67 Creative & Easy Kids Fall Crafts (Pine Cone, Leaves, Pumpkins)

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Fall is a season of color, change, and creativity! As the weather cools and the days shorten, it’s the perfect time to bring the magic of autumn indoors with fun and engaging craft projects. Crafting with kids not only provides a wonderful way to celebrate the season but also helps develop fine motor skills, encourages self-expression, and creates lasting family memories.

As a parent and educator with years of experience, I’ve put together this curated list of 67 tried-and-true fall craft tutorials using pine cones, acorns, leaves, pumpkins, and nature crafts using nature finds. Each project is categorized by age group to ensure you find the perfect activity, whether you’re crafting with a curious toddler or a creative elementary school student.

Expert Tips for a Successful Craft Session

Gather Your Supplies: Before you begin, gather all the materials listed in the tutorial. This prevents interruptions and keeps the crafting flow going.
Embrace the Mess: Some of the best crafts are the messiest! Lay down a newspaper, old tablecloth, or an art mat to protect your surfaces.
Let Them Be Creative: The tutorials are a guide, not a strict rulebook. Encourage your child to add their own flair, choose different colors, and make the project their own.
Turn it into a Learning Opportunity: Use crafting as a chance to talk about the changing seasons, identify different leaves, or practice counting and color recognition.

You can also use felt and fabric to make Fall inspired DIY Crafts that feel cozy at home.

Kids Fall Crafts

Let’s see what kids Fall crafts you can make with leaves, pumpkin, and Fall finds like acorn and pinecone before getting into ideas based on Kid’s ages.

Leaf Crafts

Leaf Rubbings with Crayons: Place leaves under paper and rub crayons over to reveal textures.
Leaf Animals: Glue colorful leaves to paper and decorate with markers to create owls, foxes, or hedgehogs.
Pressed Leaf Sun Catchers: Sandwich pressed leaves between contact paper and hang in windows.
Painted Leaf Prints: Paint real leaves and press them onto paper to make prints.
Leaf Wreath: Glue leaves onto a paper plate ring to create a festive fall wreath.

Pumpkin Crafts

Paper Plate Pumpkins: Paint paper plates orange and add cut-out eyes, nose, and mouth.
Pumpkin Seed Art: Dye pumpkin seeds in fall colors and use them to decorate collages.
Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkins: Wrap TP rolls in orange tissue paper and add green stems.
Fingerprint Pumpkins: Use orange paint fingerprints to create pumpkin patches.
Mini Pumpkin Decorating: Skip carving—use markers, glitter, or stickers on real mini pumpkins.

Acorn and Pinecone Crafts

Acorn Necklaces: Thread acorns on yarn to make nature-inspired jewelry.
Pinecone Owls: Add felt wings, eyes, and beaks to pinecones.
Acorn Cap Mushrooms: Paint acorn caps red with white spots for mini mushrooms.
Pinecone Bird Feeders: Roll pinecones in peanut butter and birdseed.
Acorn Stamped Art: Dip acorns in paint and use as stamps.

Toddler and Preschooler Friendly Crafts (Ages 2-5)

These projects are simple, require minimal materials, and are perfect for little hands to explore textures and colors.

1. Handprint Fall Tree:

A classic keepsake! Paint your child’s hand and forearm brown for the tree trunk, then have them use their fingertips to add colorful “leaves.”

2. Apple Stamping:

Cut an apple in half and let your child dip it in paint to stamp apple or pumpkin shapes on paper.

3. Paper Plate Pumpkin:

Paint a paper plate orange, add a green stem and a face with markers or googly eyes.

4. Leaf Rubbings:

Place a leaf under a piece of paper and use the side of a crayon to rub over it, revealing the leaf’s unique veins and shape.

5. Pinecone Painting:

A great sensory activity. Let your little one paint pinecones with fall colors. They can be displayed in a bowl or on a nature table.

6. “Thankful” Handprint Banner:

Trace each family member’s hand on a different colored piece of paper. Cut them out and write one thing each person is thankful for on their handprint before stringing them up.

7. Yarn-Wrapped Cardboard Shapes:

Cut autumn shapes (like leaves or pumpkins) out of cardboard. Wrap them with yarn in different fall colors to practice fine motor skills.

8. Coffee Filter Fall Leaves:

Scribble on a coffee filter with markers in fall colors. Use a spray bottle to lightly mist it with water and watch the colors bleed. Once dry, cut out leaf shapes.

9.Simple Scarecrow Craft:

Use a paper plate for the face. Glue on yarn for hair and a craft stick for the nose and mouth. Top with a small paper hat.

10. Bubble Wrap Fall Tree:

Use bubble wrap as a stamp! Paint it with fall colors and press it onto a paper tree trunk to create a textured, leafy tree.

11. Leaf Crown:

Tape or glue leaves onto a paper band to wear as a crown.

12. Pumpkin Slime:

Make orange slime and store it in mini pumpkin containers.

50 How to make a rainbow fun ways to try

13. Fall Salt Dough Ornaments:

Shape dough into leaves or pumpkins, paint, and hang.

Salt Dough Recipe and Instructions: Salt dough ornaments are an easy, inexpensive craft for kids and adults using just flour, salt, and water. Simply mix 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, and 1 cup warm water into a smooth dough, roll it out, and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Add a hole for hanging, then bake at 200°F for 2–3 hours (or air-dry for a few days) until hardened.

Once cooled, decorate with paint, glitter, or markers and seal to preserve. These ornaments are perfect for Christmas trees, gift tags, keepsakes, or seasonal décor, and if sealed properly, they can last for years.

Salt Dough Ornaments

14. Nature Paintbrushes:

Attach leaves or pine needles to sticks for textured painting.

15. Thankful Tree:

Kids write what they’re thankful for on paper leaves and attach them to a paper tree trunk. Print free printable thankful tree.

16. Squirrel Nut Collecting Game

Create a craft/game where kids “gather” paper acorns.

Elementary School Crafts (Ages 6-10)

These tutorials involve a bit more precision and can be more detailed, allowing older kids to show off their growing skills.

17. Leaf Clay Dish:

Use air-dry clay to create a beautiful and functional leaf-shaped dish. Press a real leaf into the clay to create a detailed impression, then paint it after it dries.

18. Painted Rock Pumpkins:

Find smooth, round rocks and paint them to look like little pumpkins, complete with stems.

19. Mason Jar Fall Luminary:

Decorate a mason jar with tissue paper leaves or painted designs. Place a battery-powered tea light inside for a cozy glow.

20. Paper Bag Squirrel Puppet:

Use a brown paper bag as the body. Draw on a face, glue on yarn for hair, and use paper or fabric scraps for the clothes.

21. Corn Husk Banner:

Gather corn husks and cut them into flag shapes. Decorate them with markers, paint, or glitter, and then attach them to a string or ribbon.

22. Corn husk dolls

These Corn husk dolls are so much fun to make with little girls.

23. DIY Felt Leaf Garland:

Cut out different-sized felt leaves in fall colors. Sew or hot glue them to a long ribbon for a reusable and durable decoration.

24. Fall Collage:

Collect leaves, sticks, and seeds for a textured collage.

25. Fall Tree Painting with Cotton Balls:

Dab cotton balls in fall-colored paints for trees.

26. Apple Print Art:

Dip halved apples in paint and stamp them on paper.

27. DIY Fall Garland:

String cut-out paper leaves, pumpkins, or apples together.

28. Cardboard Animals:

Transform a simple cardboard into an owl, a fox, or a squirrel by painting it and adding ears, eyes, and other features.

29. “Stained Glass” Leaf Suncatcher:

Glue nature’s treasures on a transparent sheet and glue it inside a mason jar lid to create unique suncatchers. Hang it in a window to let the light shine through.

30. Button Corn on the Cob:

Draw a corn on the cob outline on a piece of paper and have your child glue small buttons in yellow, orange, and white to fill it in.

31. No-Sew Fabric Strip Pumpkin:

Use a Styrofoam ball and fabric strips in fall patterns. Push the strips into the ball with a pencil to create a no-sew pumpkin.

32. DIY Fall Play Dough:

Create a sensory experience by making homemade play dough scented with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and use fall-themed cookie cutters.

33. Watercolor Leaf Art:

Place real leaves on a watercolor paper, then paint around the leaves with various fall colors. Once the paint is dry, remove the leaves to reveal a beautiful silhouette.

34. Tissue Paper Pumpkin:

Cover a balloon with tissue paper strips and a paste of water and glue. Pop the balloon when dry to create a delicate pumpkin lantern.

35. Felt and Button Owls:

Use felt pieces to create a wise owl. Use buttons, felt scraps, or yarn to add details like eyes, feathers, and feet.

36. Leaf Lion Craft:

Gather a pile of colorful leaves from outside. Draw a lion’s face on paper, then use the leaves to create a glorious, leafy mane.

37. Autumn Themed Terrarium:

Find a clear jar and let your child create a miniature Fall scene with small pinecones, acorns, twigs, and a small toy animal.

38. Noddle Sunflower:

Paint a paper plate yellow. Glue black beans, seeds, or painted macaroni noodles in the center. Use pipe cleaners for stem and leaves.

39. Pinecone Owls:

Paint a pinecone, and add felt or paper eyes and wings to turn it into an adorable woodland owl.

40. Branch Bird Feeder:

A fun project for nature lovers. Use a fallen branch, screw-eye bolts, and birdseed to create a simple bird feeder that can be hung in the yard.

Kids Fall Crafts

Now let’s look at some creative ideas specific using the common Fall items like pine cones, Fall leaves, and acorns with images to spark creativity in you:

Leaf Kids Fall Crafts

1. Leaf printing wall art

Cover a natural leaf with paint and stamp it on a paper to make pressed leaf art.

2. Fall leaves garland

Hang Fall Leaves on a ribbon and display it on a frame. An instant Fall decor for the home.

3. Colorful Fall Leaves

Use a foam brush to cover the back of a leaf and press it firm with your hands or a roller to print the impression on paper. Use these impressions to make art.

4. Kids Fall leaf mask

Mod podge Fall leaves on a mask cutout.

5. Colorful leaf garland

Cut felt leaves in Fall colors and sew them through a thread.

6. Kids Fall Leaf Art

Let the kids paint their heart out on a large piece of paper. When it dries cutout leaves to make wall art.

7. DIY Fall alphabets

Make leaf alphabets using leaf on canvas. Try making different art like butterflies and frame them.

8. Pressed leaf wall art

Press a leaf between two piece of glass.

9. Cute stuffed owls

DIY Fall felt owls made with styrofoam balls.

10. Wax Fall Craft

A fun craft for kids using crayons, wax paper and old rag to melt crayons onto the pieces to make Waxed Fall Leaves.

11. Book pages garland

Use dried leaves and book pages from old books.

12. Twig trees art

Make cute wall art using twig and various materials. Like felt, fabric, seeds, buttons and more.

13. DIY Fall Leaves Art

Modpodge faux leaves on a wood panel to make art.

14. Make a dream catcher

Use pom poms and burlap string to make a dream catcher.

15. Autumn Fall Blocks

Glue decorative balls, sequins, seeds or beads to a paper letter cutout and glue it to wooden blocks.

16. Pinecone door hanging

Pine Cone Kids Crafts

17. Pom pom pinecone trees

Colorful pine cone and pom pom trees with wine cork covered in glitter. These are so much fun for Fall and Winter.

18. Painted acorn toadstools

Super cute toadstools made with acorn. You can also make mushrooms like this.

19. Acorn frame

Glue acorn tops on a frame for an instant Fall craft kids would love making.

20. Make acorn flowers

Make acorn flowers using glue and wire. And decorate them in a vase with Autumn leaves. What a fun project!

21. Pumpkin seeds Fall craft

You can make so many Fall Crafts using dried pumpkin seeds. Just like this cute tree with painted pumpkin seeds.

22. Hanging pinecone and twig wreath

Make a snowy white twigs and pine cones wreath this Fall.

23. Pinecone tree pots

There are tons of creative ways to decorate these mini tree pots. Using glitter, paint or you can even make felt ornaments to hang on them.

24. Fall Pine cone roses

Use acrylic paint to color pine cones and twigs. Glue them together and add faux leaves.

25. Pinecone owl craft

Use felt cutouts and googly eyes to make cute animals with pinecones.

26. Pinecone monsters

Pipe cleaners and craft supplies.

27. Pine cone hedgehog craft

Make pine cone hedgehog with polymer clay or playdoh.

Commonly Asked Questions

1. What are the best supplies to have on hand for kids’ Fall crafts?

A basic craft bin should include construction paper, cardstock, glue sticks (and a hot glue gun for adult use), child-safe scissors, markers, crayons, washable paint, and some yarn or ribbon. For fall, it’s also great to have natural materials like leaves, pinecones, and acorns on hand.

2. How can you make these crafts less messy?

To minimize mess, use a craft mat or a large tray to contain materials. Use washable paint and focus on projects that use glue sticks, crayons, or markers instead of liquid glue or paint. For toddlers, try finger painting directly onto a pumpkin or a large piece of paper in the bathtub for easy cleanup!

3. What are some good Fall crafts for a classroom setting?

Many of the projects on this list are perfect for a classroom. Good options include paper plate crafts, leaf rubbings, and handprint crafts as they are low-cost and don’t require extensive materials. Group activities like creating a large “Thankful” tree mural where each child adds a leaf are also popular.

4. How can you make crafting a special bonding activity with your child?

Set aside dedicated time for crafting. Put away your phone and engage with your child’s creativity. Ask them about their color choices, what their creation represents, and tell them how much you love what they’re making. The process is often more important than the final product.

5. Where can you find craft supplies for a low cost?

Check the dollar store or dollar section of larger retailers for supplies like craft sticks, googly eyes, and yarn. Re-use household items like toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, and paper bags. And don’t forget to look in your own backyard for free materials like leaves and pinecones!