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Transforming Nature: A Fall Leaves Craft Guide

There is something magical about the season of Fall. What better way to celebrate and capture its unique beauty than with some fall leaves crafts?

Don’t live somewhere with beautiful leaves? That’s OK! These crafts will all work with artificial leaves you can pick up at almost any craft store.

Read on to get inspired to begin crafting with fall leaves!

fall leaves crafts

Before You Start

Before you jump into your pile of fall leaf crafts, you need to preserve your leaves if you want most of the crafts to last.

It will be noted if preservation isn’t necessary for the craft.

Leaf Pressing

To press leaves, you can use a flower press or do it yourself with a few things you already have lying around.

The best leaves are picked freshly off the tree before they get mildewy or crispy after they fall off. Place the fresh leaves between two pieces of parchment paper and put a few heavy books on top of them.

Leave them there, untouched, for at least a week so they can fully dry out.

Craft Spray

You could use a craft spray to lock in the leaves’ colors.

Spray a couple of thin layers of glaze on each side of the leaf, letting it fully dry between coats. Once all the coats are dry, they’re ready to use!


13 Fun Fall Leaves Crafts for You & Your Kiddos!

1. Ghost Leaves

This fall leaf craft is excellent for celebrating the spooky season!

Use white paint to cover the front of your unpreserved leaf fully. Remember that a few thin coats will work better than one thick one.

Next, add black eyes and a mouth with either paint or a permanent marker.

2. Leaf Lion Mane

Gather up quite a few leaves and begin gluing them to a piece of construction paper or cardstock in a circle, with the stems all facing the middle.

Repeat twice, scooting each circle a little toward the center so the leaves are overlapping.

Make a lion’s face out of construction paper and markers. Then, glue it in the center of the circle, covering up all the stems and making the leaves into a lion’s mane.

fall leaf crafts

3. Splatter Paint Leaf Art

Young kids will love the freedom to get messy this fall leaf craft offers!

Roll up a small piece of tape, put it on the back of an unpreserved leaf, and stick it to a piece of white cardstock. Add as many or as few leaves as you want.

Thin out some washable paint with a little water, then let your kids go wild, splattering it onto the cardstock with paintbrushes, old toothbrushes, or even their fingers!

Once the paint is dry, remove the leaves and enjoy the art.

4. Handprint Tree

Use brown paint to cover your child’s hand and a few inches of their wrist and arm. Press it onto a piece of construction paper.

Glue the leaves all around the handprint to make a fall tree that will not only capture the beauty of the season but also your child’s cute little hand.

5. Leaf Butterflies

You’ll need four similar leaves for this fall leaf craft.

Glue them onto a sheet of paper like two butterfly wings. Use black construction paper to create a head and body. Glue it on top of the leaf stems, then use a black marker to add the antenna.

fall leaves craft

6. Bookmarks

Cut watercolor paper to the size of a bookmark.

Add small, preserved leaves to one side of the paper and cover them with a couple of thin layers of Modge Podge.

Use a hole punch to punch a hole and add a pretty ribbon to the top.

7. Place Cards

Leaf place cards are the perfect finishing touch to your Thanksgiving table!

You’ll need a large, preserved leaf–a massive maple tree leaf would be amazing–and a fine-tipped paint pen.

Using your very best handwriting (recruit a friend or family member if you’re not confident), write each guest’s name in the center of the leaf.

8. Leaf Pumpkin

Use Modge Podge to add unpreserved fall leaves to a small pumpkin.

Use a real pumpkin if you don’t care to save it for future use, but you could also do it on a plastic one to use again and again.

9. Leaf Mobile

Bring the outside in with this fall leaf craft.

Tie preserved leaves to a long wooden dowel or a stick from outside using twine or yarn.

Make it elegant and modern with gold spray paint and a dowel, or make it whimsical with bright yarn and a painted stick.

Use teacup hooks to hang it on the wall easily.

fall leaf crafts

10. Leaf Dolls

Cut, fold, and manipulate preserved leaves into dresses, pants, shirts, overalls, or whatever kind of clothing you can come up with!

Glue them onto a piece of cardstock, then use markers, crayons, or colored pencils to add the rest of the body.

11. Coasters

Grab some white tiles, Modge Podge, and unpreserved leaves for this craft.

Arrange the leaves on the tiles however you’d like. You can fully cover them or highlight one beautiful leaf in the center.

Use Modge Podge to glue the leaves to the tile where you want them to be and add several thin layers on top to lock it in place.

Add a square of felt or cork on the bottom to make them safe on your surfaces.

12. Leaf Animals

Sometimes, crafting with fall leaves is all about working with the unique shape of the leaves.

Collect and preserve a wide variety of leaves. Make sure there are a lot of different shapes and colors.

Look at the shapes and colors and see what types of animals they remind you of. Maybe a big maple leaf is a fox, or a lot of skinny leaves are hedgehog quills!

Use paint, permanent markers, and glue to make your creations come to life.

fall leaf crafts

13. Suncatcher

Place unpreserved leaves on the sticky side of a piece of contact paper. You can create shapes using them or just place them wherever you feel like.

Add another piece of contact paper, sticky side to sticky side, locking the leaves between.

Trim to whatever size and shape you’d like, then use a hole punch to add ribbon or yarn to the top so you can hang it in your window!


Wrapping up Fall Leaves Crafts

The beautiful colors of fall can be in your home year-round with fall leaves crafts. Whether you want a sophisticated touch or are looking for a craft to do with your kids, there’s something on this list you’re sure to love!

Looking for more seasonal crafting inspiration? Check out these Fall Tree Crafts!