10 Fun Leaf Crafts for Kids

Looking for simple and inexpensive craft ideas for your kids or classroom that incorporates nature? Here are some projects to get you started.

Leaf Bookmark
Collect leaves from outside and paste them strategically on strips of colored construction paper. Kids can glue glitter to outline or accent the leaves and paper borders. If your school has a laminating machine available, then the bookmarks can be laminated for further durability.

Leaf Board Decorations
Decorate your classroom with the autumn theme of leaves. Add color to your teaching environment by outlining bulletin boards and chalkboards with an array of leaves. You can even cover bulletin boards with leaves and put classroom policies, rewards, charts on top for added definition.

Leaf Collage
Work with your kids and create a collage using leaves. You can have them pick a theme and cut out pictures from magazines or use photos to complement that theme. Glitter, scrapbook paper, and colored markers all can add some additional spunk to their work of art.

Leaf Door Hanger
Use thick construction paper, glue, scissors, and markers to create an autumn themed door hanger for your classroom or your kids' rooms at home. Have your kids or students collect leaves and cut them to fit on their hanger. Have them paste the leaves on and custom decorate their hanger with glitter, beads, or markers.

Leaf Garland
Decorate your classroom with a leaf string garland. Measure a piece of durable string and use clothespins to hang different colors and shapes of autumn themed leaves on the string and hang the leaf-stringed garland across you classroom in anyway you choose. You can make the garland thicker or more minimalist if you like.

Leaf Mural
Your kids can create their very own nature themed art mural with the use of autumn leaves, pine needles, and even flowers on thick pieces of recycled cardboard.. Then can arrange the greenery to actually look like a picture or simply be abstract and creative.

Leaf Mobile
You can create a leaf mobile with the use of craft wire (or a wire clothes hanger). Using superglue or hot gun glue, paste lightweight leaves all of the wire allowing room on the very top for a curved hook for hanging purposes. Make sure to take extra caution with the glue and do the gluing for your kids if possible.

Leaf Print Art
Have your kids place white pieces of papers over various sizes and shapes of leaves and use a color pencil or crayon and color the over the piece of paper over the leaf. Interesting outlines and details will form. You can have your kids frame their designs or outline the borders with wooden Popsicle sticks and hang them on the refrigerator or classroom walls.

Leaf Print Cards
You and your child can create one of a kind nature inspired greeting cards. Help your child design cards out of construction paper of blank index cards and paste leaves or rub leaf stencil designs on the paper. They can accentuate their art with glitter, buttons, and sequins, and add their own special message with markers.

Leaf Wreath
Purchase plain craft wreaths from your local craft store (such as Michaels, etc.) and have you kids collect leaves and help them superglue or hot glue the leaves onto the wreath in the format that they want. Obtain some glue on glitter (apply glue to the wreath itself and sprinkle glitter on top) in autumn based colors and add some sparkle to the wreath. If you choose, you can also add some fall themed embellishments (such as small plastic pumpkins, corn, etc.) to your wreath and hang the wreath on your door.

Source: www.artistshelpingchildren.org