Can You Use Paint for Baby Handprints? (Read This First)

It's usually the first idea that comes to mind. You want to capture those tiny hands before they grow, there's a craft set in the cupboard, and how hard can it be? A dollop of paint, a quick press, done.

Then reality arrives. The fist clenches. The paint goes everywhere except the paper. And you spend the next twenty minutes scrubbing a cross baby's fingers while staring at a smudge that looks more like a jellyfish than a handprint.

We've been there ourselves - it's part of why we started this business. So here's the honest answer to whether you can use paint, what to use if you do, and the alternative that thousands of parents now swear by.

Yes, paint for handprints is safe, but as you can imagine, with a newborn wriggling, it can get very messy.

So, Can You Use Paint for Baby Handprints?

Technically, yes - but with some important caveats, and honestly, it's rarely the best option.

If you do want to go the paint route, here's what matters:

Only use water-based, washable, non-toxic paint. Look for finger paints labelled non-toxic and tested to EN71 (the European toy safety standard). These are formulated with the expectation that little hands end up in little mouths.

Never use acrylics, oils, or craft paints. These can contain chemicals that aren't suitable for skin contact, are difficult to wash off, and can irritate or stain delicate skin.

Think twice for newborns. Newborn skin is far thinner and more permeable than adult skin, and most paint manufacturers don't recommend their products for tiny babies. Newborns also can't be patch-tested easily, and their hands go straight in their mouths.

Patch test first. Even with baby-safe paint, dab a little on your baby's leg and wait to check for any reaction before covering a whole hand.

The Real Problem with Paint (It's Not Just Safety)

Even with the safest paint in the world, you run into the practical problems:

Smudging. Babies don't do "hold still". The moment that painted hand touches paper, fingers curl, palms slide, and your print blurs.

Lost detail. Paint pools and clumps, filling in exactly the parts you want to capture - the tiny creases, the delicate lines, the things that make the print theirs.

The clean-up. Paint on the baby, paint on you, paint on the sofa. What should be a five-minute memory becomes an afternoon's laundry.

Fading. Even a successful painted print fades, yellows and cracks over the years. The keepsake you made to last forever quietly deteriorates in its frame.

What Most Parents Use Instead: Inkless Kits

Here's the option many parents simply don't know exists - and the reason we get so many messages saying "where was this for my first baby?!"

Using Inkless Wipes on Baby's Foot

Taking baby's print using inkless wipes

Baby's footprints taken using inkless wipes

Our Foil Footprint Keepsake

Family taking prints using our inkless kits: newborn and older sister.

Inkless print kits work completely differently. There's no paint and no ink. You gently wipe your baby's hand or foot with a baby-safe wipe, press it onto special reactive paper, and the print appears in crisp detail. Nothing messy ever touches their skin.

Why it beats paint:

1. Safe from day one - gentle enough for newborns, no chemicals sitting on the skin

2. No mess whatsoever - no scrubbing, no stained babygrows

3. Far more detail - every crease and tiny line comes through, the detail paint simply can't capture

4. Multiple attempts - our kit includes four sheets, so a wriggle isn't a disaster

If you want the full method, we've written a complete guide:

How to Take Your Baby's Handprints Neatly (No Paint, No Ink, No Mess)

And If You Want It to Last Forever...

A great print deserves better than a fridge door. With our Foil Hand & Footprint Kit, once you've captured your prints you simply photograph and upload them, and we transform them using our exclusive Foil Fusion Technology® - permanently bonding real metallic foil to archival card.

Unlike paint, it will never fade, crack, peel or yellow. The keepsake you receive looks exactly the same when your little one is all grown up. Our team even neatens any small imperfections by hand while keeping every true detail of your baby's print.

Quick Answers

What paint is safe for baby handprints?

Only water-based, washable finger paints labelled non-toxic and EN71-tested. Avoid acrylics, oils and general craft paints entirely. For newborns, most manufacturers advise against paint altogether - an inkless kit is the safer choice.

Can I do handprints with a newborn?

Yes - but skip the paint. Inkless kits are safe from day one and work brilliantly on sleeping newborns, which is the easiest time to take prints.

How do I get paint off my baby's hands?

Warm water and gentle baby soap, washing promptly before it dries. (Or avoid the problem entirely with an inkless kit - we may be biased, but so are the thousands of parents who've switched!)

Is there a mess-free alternative to paint handprints?

Yes - inkless print kits. A baby-safe wipe and reactive paper capture the print with no paint, no ink and no mess, in under five minutes.

The Short Version

Can you use paint? With the right paint and an older baby, carefully, yes. Should you? Honestly, there's an easier, safer way that captures far more detail - and turns those tiny prints into a keepsake that lasts forever.

Over 10,000 families have used our kits since 2017, and £1 from every kit goes to Tommy's to fund research into premature birth, stillbirth and miscarriage.

Order your kit today - and put the paint back in the cupboard.

Love,

Ashley

Co-founder, The Bespoke Foil Company