Autumn Craft Ideas for Kids

With the rainy weather and shorter days, autumn is a great time of the year to bring out the craft box and get creative with the kids. The colourful leaves are the perfect addition to little projects, and even better, are free to get hold of! Here are some of our favourite craft ideas to make the most of this time of year.

Leaf Bowl

This not only makes the most of the beautiful red, gold and orange leaves that carpet the ground in Autumn but is a functional piece for the home too, making a lovely keepsake or gift.

You will need: 1 balloon / a bag of vibrant autumn leaves / PVA glue or Mod Podge

Blow up the balloon and tie the end. Cover the rounded end in a thin layer of PVA glue or mod podge. Begin layering the leaves around the end of the balloon, covering each leaf in another layer of PVA. Hold the leaves down gently if they’re struggling to stick.
Build up the layers until you have an upside-down bowl shape.
Leave the PVA to dry completely, then untie or pop the balloon, gently letting the air out.
Turn the leaves around, and you have a brand new, autumn leaf bowl!

Autumn Critters

Transform autumn leaves into cute woodland critters with some Mod Podge and a bit of paint.

You will need: dry autumn leaves / acrylic paint / paint brushes / mod podge

Go on a crisp, autumn walk through some woodland. Pick up dry leaves, preferably those that have recently fallen. These will be clean and free from mud or mould.
When you get home, place your favourites on some old newspaper and take out your paintbrushes and paint.
Start decorating! You could turn the leaves into woodland characters, such as ladybirds and butterflies, or paint cute patterns on them.
Finish with a coat of Mod Podge to seal the paint and give them a lovely shine.
Stick these to a piece of card to create your own forest scene, or you could even frame a few

Salt Dough Leaves

These little mementoes are fun to make and are the perfect remedy for those rainy afternoons.

You will need: 1 cup plain flour / 1 cup of salt / 1 cup of water / circle cookie cutters / dry autumn leaves / paint and colouring pens

Mix the flour, salt and water together in a bowl until a firm dough forms. The mixture shouldn’t be sticky, so add more flour or water as necessary.
Roll the dough out onto a flat surface, and cut out shapes using the cookie cutter.
Take one of your leaves, and press gently into the centre of one of your salt dough cookies. Rub the leaf into the dough so the veins and markings transfer to the dough.
Once you have used up all the dough, place the leaf prints onto a baking tray and bake on a low heat, around 100 degrees celsius, for about 3 hours, or until dry and firm.
Once they’ve cooled, get painting!

For more exciting crafting ideas that kids will love, check out our article on How to Make Papier Mache Animals.