Top 5 Fun autumn craft ideas for kids

Autumn is a magical time of the year! Once verdant trees transform into burnt-orange beauties, inviting lawns look more like crime scenes, and perfectly ripe pumpkins are mashed in the most beautifully spiced pies. With sun-kissed beach days no longer, a craft day is a fantastic way to spend some quality time with the family on those chilly autumn days.  

If you’re after some fun and affordable craft ideas for kids, we’ve compiled a list of 5 creative projects inspired by this spectacular season. So, track down the scissors and glue, gather the little ones and get into the festive spirit with these easy autumn crafts.  

Pinecone hedgehogs  

Autumn is a fantastic season for many reasons, one being that there is an abundance of art supplies right in your back garden. From brightly coloured leaves and festive pinecones to perfectly round rocks and tiny acorns, Mother Nature provides a bounty of craft materials perfect for an animal-inspired creation.  

What you will need:   

• Pinecones   
• Coloured cardboard  
• 2 Googly eyes per pinecone (optional)  
• Craft glue  
• Scissors 
• Coloured pencils   

How to make:  

1. Take the kids on a foraging adventure in the garden and gather up a few pinecones and any other fun materials you find.  

1. Find the flattest side of the pinecone and use that as the base of the hedgehog. If it’s perfectly round, trim one side slightly so that it stands on its own.  

1. With your coloured cardboard, stencil one soft-edged triangle for the hedgehog face and two smaller ones for the ears and carefully cut the shape out.  

1. Now, this is where the kids can get creative! Using the googly eyes and coloured pencils, encourage the kids to create the hedgehog’s face, putting their own unique flare on it.  

1. Face complete, squeeze out a dollop of glue on the front of the pinecone and secure the face. Then, glue the two ears on the cone scales, just above the face.  

1. To finish it off, you can incorporate any of the other findings you collected outside, using sticks to create feet, or even adding a short tail.  

Fanned paper pumpkins  

No autumn craft day is complete without a colourful pumpkin! This craft is also a fun and super easy way to create festive pumpkin decorations.  

What you will need:  

• A4 Orange, green and black coloured paper  
• String   
• Scissors   
• Glue 
• Tape   

How to make:  

1. Lay your sheet of paper flat down on the table.  

1. Starting from the end of the paper, fold a 2cm crease and follow that by another one in the opposite direction. Repeat this until the entire piece of paper has been folded.  

1. With the paper still folded, tie a piece of string in the centre, leaving about 10 cm of string on either side.  

1. Fan out the one side, gluing the edges together so that it creates a semi-circle. Repeat on the other side.  

1. Once you have created a round fan, gather the string and secure it to the back of the fan with a piece of tape.  

1. Give the kids a sheet of coloured paper, or white paper and some coloured pencils, and let them draw a nose, mouth, eyes, and stork for their character.  

1. Cut the various parts out and stick to the fanned pumpkin with some glue.  

Handprint autumn trees  

If your kids can’t resist a good muddy puddle, then they’ll love getting their hands dirty in this fun craft! Using tempera paints or any finger-friendly paints, get the kids to dunk their hands in vibrant autumn hues and create their own trees using only their palms and fingers.  

What you will need:  

• Finger paints   
• Paper  
• Dried leaves 
• Coloured pencils  

How to make:  

1. Take the kids on another foraging expedition in the garden and collect a handful of leaves in various sizes.  

1. Then, decant the finger paints into small dishes, and allow the kids to dip their hands in and create an imprint of a tree’s trunk and branches using their palms and fingers. (Keep a container of water and an old cloth on the table to keep the colours vibrant and hands clean) 

1. Once their paintings have dried, it’s time to add the leaves! Using glue, place the leaves on the branches. You can also bring out coloured pencils to add smaller details like fruit or curious woodland creatures.  

Leaf printing   

This craft is extremely easy and incredibly fun, allowing the little ones to create mesmerising leaf prints! Encouraging the kids to get outside, observe the changes and use what they find to make art is also a fantastic way to teach them more about the seasons and the value of up-cycling.  

What you will need:   

• Rocks  
• Paint 
• Leaves   

How to make:   

1. Gather a few flat rocks and dried leaves of assorted sizes.  

1. Paint the rock a fun, vibrant colour and allow it to dry for a few minutes.  

1. Dip one of the leaves into a dish of green paint and carefully press it on the surface of the rock.  

1. After a few seconds, peel off the leaf and marvel at the beautiful print left behind.  

 

These fun and easy autumn crafts are a wonderful way to forge lasting memories with the kids and inspire their creativity. If your living room is getting cramped or you’d like to make space for a craft station, use Storage King’s convenient household storage solution.  

With top-quality storage facilities, a wide range of personal storage units and quality packaging materials, you can store all your excess household items with ease and peace of mind. Pop into your nearest store for a tour or get a quick and easy quote online.