We have the fall feels going on in our home right now. I sit here sipping my big mug of hot tea, with cozy slippers on, the leaves on the trees outside are turning a rainbow of yellow and orange. We have devoured big bowls of warm applesauce most nights this week, and a colourful leaf garland adorns our playroom wall. As blissful as summer nights are, nothing beats cozy fall/winter nights in wearing cozy sweaters, big socks, and feasting on warm apple crumbles straight from the oven while enjoying a crackling fire or doing a fun family fall craft.
Here are a few fall craft ideas I hope you will enjoy. Some help keep the kids amused indoors on a wet and rainy afternoon. My personal preference with crafts is to keep it simple. I don’t want to go to fancy art shops and spend a fortune on supplies. I prefer to use natural resources and keep it green (minimizing waste). For more ideas about zero waste arts and crafts materials, check out this post. By using natural resources the items can be composted when no longer needed, but best of all they are free and readily available.
1. Wine Cork Print Apple Trees
It’s apple season, which means a visit to your favorite orchard to pick a bag-full, and making hot apple pie and this simple fall craft. Paint a tree and use a wine bottle cork to paint the apples.
2. Playdoh with Nature Treasures
Make a big batch of homemade playdoh. Go hunting for natures treasures like fall leaves, seeds, berries, pine cones, etc. and see what your little people create!
Playdoh Recipe:
2 cups of plain flour
1 cup of salt
3 tablespoons of cream of tartar
2 tablespoons of oil
1 1/2 cups of boiling water
Place all the dry ingredients into a glass mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients, stir, and then kneed the dough together. Feel free to get creative by adding coloring and essential oils.
3. Fall Leaves Dipped in Beeswax
This fall craft is for the mamas because these garlands look so pretty. Collect leaves with the kiddies. Wander with them collecting natures treasures on a sunny afternoon, and talking about the different trees and shapes, colours, and textures of the leaves. At home, prepare your beeswax. I use a double boil system, but a small crock pot will also work perfectly. Simply dip your leaves in the hot wax (probably best for mama to do this part). Wait until the excess wax has dripped off, then hang them up to dry. I use natural twine with small wooden pegs. Then display your lovely fall craft.
4. Pine Cone Bird Feeders
Gather some large pine cones, use some natural twine or string to make a loop (which you will attach to a tree), and spread liberally with sunbutter or peanut butter and roll in wild bird seed. When dry, hang in a tree, preferably close to your windows so the kiddies can watch the birdies come and enjoy a fall feast.
5. Salt Dough Ornaments
Salt Dough Recipe:
1 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
Mix all ingredients together and knead into a dough. Roll flat to a thickness of 1/4 inch then use cookie cutters (leaf shapes are a great idea for fall) to make your desired shapes. Make a small hole which you can use later for a loop of twine or ribbon to make hanging decorations. Preheat the oven to 250 and bake for 2-3 hours. When the shapes have cooled, paint and varnish them so they last for years. These also make great Christmas ornaments!
In my mind, all crafts are best enjoyed with a hot drink in hand and tasty baked treat straight from the oven because it’s that kind of season. Want some other fall craft ideas? Try these fall wreaths or these nature art projects, and check out this great post about the benefits of playing with loose for kids imaginations.
