Get ready to head outdoors with your kids to gather supplies to create some fun nature crafts for fall!
25+ Nature Crafts for Fall
Acorn Crafts
Crafty PSA: BAKE any acorns or other nuts before using them in crafts. (Soak them in some water to get the dirt off and bake at 200º-250ºF for an hour.)
Trust me, I learned the hard way, there are often things hibernating inside them, and you don’t want them to warm up and hatch inside your house. It is quite a nasty surprise when one suddenly finds little creepy crawlies squiggling about on the dining room table.
- Acorn Mouse – You might not mind these little mice being found around your house – they’re kinda cute!
- Acorn Photo Frame – Snap a picture of your kiddos out collecting acorns to feature inside your new photo frame!
- Marble Acorn Necklaces – A super cute way to make wearable art!
- Acorn Wreath – Rather than that picture-perfect wreath hanging on your front door, let your kiddos create one of their own!
- Acorn Cap Jewels – This is a fun craft and a science experiment in one! – Idea from Kiwi Crate
- Squirrel Acorn Craft – This is an easy and adorable kids’ craft from Mama Instincts.
- Acorn Gnomes – These are ADORABLE. – Idea from Icybooh on Flickr
- Acorn Candle Holders – So simple, and they would look lovely as autumn décor!
- Whimsical Acorn Bells – Kids will have fun making their own musical art with this craft!
Leaf Crafts
There is a great post from Buggy and Buddy about preserving leaves using two methods: glycerin, and wax paper. I will have to try the glycerin. Wax paper, which is what I remember doing as a kid, did not work particularly well.
- Fall Leaf Spray Painting – Don’t worry, your little ones won’t be using real spray paint for this craft!
- DIY Leaf Luminaries – Psst…glue required!
- Colored Salt Dough Leaf Impressions – The veinier the leaves – the better for this craft!
- Leaf Rubbings – Okay, this is my little plug for autumn nature study. I love to do leaf rubbings and have since I was a child. Not only do they make lovely window décor, but you can see the details of a leaf in the rubbing that can be difficult to see sometimes. This post has pictures of their lovely leaf rubbings, as well as book recommendations. – Idea from Edventures
- Fall Leaf Crowns – Let your princes, kings, princesses and queens have fun creating their own colorful fall crowns!
- Leaf Pinwheels – How pretty these will be with the many colors of fall!
- Pressed Leaf Bookmarks – Your bookworms will have fun creating their own bookmarks.
- Suncatcher Wind Chimes – Autumn leaves look so pretty in the sunshine, don’t they? I love this idea that uses canning rings. Take some of your leaf pile, and make a lovely suncatcher to hang in your window, or on your porch. – Idea from Hands On As We Grow
- Autumn Leaf Magnets – These would be so pretty on your refrigerator (or other magnetic surfaces)! Idea from Filth Wizardry
Pine Cone Crafts
Note: You should bake pine cones as you would acorns, in the oven at 200º-250ºF for an hour (I’d recommend putting them on baking sheets lined with foil to catch any pitch). Don’t wash them, though. Pine cones close up when they are wet.
- Splatter Painted Pine Cones – There’s no right or wrong way to create these works of art!
- Pine Cone Turkeys – Perfect decor for your Thanksgiving dinner table!
- Pine Cone Spiders – Cuter than the real creepy crawlies that come out of nowhere.
- Pumpkin Pine Cone – What says fall more than a pumpkin?
- Pine Cone Bird Feeders – This is a craft and a nature study activity all in one! Hang them in your yard and watch the birds come in for a feast.
- Butterfly Pine Cone Puppets – What kind of story will your little ones tell with their fall butterfly puppets?
- Pine Cone Fairy – This has no practical use whatsoever, but I couldn’t resist sharing this pine cone fairy forest. – Red Ted Art
- Farm Animal Pine Cones – You may not be able to have a farm of your own, but this craft will allow your kids to have farm animals inside!
- Pine Cone Snowy Owls – Okay, just one last pine cone craft, because who doesn’t love snowy owls? – Idea from Art Experiences for Tots
I hope you feel inspired to try some fun fall crafting with your kiddos!
