Beach Handprint Art ideas...these won't leave you crabby

About this time last year I started thinking about some unique Mother's Day gifts for my mom and my MIL.  We spend a lot of time at the beach and so I thought a nice gift might be some beach-themed artwork for my in law's beach house.

I always love handprint art because it seems to just capture the moment -- my kid's hand was just that size on this day! I was trying to incorporate my not-yet-1-year-old son into the beach themed hand print art, but...well, it didn't work out so well.  My three year old daughter was more than happy, however, to get her hands and feet all painted up. 

I decided we'd try a few different handprint projects -- a lobster, crab, fish and flip flops.   After a few tries -- and a few plates of red paint, we got some good prints. (I painted her fingers with different colors with a paint brush for the fish.)  

Once they dried I added the background paints with sponges and then added the black sharpie markers for details like the eyes and mouths.  

I bought four of the same black frames and they now proudly hang at my in law's beach house.

A few other handprint art projects I've done with the kids that now hang proudly at my house...they're coming soon (I'm having trouble uploading pictures this this post for some reason...)

 What handprint art have you made with your kids?