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The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and you might be looking for a new activity to do with your dog. Flower paw print paintings make perfect gifts for any holiday and they’re even a fun gift to give your dog’s vet or trainer. It’s a simple but cute project that’s easy to do with dogs of any age.
What You’ll Need
Prepare Your Space
This craft project can get a little bit messy, so if you have access to a yard or deck, it’s the perfect chance to enjoy some nice weather outside. If you are going to do paw print painting inside, put down an old sheet or towels to help prevent any ink/paint from getting onto your floors or furniture.
Teach Your Dog the Right Skills
Before working on this activity, make sure that your dog is comfortable with their paws being handled. Paw handling is something that will help with grooming, and if you want to work towards your dog earning the Virtual Home Manners title, they’ll need to be comfortable with their feet being handled. A great way to build up this skill is to teach your dog to shake hands.
Get Started Painting
To make the flower art, we’re going to use our dog’s paw prints and then a little bit of our own artistic talents to accent the painting and turn the paw prints into flowers. (Don’t worry—you don’t have to be a great artist to make this work!)
Step 1: If you are using paint for this craft, start by putting some onto a paper plate. Or if you’re using a nontoxic ink pad, remove the lid.
Step 2: Cue your dog to give you their paw and then gently dip it into the paint or press it into the ink, making sure to cover all paw pads.
Step 3: When your dog’s paw pads are covered in ink/paint, lift the paw and place it on the paper. Gently press your dog’s paw down to make sure all areas touch the page evenly. Lift your dog’s paw straight up to avoid smearing the ink/paint and don’t forget to treat and praise your dog.
Step 4: Repeat helping your dog to paint/stamp onto the paper as many paw print “blossoms” as you want to have in the finished painting.
Step 5: If you want to change ink/paint colors, first wipe your dog’s paw with a damp washcloth or pet wipe to prevent colors of paint/ink from mixing.
Step 6: When you are finished with all of your paw print flower blossoms, wipe your dog’s paw with a washcloth or pet wipe and make sure to get all the paint/ink off. Don’t forget to praise and treat your dog again as you finish cleaning up.
Step 7: Your dog’s paw painting will be the flowers in the painting. When the paint/ink is dry, you can go in with markers/watercolors/colored pencils and draw in stems and leaves so that the paw print flowers become a bouquet.
Now your pup’s art is ready to hang in your home, or to give to one of their favorite people. These paw print flowers look lovely hung on the fridge with magnets for some cute seasonal art, or you can elevate the look by framing them.