Trick or Treat Smell My Feet: Our Easy Baby Footprint Halloween Keepsake

This trick or treat smell my feet board is the easiest Halloween keepsake you’ll ever make. A wood cutting board, a little paint, and your baby’s tiny feet. That’s it. 🎃

We made ours for Finley’s first Halloween, when he was about 3 months old. It’s one of our most saved pins on Pinterest, and honestly? Keepsakes like this will forever hold my heart.

We saw this on Pinterest for a Christmas item and HAD to make it for Halloween! This is a great keepsake for you, but also grandparents love this!

Below is everything we used, step by step, plus the one thing that kept his feet still long enough to get a clean print. (Spoiler: it’s a bottle.)

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What You Need

• A round wood cutting board with a handle. Ours is acacia. The round shape leaves room for the words up top and the feet in the middle. Shop the board
• Acrylic paint markers for the words, the bats, and the dots. You need white, orange, and black. Shop the markers
• White acrylic paint for the feet. Shop the paint
• A soft paintbrush to paint it on.
• A paper plate to hold the paint.
• Baby wipes and a warm washcloth for cleanup.
• Mod Podge to seal it when you’re done. Shop the Mod Podge
• A second set of hands. Trust me on this one.

Everything I used is in one place on my ShopMy.

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Trick or Treat Smell My Feet Board at a Glance

• What it is: a wood cutting board painted with TRICK or Treat, SMELL MY, and your baby’s footprints as the “feet”
• Hands needed: two. One to hold the baby, one to paint.
• Hardest part: keeping tiny feet still
• Best trick: do it during a bottle
• How long it took us: This only takes about 15 minutes. We painted the board while he napped, let it dry, then put his print on. Covered it with Modge and was done!
• Can you still cut on it? No. Once it’s painted and sealed, it’s decor.

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How to Make a Trick or Treat Smell My Feet Footprint Board

1. Prep Your Board

Wipe the board clean and let it dry all the way. Paint grabs better on a clean, dry surface.

2. Paint the Words First

Do the lettering before the baby is anywhere near it. Write TRICK in white capital letters, a little orange “or,” then Treat in white script. Underneath, add SMELL MY in white capitals.

Leave the middle of the board open. That’s where the feet go, and the feet are the last word of the rhyme. If you’re nervous about lettering, sketch it lightly in pencil first and trace over it.

I did this by free hand. We saw some people do it with cricut, but I love the homemade look.

3. Add the Bats and Dots

Draw a few little black bats around the words. Then go around the edge with tiny clusters of three dots in white, orange, and black. It fills the empty spots and makes the whole board feel finished.

Let everything dry completely before the feet. You don’t want a baby heel smearing your SMELL MY.

4. Feed the Baby (Seriously)

This is the whole secret. One of us held Finley and gave him a bottle, and the other one painted. A fed, cozy baby is a still baby.

We stood at the kitchen counter with the board flat right under his feet, so nobody had to carry a painted baby across the room.

Finley didn’t even care, because his bottle was his best friend. If your baby is wiggly, do it toward the end of the bottle when they are getting drowsy.

5. Paint the Bottoms of His Feet

Squeeze some white paint onto a paper plate. Use a soft brush to paint a thin, even coat on the bottom of each foot, toes and all.

Thin is better than thick here. Too much paint and the print smears instead of showing those tiny lines.

6. Press, Then Lift Straight Up

Lower one foot onto the board and press it flat from heel to toe. Then gently press each little toe down with your finger. Hold it for a second and lift straight up. Don’t slide! Then do the other foot right next to it.

If a print doesn’t come out how you want, wipe it off right away while it’s still wet and try again. No shame in a do-over, okay?

7. Clean Up the Baby

Wipe his feet with baby wipes first, then wash them with a warm washcloth and gentle soap to get the last of the paint off.

8. Let It Dry, Then Seal It

Let the board dry overnight. Then brush a thin coat of Mod Podge over the whole front, let it dry, and add a second coat. That’s what protects the paint so it holds up for years of Halloweens.

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Tips for a Clean Baby Footprint

1. Do it during a bottle. Or right after a nap, when they’re happy and sleepy.
2. Have everything ready first. Paint on the plate, brush in hand, wipes open. Once the feet are painted, you move fast.
3. Go thin with the paint. A thin coat shows the lines. A thick coat makes a blob.
4. Do a practice print. Try one on a piece of paper first so you know how much paint and pressure you need.
5. Press the toes one by one. Baby toes curl. A gentle press on each one gets the whole foot.
6. Wear old clothes. Acrylic paint doesn’t come out of fabric once it dries.
7. Give yourself grace. If a toe smudges, that’s part of it. A smudge is still his tiny foot.

Trick or Treat Smell My Feet Board FAQ

What does “trick or treat, smell my feet” mean?

It’s the old Halloween rhyme kids chant: “Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.” On this board, your baby’s footprints are the “feet,” which is the whole fun of it.

What paint should I use for baby footprints on wood?

We used white acrylic paint for the feet and acrylic paint markers for the words and doodles. Acrylic stays bright on wood and dries fast.

Is it safe to put paint on my baby’s feet?

Pick a paint labeled non-toxic, keep it on the bottoms of the feet only, and wash it off with warm water and gentle soap as soon as you’re done. Skip it if your baby has a rash or broken skin on their feet, and ask your pediatrician if you’re not sure.

Can you still use the cutting board for food?

No. Once it’s painted and sealed, it’s decor, not a cheese board.

How do you seal a painted cutting board?

Once the paint is completely dry, brush a thin coat of Mod Podge over the front, let it dry, and add a second coat.

What age is best for a footprint keepsake?

Any age works. Little babies are easier to hold still, and the tinier the feet, the sweeter it is. Finley was about 3 months old.

Can you make this with a toddler?

Yes! Bigger feet just need more room, so leave extra space between the words and the bottom of the board. A snack or a favorite show does for a toddler what a bottle does for a baby.

Here’s Your Sign to Paint Those Tiny Feet

They really don’t stay this little. Here’s your sign to grab a board and some paint this week and make one. You’ll be so glad you did. 🤍

Doing all the fall firsts this year? Here’s how we did the pumpkin patch with a baby and our first trip with a 2-month-old. And when you post your board, here are 50 fall Instagram captions to go with it.

Want to see us make it? Watch the reel on Instagram. And if you make one, tag me on Instagram. I want to see those tiny toes!

Pin this post for next Halloween!