Craft Projects for Fall

Centerpieces and Decorating

Fall’s natural beauty gives you the perfect supplies for elegant decorations.

Fruit and Leaves Centerpiece

For this centerpiece, you will need to gather a large, clear bowl; several pieces of fruit; craft moss; and leaves or ivy from your yard. Pears work best for the main fruit because their shape allows them to sit up better than other fruits. You also can use silk leaves if you wish.

Put a good-sized piece of moss in the bottom of the bowl. Cover it with a thin bed of leaves. Put the fruit on top of the leaves. Then, add the remaining leaves and ivy to create an elegant centerpiece. This project will take only a few minutes to complete and will make a nice addition to your fall table.

Mantle Pumpkins

Though decorating for each holiday can be fun, it also is time-consuming. A simple garland mantle can be created in less than an hour and will make your living room look nice throughout the fall. You will need two tapered candles in a pleasing fall color along with two small holders for them. You also will need a garland scarf or simply a beautiful piece of fall fabric the length of your mantle. Then you should gather small pumpkins or gourds.

Place the scarf along the mantle. You should allow it to flow gently. The garland need not be in perfect order, and the fabric should flow over the edge of the mantle. Place the pumpkins or gourds evenly along the mantle and hold the scarf in place with the two candles.

Kids’ Craft Projects for Fall

As the weather begins to turn cool, children can use these project ideas to keep them occupied indoors.

Leaf People

Small children will love creating leaf people! Have your child select leaves from your yard or neighborhood. They should be fairly flat to work well, and you should aim for a variety of sizes. Then your child will glue the leaves onto white sheets of paper. The leaf serves as the torso of the person, and your little person can use crayons or markers to make legs, arms, heads, and hair for the leaf people. Use different sizes for adults and children.

Felt and Foam Football

Let your little football fan make a sign for the favorite team this fall! You will need to trace and cut out a football on brown felt. Use craft glue to attach the football to a piece of craft foam in your team’s favorite color. Have your child use foam stickers or markers to write a special message in support of the team.

Leaf Rubbings

Leaf rubbings are a classic fall craft project. Again you will need leaves from your area that are flat. Place a leaf on a piece of construction paper with the veined side facing up. Then put a light-colored piece of drawing paper over the leaf. Use a crayon to press down and imprint the leaf onto the top sheet.

Adult Projects

While many fall craft projects are designed for children, there are plenty of ideas for adults to enjoy as well.

Fall Canvas Tote

Make a bag to carry your fall craft projects, your books, or anything else. You will need a plain canvas tote bag, which you can get at most craft stores. Gather a couple of silk leaves of different sizes. Put the bag on a flat surface and use your hand to smooth it over. Play around with the arrangement of the leaves until you get something you like.

Use a hot glue gun to attach the leaves to the spots you have selected. Use very little hot glue or craft glue on silk leaves. Any blobs of glue will show through when it dries. After the leaves are dried, use gold puff paint to trace the outside of the bag.

Halloween Wall Hanger

You will need two pieces of chipboard or plywood to complete this craft. Print out (or do it freehand if you can) a cat and a scarecrow. These cutouts should serve as a tracing tool for your wall hanger. Cut the patterns out on the plywood. Use acrylic paints to paint both the cat and scarecrow. Dress it up by using plastic eyes, straw for the hair, and other craft accessories.

Drill a small hole into the top of the cat and the scarecrow as well as a hole in the bottom of the scarecrow. Put a study craft wire through the hole in the cat, being sure to knot the hole at the top of the cat. Then wrap the wire snugly around a stick or two you picked up in your yard and then knot it around the scarecrow’s bottom hole. Run ribbon or raffia through the scarecrow’s top hole and tie it, leaving a loop. You will be able to hang the design on the ribbon loop.