20 Best Autumn Craft Ideas for Kids
Autumn is one of the best seasons for crafting with kids, honestly. The colorful leaves, pinecones, pumpkins, apples, and all those cozy fall colors give children plenty to work with, and you don’t need expensive supplies to make something fun out of it.
If you’re after easy autumn crafts for kids, I’ve put together 20 simple ideas that hold up in real life with real kids. Most use cheap supplies like construction paper, paper plates, cardboard tubes, paint, glue, and things you can just collect on a walk outside.
These fall craft ideas work well for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary-aged kids, though the younger ones might need a bit of help with cutting or gluing along the way. A lot of them also turn into cute fall decorations for your home or a classroom once they’re finished.
1. Leaf Rubbing Art
Leaf rubbing is probably one of the easiest autumn crafts you can do with kids, and it barely needs any supplies to pull off.
Take a walk outside and collect a handful of leaves with different shapes and textures. Place a leaf underneath a sheet of paper with the textured side facing up, then have your child rub the side of a crayon over the paper.
As the crayon moves across the leaf, its shape and veins start appearing on the paper like magic. Use red, orange, yellow, brown, and green crayons to build a colorful autumn collage out of the results.
It’s also a really simple way to get kids to notice how different leaves look and feel rather than just walk past them.
2. Paper Plate Pumpkin
A paper plate can easily turn into a cute pumpkin with a bit of orange paint and some construction paper.
Have kids paint a paper plate orange and let it dry fully. Then cut a small brown rectangle for the stem and a green leaf or vine shape from construction paper.
For a jack-o’-lantern version, kids can add eyes, a nose, and a mouth using black construction paper or washable markers. Make several and line them up together for a little pumpkin patch display.
This one’s especially good for preschoolers since the basic shape is already handed to them by the plate itself.
3. Handprint Autumn Tree
If you want an autumn craft that doubles as a keepsake, try a handprint tree.
Paint your child’s hand and forearm brown, then carefully press it onto a sheet of white or light-colored paper. The hand becomes the tree trunk and branches once it’s pressed down.
Once the paint dries, let your child add autumn leaves using fingerprints dipped in red, orange, yellow, and brown paint.
The finished artwork ends up looking like a proper colorful fall tree, while the handprint itself makes it something you’ll want to keep for years afterward.
4. Autumn Leaf Wreath
Kids can put together a simple fall wreath using either real leaves or paper ones.
Start by cutting the center out of a paper plate so you’re left with a ring shape. If you’re using real leaves, collect a variety of clean, dry ones during a walk and glue them around the ring.
You can also cut leaf shapes from construction paper if you can’t find suitable leaves nearby.
Mix different shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown to make the wreath look full and colorful. Add a piece of ribbon or string so the finished wreath can hang on a door or wall afterward.
5. Pine Cone Owl
Pine cones make excellent craft materials because their natural shape can turn into all kinds of little animals.
For this one, use a clean, dry pine cone as the owl’s body. Cut two large circles for the eyes, a small triangle for the beak, and simple wing shapes from cardstock or felt.
Glue everything onto the pine cone and let it dry fully.
Kids can make a whole family of pinecone owls using different colors and sizes. Just make sure an adult checks and cleans natural materials before they get used for any craft.
6. Paper Leaf Garland
A paper leaf garland is an easy autumn decoration kids can put together themselves.
Cut several leaf shapes from construction paper in fall colors. Older kids can draw and cut their own leaves, while younger ones can work with shapes an adult already prepared for them.
Punch a small hole in each leaf and thread it onto yarn or string. You can also just glue the leaves along a long piece of ribbon instead.
Hang the finished garland across a window, wall, mantel, or a kid’s bedroom. It’s an inexpensive way to add fall decor without buying anything from a store.
7. Apple Stamping Craft
If you’ve got an apple that’s past its prime for eating, don’t throw it out just yet. It makes a surprisingly good stamp.
Cut an apple in half and give the cut side a light coating of washable paint. Press it onto paper to create apple-shaped prints.
Kids can build a whole basket of painted apples using red, green, and yellow paint. Add stems and leaves with markers or construction paper once the paint’s dry.
This one’s particularly good for younger kids since they get to create recognizable shapes without needing to draw them from scratch. Apple stamping is a common fall craft activity for a reason.
8. Paper Plate Scarecrow
Turn an ordinary paper plate into a friendly fall scarecrow with just a few steps.
Paint the plate a light tan color for the face and let it dry. Once it’s ready, add eyes, a nose, and a smile using construction paper or markers.
Cut a simple hat from brown or black paper and glue it to the top. Yarn works well for hair, while small pieces of paper can add detail to the hat itself.
Kids can make their scarecrows silly, happy, or completely different from each other. That’s part of the fun of this one.
9. Fall Leaf Suncatcher
A leaf suncatcher is a beautiful project for a sunny autumn afternoon.
Cut the center out of a paper plate to create a frame. Cover the opening with clear contact paper, sticky side facing up.
Kids can arrange small leaves, tissue paper pieces, or other lightweight autumn shapes onto the sticky surface. Cover the whole arrangement with another piece of clear contact paper to seal everything in place.
Hang it in a window where sunlight can shine through the leaves and colors. Real leaves, tissue paper, and other translucent materials all work well for this kind of simple fall suncatcher project.
10. Pine Cone Painting
You don’t always have to turn a pine cone into an animal. Sometimes just painting it is enough on its own.
Give kids clean, dry pine cones and some washable craft paint. They can paint just the tips of the scales, cover the entire pinecone, or experiment with several autumn colors mixed together.
Red, orange, yellow, brown, and gold all work especially well for an autumn display.
Once dry, place the painted pine cones in a bowl or basket as a seasonal decoration. This is one of those crafts that’s cheap, simple, and easy to adapt depending on the age of the kid doing it.
11. Paper Hedgehog
Hedgehogs fit perfectly into an autumn craft theme, and you can make one using just paper and real leaves.
Draw or cut out a simple hedgehog body from brown construction paper. Then collect small autumn leaves and glue them around the back of the hedgehog to build its spiky coat.
Add an eye, nose, and little feet with paper or markers.
Kids can experiment with different leaf shapes and colors, which means every hedgehog ends up looking a little different from the next. Leaf animals like hedgehogs are a popular way to turn collected autumn leaves into actual artwork.
12. Tissue Paper Fall Tree
For a colorful indoor craft, put together an autumn tree using construction paper and tissue paper.
Draw or cut a tree trunk with branches from brown paper and glue it onto a sheet of cardstock. Then tear small pieces of red, orange, yellow, and brown tissue paper.
Have kids scrunch the pieces into little balls and glue them around the branches to form the leaves.
You can make the tree completely full of leaves or leave some branches bare to represent how real trees change through autumn.
13. Fall Leaf Bookmarks
If your child loves reading, a handmade fall bookmark is both fun to make and useful afterward.
Cut a long rectangle from cardstock and decorate it with autumn leaves. Kids can draw leaves, glue on small paper leaves, or use leaf rubbings to decorate the bookmark itself.
Add a short piece of ribbon or yarn at the top if you want a bit of extra flair.
This craft takes very little material and gives kids something they’ll keep using long after the crafting part is over.
14. Paper Bag Squirrel Puppet
Squirrels are another fun autumn theme, especially since kids tend to notice them out collecting food during the fall months.
Use a brown paper lunch bag as the puppet base. Add paper eyes, ears, a nose, arms, and a large, bushy tail.
Kids can decorate the squirrel with crayons, markers, or construction paper however they like.
Once it’s finished, they can use it for a simple puppet show. You can even make several woodland animals together and let the kids build their own little autumn story around them.
15. Autumn Leaf Collage
Sometimes the simplest craft ends up being the best one.
Collect different leaves during an outdoor walk and bring them home. Give kids a sheet of cardstock and let them arrange the leaves into a picture of their choosing.
They could create a tree, an animal, a person, a house, or something completely abstract. Glue the leaves down once they’re happy with how everything’s arranged.
You can also add crayons, markers, or small pieces of paper to round out the scene. Nature crafts using leaves are especially cheap since so much of the material can just be collected outdoors for free.
16. Paper Pumpkin Garland
Make several small paper pumpkins and string them together into a garland.
Cut pumpkin shapes from orange construction paper or cardstock. Kids can decorate each pumpkin with a different face, pattern, or simple drawing.
Punch holes near the top and thread the pumpkins onto yarn or string. Or attach them to a long piece of ribbon with tape instead if that’s easier.
Hang the garland across a wall, window, or shelf for a simple autumn decoration.
17. Acorn Painting
Acorns can turn into tiny little pieces of autumn artwork with barely any effort.
Collect a few clean, dry acorns and place them on a protected work surface. Kids can paint them using small brushes and washable paint.
They can go with simple solid-color acorns or add dots, stripes, and other little patterns if they want something more detailed.
Once dry, the painted acorns can be displayed in a small bowl or worked into a supervised nature-themed craft project. Always check collected acorns for dirt, insects, or damage before bringing them indoors, just to be safe.
18. Popsicle Stick Scarecrow
Popsicle sticks are another cheap craft supply that turns into a cute fall decoration without much effort.
Arrange several craft sticks side by side to create the scarecrow’s face. Glue one or two sticks across the back to hold everything together securely.
Paint the face a light tan color and add eyes, a nose, and a smile. Then use paper, felt, or craft foam to make a hat.
Kids can add yarn hair or other details to make their scarecrow unique. Popsicle stick scarecrows are a well-established fall craft project and are simple enough to adapt for kids of pretty much any age.
19. Autumn Leaf Crown
Let kids turn autumn leaves into something they can wear, which always adds an extra layer of fun.
Cut a strip of cardstock long enough to fit around the child’s head. Glue or tape the ends together to form a crown shape.
Then attach real leaves or paper leaves around the outside. If you’re using real leaves, pick ones that are relatively flat and dry, so they’re easier to attach.
Kids can wear their finished crowns during an autumn-themed play session or for family photos, which makes for a nice little bonus once the craft itself is done.
20. Fall Nature Mobile
A nature mobile is a great way to use up leaves, small twigs, and other lightweight autumn materials you’ve collected.
Start with a small branch or sturdy stick. Tie pieces of yarn or string at different points along the branch.
Attach lightweight leaves, paper pumpkins, acorns, or other safe nature finds to the hanging strings.
Once finished, hang the mobile somewhere indoors where it can move gently in the air. This project can also turn into a nice opportunity for kids to learn a bit about the different leaves and natural objects they found outside while collecting materials.
Final Thoughts
These 20 autumn craft ideas for kids prove that you don’t need complicated instructions or expensive supplies to keep children entertained during the fall.
From leaf rubbings and paper pumpkins to pine cone owls and autumn wreaths, most of these projects use materials that are easy to find at home, at a craft store, or just outside your own front door.
So next time you’ve got a chilly or rainy autumn afternoon with nothing planned, pick one of these crafts, gather a few basic supplies, and let the kids get creative. Sometimes the simplest projects end up being the ones they enjoy the most.
