s hand. (You may want to use a glue stick to secure the hearts to the tissue paper. I didn’t do so, and the hearts shifted a bit when I placed the second sheet of contact paper on top.)

5. Peel the paper backing off the second sheet of contact paper and smooth it out on top of the existing tissue paper and hearts.

6. Place kids’ hands so that the heart will be in the palm. Then trace. I used a permanent marker that was just a shade darker than our tissue paper, so that I didn’t have to worry about seeing marker lines on our finished crafts. (Note: If you are worried about getting marker on kids’ hands or you have squirmy toddlers, you can first trace their hands in pencil on a piece of paper. Then cut it out and trace that piece of paper onto the contact paper. That’s what I did with Little Buddy’s tiny hand.)

7. Once all the hands are traced, remove the masking tape. Lift the paper off the counter. Cut out the hands, and ta-da! Cuteness!

First I placed the handprints in the window as they were, and they were just darling.

Then we folded down the fingers to make the “I Love You” sign true to the story.

How cute are those? Whether they are hanging in your front window at home to welcome you each day or hanging in a classroom window to remind kids and parents, they’re bound to bring a smile….and maybe a little reassurance for those afraid to leave mom or dad.

More Resources for the First Week of School

If you’re frantically planning for the first week of school and wondering how you’re going to fit it all in, this bundle is for you. We’ve combined five of our most popular back to school resources to help you plan for the first week with ease.

Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers.