Looking for a fun Cinco de Mayo craft? This easy and festive handprint cactus craft is the perfect activity for preschoolers, kindergartners, and early elementary kids. It’s a hands-on way to celebrate while getting creative!
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Handprint Cactus Craft
Last year, I had an absolute blast making this festive handprint cactus craft with my craft group.
Kids from Pre-K through 3rd grade loved tracing and cutting out their handprints to create their own cactus in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
This handprint craft was such a hit, I knew I had to share this simple paper craft on the blog in time for this year’s festivities!
Supplies
- Cactus Template – Grab the free printable PDF at the bottom of this post.
- Cardstock – One sheet of brown cardstock (for the pot) and one sheet of white cardstock (for accessories like the sombrero and eyes).
- Green Construction Paper – For tracing your child’s handprint to create the cactus.
- Pencil – To trace the handprint onto the construction paper.
- Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils – For decorating the sombrero and other fun accessories.
- Green Marker – To draw cactus spikes.
- Scissors – To cut out all the parts of the craft.
- Glue – To assemble the handprint cactus masterpiece.
Instructions
Step 1: Print the Template
Start by printing the handprint cactus craft template. For the best look, print page 1 on brown cardstock (this will be your cactus pot) and page 2 on white cardstock for the accessories like the sombrero, eyes, and mouth.
Step 2: Trace and Cut the Handprint
Have your child place their hand on a sheet of green construction paper or cardstock. Trace around their hand, then carefully cut it out — this will become your adorable cactus!
Step 3: Add Some Color
Time to get creative! Use markers, crayons, or colored pencils to decorate the sombrero. Encourage your little one to use bright, bold colors to give it that festive Cinco de Mayo flair.
Step 4: Add the Spikes
Take a green marker and draw short little lines all over the handprint — these will be the cactus spikes. It’s a simple touch that really brings the cactus to life!
Step 5: Cut Out the Accessories
Next, carefully cut out the sombrero, eyes, and mouth from the white cardstock. Little ones might need a bit of help with this step, especially around the smaller pieces.
Step 6: Assemble Your Cactus
- Glue the handprint to the top of the flower pot.
- Attach the sombrero to the top of the handprint.
- Finish it off by gluing on the eyes and mouth to give your cactus some personality!
Download Instructions
Getting your hands on this fun and free printable template to make a handprint cactus craft is really easy! Just fill out the quick form at the bottom of this post and hit that “send me the printable” button.
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Share With Us
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Snap a photo and reach out to us on Facebook or Pinterest to show off your colorful creation.
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