23 Easy Fall Crafts For Your Kids
Fall is such a magical time for crafting with kids! There’s something so special about bringing all those gorgeous autumn colors and textures indoors and turning them into little masterpieces. These crafts are perfect for those cozy afternoons when the weather’s getting chilly and you want to keep little hands busy. Most of them use simple supplies you probably already have at home, plus some of nature’s beautiful fall treasures.
1. Leaf Rubbing Art
This classic craft never gets old! The magic happens when you place leaves under paper and rub crayons over them, revealing those gorgeous leaf shapes and intricate vein patterns. Kids love watching the leaves appear like magic on their paper, and every single rubbing turns out completely unique.
The finished pieces look so beautiful with all those autumn colors blending together. You can frame them, use them as gift wrap, or even turn them into homemade greeting cards.
2. Leaf Animals
Real leaves become the most adorable little creatures with just a few simple additions! A maple leaf transforms into a turkey with some drawn-on legs and a beak, or an oak leaf becomes a cute hedgehog with googly eyes.
The natural shapes and colors of the leaves do most of the work, and kids get so creative thinking about what each leaf could become. These little leaf animals are perfect for decorating around the house or giving as gifts to grandparents.
3. Pumpkin Suncatcher
These beautiful translucent decorations catch the light so perfectly in autumn windows! Made with contact paper and colorful tissue paper in orange, yellow, and red, they look just like stained glass pumpkins when the sun shines through them.
The colors are so vibrant and cheerful, and they cast the most beautiful colored shadows around the room. Kids love arranging the tissue paper pieces, and the finished suncatchers bring such warmth and brightness to any space.
4. Pumpkin Seed Art
Don’t throw away those pumpkin seeds after carving! They make the most interesting textural art when glued onto paper or canvas. Kids can create pumpkin shapes, fall trees, or abstract designs using the natural curved shapes of the seeds.
You can leave them natural for an organic look, or paint them in bright autumn colors first. The three-dimensional quality of the seeds adds such cool texture to artwork, and it’s a great way to use every part of your pumpkins.
5. Handprint Pumpkins
Little handprints in orange paint create the sweetest pumpkin shapes! Each finger becomes a section of the pumpkin, and you can add a green thumb print for the stem. These are so precious because they capture those tiny hands at just the right size, and they make the most meaningful keepsakes.
The finished handprint pumpkins look adorable displayed on the fridge or framed as gifts for family members. Every parent treasures these little handprint memories for years to come.
6. Fingerprint Fall Trees
Bare tree branches come to life with colorful fingerprint leaves! Kids dip their fingers in red, orange, and yellow paint to create hundreds of tiny leaves covering the branches. The result is so beautiful and impressionistic, like a miniature fall landscape.
Each tree looks completely different depending on how the child arranges their fingerprints, and the colors blend together in such a natural way. These make gorgeous art pieces that really capture the essence of autumn.
7. Autumn Collages
Fall collages are like treasure hunts turned into art! Kids can use real leaves, cut paper shapes, magazine pictures, and any other autumn-themed materials they find. The combinations are endless – maybe a pumpkin patch scene with fabric scraps and real leaves, or an abstract design with torn paper in fall colors.
These collages let kids express their creativity while exploring all the textures and colors of the season. Each one tells its own unique autumn story.
8. Pine Cone Owls
Those pine cones you find on autumn walks transform into the most adorable little owls! The natural shape is already perfect for an owl’s body, and adding felt wings, googly eyes, and a tiny beak brings them to life. The textured surface of the pine cone gives these owls such character and charm. They’re perfect for sitting on shelves, hanging from strings, or even nestling into fall centerpieces. Kids love giving each owl its own personality with different expressions and colors.
9. Toilet Paper Roll Owl
Empty toilet paper rolls become wise little owls with some paint and creativity! The cylindrical shape is perfect for an owl’s body, and kids can paint them in beautiful autumn colors like browns, oranges, and yellows. Adding paper wings, big round eyes, and a little beak completes the transformation. These owls have such personality, and you can make a whole family of them in different sizes and colors. They’re sturdy enough for kids to actually play with too.
10. Paper Plate Animals
Paper plates are like blank canvases for creating fall animals! They can become turkeys with colorful feather fans, hedgehogs with paper spike decorations, or even pumpkins with orange paint and construction paper stems.
The round shape works for so many different creatures, and kids love transforming something ordinary into their favorite animals. These crafts are perfect for little hands to handle, and the finished animals are big enough to really show off all their creative details.
11. Cork Stamp Turkeys – description not matched
Wine corks make the most perfect little stamps for creating turkey feathers! Kids can dip corks in different colored paints and stamp them in a fan shape to create gorgeous turkey tail feathers. Each stamp creates a unique feather texture, and layering different colors makes such beautiful, full tails. You can draw on the turkey body and head, or use handprints for an even more personal touch. The stamping technique is so satisfying and creates really professional-looking results.
12. Apple Stamping Art
Cut apples in half and you’ve got natural stamps with the most beautiful star patterns inside! Dipped in paint, apple stamps create lovely flower-like shapes that are perfect for fall decorating. Kids can make apple trees, fall bouquets, or abstract patterns with their apple stamps.
The natural shape is so organic and pretty, and each apple creates slightly different patterns. It’s amazing how something as simple as a cut apple can make such gorgeous art.
13. Corn on the Cob Bubble Wrap Painting – description not matched
Bubble wrap wrapped around a toilet paper roll creates the most realistic corn texture when dipped in yellow paint! Kids can stamp it onto paper to make corn on the cob shapes, and add green construction paper husks for the complete look.
The bubble texture is so perfect for mimicking those little corn kernels, and the stamping motion is really fun for little hands. These corn crafts look surprisingly realistic and are perfect for harvest-themed decorating.
14. Scarecrow Craft with Paper Bag
Paper lunch bags become the cutest scarecrows with some stuffing and decorating! The bag becomes the scarecrow’s body and head, and kids can draw on faces, add yarn hair, and dress them up with fabric scraps or construction paper clothes.
These scarecrows have such personality and charm, and each one turns out completely unique. They’re perfect for fall displays around the house, and they’re sturdy enough to last through the whole season without falling apart.
15. Acorn Craft with Googly Eyes – description not matched
Simple acorns from your yard become adorable little characters with just googly eyes and maybe a tiny smile! The natural shape and color of acorns is already so perfect, and adding eyes instantly gives them personality.
Kids can create whole families of acorn people, or turn them into tiny animals with paper ears and tails. These little guys are perfect for imaginative play, and they look so cute scattered around fall decorations or nestled into centerpieces.
16. Fall Garland
String together all those beautiful fall elements into gorgeous garlands that can decorate anywhere! Paper leaves, mini pumpkins, acorns, or even fall-colored pom-poms create beautiful hanging decorations.
The colors flow together so nicely, and garlands add such a festive touch to doorways, mantels, or windows. Kids love choosing which elements to include and deciding on the pattern. These garlands bring fall colors into every corner of your home.
17. Felt Leaf Bookmarks – description not matched
Soft felt in autumn colors becomes beautiful leaf-shaped bookmarks that kids will actually want to use! Cut into maple, oak, or other leaf shapes, they’re perfect for marking pages in favorite fall books.
The felt is so nice to touch, and the autumn colors are gorgeous against book pages. You can add details with markers or stitching for extra special touches. These make wonderful gifts for teachers, grandparents, or anyone who loves to read.
18. Q-tip Fall Dot Painting
Q-tips dipped in paint create the most beautiful dotted fall scenes! Kids can make trees with colorful dotted leaves, pumpkin patches with orange dots, or abstract autumn patterns. The technique is so relaxing and meditative, and the finished pieces have such a lovely, impressionistic quality.
Each dot blends with the others to create beautiful color gradations that look just like real fall foliage. The soft, rounded dots have such a gentle, artistic feel.
19. Paper Strip Fall Trees
Strips of construction paper in autumn colors become dimensional tree sculptures when curled and arranged! The paper strips curl naturally and create such beautiful, flowing tree shapes that look almost like they’re blowing in the wind.
Layering different colored strips makes gorgeous, full trees with lots of depth and movement. These trees look amazing displayed together like a little forest, and the dimensional quality makes them so much more interesting than flat artwork.
20. Popsicle Stick Puppets
Popsicle sticks become the handles for adorable fall character puppets! Whether it’s turkeys, scarecrows, pumpkins, or leaves, these little puppets are perfect for imaginative play and storytelling. Kids can create whole fall scenes and act out autumn adventures with their puppet characters.
The simple construction makes them easy for little hands to make and use, and they’re durable enough for lots of creative play. Each puppet develops its own personality through the decorating process.
21. Fall Nature Lacing Hangings
Large fall leaves or leaf cutouts with holes punched around the edges become beautiful lacing projects! Kids can weave yarn or ribbon through the holes to create gorgeous hanging decorations.
The lacing adds such a lovely decorative border, and the finished pieces look like beautiful autumn medallions. These hangings catch the light beautifully in windows, and the combination of natural elements with colorful lacing is so pretty. They’re perfect for developing fine motor skills too.
22. Salt Dough Leaf Ornaments
Real leaves pressed into salt dough create the most beautiful keepsake ornaments! The dough captures every detail of the leaf’s surface and veins, making gorgeous impressions that can be painted and hung as decorations.
These ornaments have such a lovely, handmade quality and preserve the beauty of fall leaves forever. They’re perfect for gift-giving or creating family traditions, and each year you can make new ones with different leaves. The natural impressions are absolutely stunning.
23. Pumpkin Pie Craft
Paper plates become adorable pumpkin pies with orange paint and some whipped cream made from cotton balls or white paint! The realistic look is so cute, and kids love creating their own pretend pies for imaginative play.
You can add construction paper crusts and even little paper dollops of whipped cream for extra detail. These pies look good enough to eat and are perfect for pretend Thanksgiving dinners or fall-themed play kitchens. They capture that cozy, homey feeling of autumn baking.