Copyright 2008 The Scrabble Gal  All Rights Reserved

This project was kindly contributed by designer Laura of The Scrabble Gal Please visit Laura's site for more great craft project ideas. Email Laura with any questions regarding this project.

I started creating handmade jewelry and crafts from recycled Scrabble tiles while in College.  I now offer an entire line of E-Book tutorials on how to make Scrabble jewelry with decorative papers, custom photos and even a brand new Scrabble in Style E-Book filled with 77 Scrabble tile craft projects!  All of these ideas are available on my website (thescrabblegal.com) or my Etsy shop (thescrabblegal.etsy.com)

What you need: This is a project I love teaching, because it's easy, fun and great for kids! We're going to make a fingerprint mini-mosaic using Scrabble tiles. All you need are some old Scrabble tiles, an ink pad and a little bit of white primer or paint.

What to do:

Step 1: Set aside the tiles you're going to need to spell out the words "Hand Print"

Step 2: Take 11 tiles (any letters will do) and prime the non-letter side so they are completely white. Add a second coat if necessary, and allow to dry completely.

Step 3: Using your old ink pad (be sure to use non-toxic ink) – one finger at a time, cover your fingertip in ink and press your fingertip on the white side of your tile to create a black-on-white fingerprint. Be sure to use one finger per tile. However, in the finished example, I've used two tiles for my right thumb. Also, I recommend practicing on a scrap piece of paper first, because getting just the right amount of ink can be a bit tricky. : )

Step 4: Arrange your tiles like the example above.

Step 5: From here, you can do a whole bunch of things – you can transform this into a refrigerator magnet, create a tiled-mosaic, or transform this into wall-art that can be framed and hanged – great for kids' rooms. (I teach each of these techniques in detail in my tutorials, as well as how to use recycled papers instead of paint.) But there's no reason to stop there. I've had a few Moms tell me that they've done a "baby's first prints" scrapbook project using this idea. The options are endless.

Happy crafting!