Fun Fall Crafts for Kids: Ideas and Inspiration

Fall is here, and that means it is the perfect time for making fall crafts.  Whether you are wanting fall crafts to decorate your house with, or you just want to keep busy, autumn crafts can be fun to make.  If you are wanting to keep your kids busy too with fall crafts, you have come to the right place.  Today I will be going over easy fall crafts for kids to make.  I hope that this article inspires you and your kids to get crafting.  Let's get started.

Fall Crafts for Toddlers

Leaf People

This fall craft is very easy to make.  Because it is so easy to make, this is the perfect craft for toddlers.  Here's how to make it:

Materials Needed:

• Fake Leaves
• Googly Eyes
• Glue
• Popsicle Sticks

Instructions:

1. Glue a set of googly eyes onto each leaf.
2. Glue the leaf onto a popsicle stick.
3. Your little one can have fun playing with these leaf people, or you can decorate your home with them.  Either way, this adorable craft is quick and easy to make.  You can even give them away as gifts.

Recycled Apple Craft

This is another easy craft that is perfect for toddlers.  It is made with recycled items, mainly toilet paper rolls, and creates adorable little apples.

Materials Needed:

• Toilet paper roll
• Red and green paint
• A sponge paint brush
• Scissors
• Glue

Instructions:

1. Start by cutting your roll into rings.  You can make the rings thick or thin.
2. Cut 1 or 2 of the toilet paper rolls into strips.  These will be the leaves of the apple.
3. Paint the rings red, inside and out.  Let dry.
4. Paint the strips green.  Let dry.
5. When the paint is dry, cut the strips into leaf shapes.
6. Bend the bottom of each leaf and glue it onto the toilet paper roll rings.  You can add a stem if you want (paint it brown).  Otherwise, you are done!

Elementary Fall Craft Ideas

Autumn Wreath Craft

This autumn wreath craft is perfect for kids 6 years old and up.  Even adults will have fun making this wreath.  There are a few steps that younger children could do, but this craft is probably too hard for toddlers.  As always, remember to supervise your child while he or she is making this fall craft.

Materials Needed:

• Wire coat hanger
• 14 to 16 toilet paper rolls
• Optional: Neutral color paint like brown, yellow or black
• Red, orange and/or yellow construction paper
• Glue
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Take a toilet paper roll and cut a slit halfway through.
2. If desired, paint the toilet paper rolls a neutral color.  This isn't necessary, because most of the wreath will be covered up with the leaves.  However, it could be fun for your kids to paint the toilet paper rolls.  If you do paint them, let them dry before you continue making this wreath.
3. Take the coat hanger and bend it to form a circle.  This step could be hard for younger kids, so you may need to help.
4. Using the slits that you cut halfway through the toilet paper rolls, slide each of the toilet paper rolls onto the coat hanger.
5. Begin cutting out the leaves.  You can use any type of leaves that you want.
6. Glue the leaves onto the toilet paper rolls.  You can make a pattern with the leaves, or you can just randomly glue leaves onto the wreath.
7. Tie a bow onto the top of the wreath.

Toilet Paper Roll Foxes

This fall craft is another great craft to make out of toilet paper rolls.  You also have the option of using paper towel rolls.  Although this easy fall craft can be made by children of almost all ages, it is perfect for elementary aged children.

Materials Needed:

• Toilet paper rolls
• Orange paper and white colored paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Black marker

Instructions:

1. Glue the colored paper onto the toilet paper roll.
2. Fold in the top on both sides to create the ears of the fox.
3. Cut the tail shape out of the orange paper.  Cut the white tail tip and glue it on the tail.  Then glue the tail onto the toilet paper roll.
4. Cut a heart shape out of the white paper and draw the fox's face using a black marker. Glue the face onto the front of the toilet paper roll.

Fall Crafts for Older Children

Autumn Tissue Paper Flowers and Vase

This fall craft is recommended for older children because it is slightly more difficult to make.  But the results are simply adorable, and these flowers can be kept for years to come.  Keep in mind that you don't have to make the vase.  You could put the flowers in your own vase.  Or you could make the vase and not make the flowers.  The decision is up to you.

Materials Needed For the Vase:

• Juice jar (750 ml)
• Paper mache paste (1 part flour to 5 parts water, boil it for about 3 minutes and let cool)
• 3 pieces of white paper
• Paint or markers to decorate

Materials Needed For the Flowers:

• Tissue paper  (fall colored tissue paper for the flower petals and white or yellow for the center)
• Straw
• Cotton ball
• Scissors
• Scotch tape (or floral tape).

Instructions For Making the Vase:

1. Paper mache the juice jar with three layers of white paper.
2. Let the jar dry.  This may take up to a day to try.
3. Decorate the jar with paint or markers.

Instructions For Making the Flowers:

1. Cut a square of tissue paper about 2" by 2".
2. Put a small piece of cotton (about 1/4 of a cotton ball) in the center of the tissue paper.
3. Squeeze the cotton filled tissue paper around the end of the straw and wrap a piece of scotch tape around it.
4. Put 4 or 5 petals around the cotton filled tissue paper.  Attach them using tape.
5. Continue adding petals until the flower looks full.
6. If desired, spray on some perfume so that your flower has a scent.

Mason Jar Scarecrow

Want to make an adorable scarecrow for your home?  Consider making this fall craft.  Unlike regular scarecrows, this one is made with a mason jar.  But if you and your kids are still feeling creative, you can find out how to make a straw-stuffed scarecrow by clicking here.

Materials Needed:

• Mason jar
• Tan, cream, black, and orange acrylic craft paint
• Straw
• Burlap ribbon
• Large googly eyes
• Fake sunflower
• Black permanent marker
• Paintbrushes
• Glue gun
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Using your large flat tipped paintbrush, paint the entire mason jar tan.  Let it dry before you continue on to the next step.
2. Set your large paintbrush aside and use your smaller paintbrush to paint a triangle shaped nose on the front center of your mason jar with the orange paint.
3. Use a marker or black paint to draw a wavy smile under the nose with several dashes through the smile, as well as around the nose.
4. Paint on two small cream circles for the cheeks at each side of the smile.
5. Carefully glue the two googly eyes above the nose with your hot glue gun.
6. Cut two sets of 10 strands of straw about 3-4″ in length and tie the strands together with another piece of straw for the hair.  Carefully glue the straw to each top side of the mason jar.
7. Cut and glue a piece of burlap ribbon onto the top of the mason jar.
8. Glue the fake sunflower onto the top of the mason jar.

Paper Pumpkins

Don't have time to go to the pumpkin patch?  No worries!  You can create your own adorable pumpkins by following the instructions below.  This project is recommended for older kids since it requires more work than some of the other fall crafts I have listed.

Materials Needed:

• Colored or patterned paper of choice
• Paper Cutter
• Double Sided Tape
• Hot Glue and Glue Gun
• Sticks
• Twine
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Cut each piece of paper vertically into five 1.5” wide strips.  Then cut each strip into one 7”, two 9”, and keep the remaining two at 11”.
2. Fold the paper multiple times so that the entire strip(s) of paper is folded.  This will give the pumpkin a unique shape.
3. Tape the two sets and same lengths together with double-sided tape and form a circle.
4. Next, glue the paper so that it forms a medallion shape.  You will need to glue it in the center.
5. Glue each medallion together, starting with the 7” on top, then 9”, then 11”, then 11”, then 9” on the bottom.
6. Hot glue a stick, paper leaves, and twine on the top of your pumpkin.

Final Thoughts

Fall just wouldn't be the same without fall crafts.  Fall crafts brighten up homes and are fun to make.  Today I went over a list of easy fall crafts for kids.  Some crafts are easier to make than others, but all of them are fun and result in a masterpiece.  Remember to always be there while your kids are crafting so that they don't accidentally hurt themselves.  Some of these crafts do require the use of scissors and a hot glue gun, which are both tools that can cause injuries if not used properly.  But with you watching, your kids should be safe when crafting.  Have fun crafting!