Gingerbread Theme Kid Made Gift: Fingerprint Trivet

This DIY trivet hot plate is a practical yet sentimental gift for kids to make. And, of course, it’s inspired by a book!

 

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For a few months now, we’ve had a box of Christmas stuff sitting on the landing halfway up our stairs. (It’s a long story). I’m not going to name names, but there are some super sentimental completely useless items in that box.

I’m a sucker for anything with my kids’ fingerprints, footprints, or handprints on it. They look smaller and smaller every year.

Kid-Made, Story-Inspired Gift Idea

With this post, we’re joining in on Day 3 of 10 Days of Kid Made Ornaments and Gifts.

When I set out to create this kid-made gift idea, I wanted it to be sentimental but also practical. I think everyone who eats hot food can use a trivet (or do you call them hot plates?).

I hope this kid made gift is practical for teachers too. If you’re already teaching a Gingerbread Man unit, doing a story based craft means you can keep the kids learning while you check “parent gift” off your list.

(By the way, you may like these differentiated emergent readers…)

Gingerbread Baby

Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett puts a clever twist on the traditional Gingerbread Man story. In this version, a boy takes his gingerbread man out of the oven too soon – while it’s still a gingerbread baby! The ‘baby’ takes off running, and soon has a trail of characters following him. Meanwhile, the boy who baked him is busy at home making a gingerbread house, which ultimately saves the gingerbread baby in a fun, happy ending.

Teachers and parents can…

• Compare this story to several other versions
• Help children retell the story in the correct sequence
• Talk about how the boy chose to be kind
• Decorate a gingerbread house (or make a popsicle stick gingerbread house)
• Watch a video of Jan Brett talking about how she draws character emotions (I suggest you jump in at 2:42 and watch about 2 minutes of it)

• Last but not least, you can make our gingerbread baby trivet. Talk about the story while you craft.

 

Materials

I tested out the finished trivet with a super hot bowl straight from the microwave. It handled that heat without any problem. I’m afraid a pot straight from the stove might be too hot though, so use caution.

Here’s what you need:

• 6-inch square white ceramic tile
• Acrylic paint – red, green, white
• Paintbrushes
• Gingerbread baby template (I traced a cookie cutter)
• Brown paper
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Tape
• Brown or black permanent marker
• Mod podge or watered down glue
• Acrylic sealer (I used this one)
• Felt cut to size of tile (or a fraction smaller)

Gingerbread Baby Trivet – Preparation

If you’re working with a group of kids, here’s what you can prep ahead of time:

• Tape the border on the tile (see step 1 below)
• Pre-cut the gingerbread shapes
• Draw roof line in pencil (see step 3 below)
• Prepare your paint area, and have baby wipes handy

Gingerbread Baby Trivet – Instructions

There may be some drying time between steps. If you’re working with a group of kids, pull one child at a time for each micro-step. So, for instance, have each child paint the red striped border before letting anyone move on to adding white dots to it.

1. Paint the border: Mark off the side with tape and paint the red stripes. Remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Once the paint dries, add white fingerprints.
2. Make the gingerbread baby: Trace your gingerbread baby template onto brown paper and cut out. Decorate as desired. (I drew eyes and mouth with a Sharpie pen. The buttons are white fingerprints with red stripes painted on later.)
3. Make the roof: With a pencil, lightly draw lines on the tile indicating the slope of the roof. Then, help the child make fingerprints along the roofline with the red paint. Let dry. Then repeat with the green paint. Let dry. (It dries in just a few minutes.)
4. Put the gingerbread baby in the gingerbread house: Coat the back of gingerbread baby with mod podge or glue and affix to the tile.
5. Seal it up: Paint the entire tile with mod podge. Once the mod podge is completely dry, spray with acrylic sealer.

I made two of these DIY trivets today. We used one at dinner tonight, and it put a smile on my face. It was a nice little gift to myself. I think the kids and I need to sit down soon and make a few more to give as gifts to grandparents, aunts and uncles.

I hope yours puts a smile on your face too!