Useful tips
- Applications from autumn leaves: animals
- How to weave a wreath of leaves (video)
- How to make a wreath of leaves on your head (video)
In autumn, nature provides a huge selection of materials from which you can make various crafts, paintings and applications.
In this article you will learn how to make beautiful flowers from leaves, a vase from yellow autumn leaves, and many other crafts, including crafts that you can do with your children.
On our website you will also find:
- DIY crafts from pine cones
- DIY acorn crafts
- DIY crafts on the theme “Autumn”
- DIY crafts made from natural materials
- Beautiful and simple applications for those who love autumn
- DIY crafts on the theme “Autumn”
- Children's crafts for kindergarten
- DIY pumpkin crafts
- Beautiful DIY crafts made from natural materials
How to dry leaves for crafts:
If the leaves are damp, let them air dry a little. You can put them in a spacious box so that the leaves get air. This way you will get rid of possible mold on the leaves. If it is not important for you that the leaves are smooth and even, then leave them like that in the basket until completely dry.
But if you want even leaves, you can't let them dry out completely. Place them between book pages or sheets of paper/newspaper, but always under pressure.
Thus, the leaves should dry completely for about two weeks.
There is a special herbarium press. It will allow the leaves to dry much faster, and they will be ready for fall crafts in a few days.
But you can also speed up the process by drying with an iron. Turn your iron to the lowest setting and iron a piece of wood sandwiched between two pieces of white paper.
How to make DIY fall crafts from leaves
If you have prepared and dried tree leaves in advance, you can begin to create beautiful and original autumn crafts. They can create a cozy atmosphere in the home or be a suitable piece for display in a school or garden.
If you don’t have enough imagination and imagination to create crafts from leaves, then you can use a selection of works and master classes.
Evaluate your child’s age and skills before you start creating your own autumn crafts from tree leaves.
Related materials for working with leaves:
Colored cardboard and paper. Cardboard usually acts as a background and basis for work. If you glue leaves onto paper, it may bend and curl due to the weight of the leaves, so it is better to use cardboard. You will need colored paper for additional decoration (to make eyes or other parts of the animal’s body).
How to glue leaves: this can be done with regular PVA glue (it glues dry leaves well), but hot glue is also perfect.
Herbarium
You will need: a thick book, autumn leaves, an album for dried plants.
Master Class
- Collect fallen leaves.
- Flatten each piece of paper and place it between the pages of the book.
- Close the book and leave it closed for 2 weeks so that the leaves dry thoroughly.
- Carefully remove the leaves from the book, as dry leaves are fragile material.
- Place the leaves on the pages of the album and sign their name.
- Store the album in a bright, dry place.
The herbarium is ready!
DIY autumn crafts from leaves
The simplest crafts made from leaves are appliqués. For them, you can use leaves of different sizes, colors and shapes. The themes of the applications may also differ. These can be pictures of animals, landscapes and human figures.
Owl made from tree leaves
We will need:
- Dark leaves (oak, willow, birch)
- Colored paper
- Cardboard
- Branch of any tree
- Glue
Draw an owl on a piece of cardboard.
Let's cut it out.
You can use willow leaves for feathers. Glue them in rows onto the owl cut out.
To make the ears and paws of owls, take oak or birch leaves.
Cut out eyes and beak from colored paper. Glue them onto the owl's head.
Glue the owl onto a tree branch as if it were sitting on it.
You can decorate your autumn leaf craft with a sprig of fish or thuja.
Leaves panel
You can decorate your house with an applique of leaves, making it not on paper, but on panel material.
We will use hot glue for this project, but young children can be involved in this work at the stage of collecting leaves. Choose the most beautiful and even leaves for the craft. Dry them first.
We will need:
- Wooden board (plywood, chipboard)
- Leaves
- Twig
- stain
- Brush
- Glue
- Marker
1.Prepare a sheet of wood by first sanding it and painting it with stain.
The stain dries quite quickly, so you won’t have to wait long.
2.Draw a maple leaf with a marker.
3. Glue the leaves onto the board using the fan method. To make the panel three-dimensional, do not glue the leaves completely. Then the edges will be free and a volume effect will be created.
4.After gluing, place a heavy book or other object on each leaf as a press.
To make your picture clearer, you can trim the leaves a little along the edges of the picture, creating a clear outline.
There can be quite a few types of panels. You can attach leaves and twigs to a wide wooden frame.
A cute fairy can be made from colorful leaves and cardboard.
Crown of tree leaves
For a little princess or an autumn photo shoot, you can make a simple but interesting attribute.
Necessary materials:
- Colored leaves
- Thin branches
- Tape
- Pliers
- Wire
Cuts a wire whose length is equal to the volume of the head + a margin of a few cm for connection. The resulting hoop should sit easily on your head.
Using tape, attach the leaves to the resulting wire hoop
You can alternate leaves with twigs or flowers
Maple leaf wreath
Beautiful large maple leaves can make a gorgeous wreath
The base for the wreath can be made from wire or willow twigs.
Attach the leaves to the base in a circle, twisting the leaf stalk on it.
Leaves should be attached along the entire diameter of the wreath base
This wreath can be worn on your head or hung as a decoration on your door.
You can add other elements to the leaves, such as acorns and flowers
Volumetric crafts from leaves
Autumn leaves that have fallen from trees can be used for more than just appliques. You can make chic bouquets, lamps, compositions on the Golden Autumn theme.
But in order to make voluminous crafts, the leaves must be subjected to special processing, and upon completion the product must be varnished.
When creating home decor, you want the craft to last as long as possible. You can extend the shelf life of autumn crafts made from tree leaves using a special floral spray or acrylic varnish. This method will keep the leaves fresh and beautiful for a long time.
Crafts from maple leaves: mask
We will need:
- Maple leaves of different sizes
- Cardboard
- Thread
- Scissors
- Glue
1. Make a mask template on cardboard and cut it out
2. Make holes for the eyes
3. We insert an elastic band on the sides to put on the mask
4. Using glue, glue the leaves to the mask.
5. Trim any excess leaves inside the mask so they don't interfere with your eyes.
What gorgeous masks you can make from leaves with your own hands.
If you have beautiful leaves, you can make unusual candlesticks from wax paper.
Instead of paper, you can use a simple glass jar, decorating it with beautiful leaves.
Leaf pendants and garlands:
In order to keep this craft fresh for a long time, take the leaves and cover them with transparent varnish. Next, you should dip them into melted paraffin. Gather them in a bun or hang them on a string. In any case, they can be preserved for a long time and decorate your home.
Decorative candlesticks and lamps
Colored autumn leaves look especially beautiful when illuminated with a candle or lamp. There is nothing complicated here. Instructions:
- Take an unnecessary container and coat the outside with PVA glue.
- Glue the leaves (they should not protrude to the top).
- After the glue has dried, apply another layer of the adhesive mixture directly to the leaves.
- Place a small candle inside the container.
- Decorate the top with twine.
Such a craft can become the highlight of your kitchen, especially if the room is decorated in a country style.
An autumn lamp can be created in another way. It is enough to place the Christmas tree garland in a basket with maple and rowan leaves. It is appropriate to supplement the composition with coniferous fruits, and for lightness and volume, use balls of twine.
Autumn crafts from maple leaves
Maple leaves are considered the most beautiful gifts of golden autumn: yellow, red, burgundy and orange. A carpet of maple leaves can be seen in every park in the fall, and by choosing the most beautiful leaves, we get chic crafts on the theme of golden autumn.
Rose from maple leaves: DIY craft
Roses made from autumn leaves remain very popular. For those who love flowers, this craft will be especially relevant. You can create a whole bouquet of roses or make a beautiful composition in a basket.
How to make a rose from maple leaves
1. Fold the top end of the maple leaf
2. Roll it, tucking the top edge to make the flower more voluminous. Don't forget to hold the bud down so it doesn't fall apart.
3. To make a large rose, you will need more than one maple leaf. Choose leaves of different sizes and start with the smallest ones.
4. The edge of each leaf can be secured with a stapler or wrapped with thread.
To make a rose from maple leaves, it is better to choose fresh material that has not dried out. Having collected the resulting flowers into a bouquet, spray it with hairspray.
DIY maple leaf plate
Maple leaves are ideal for many crafts due to their size and shape. Making a plate out of leaves is quite simple, but such an unusual decor will take its place in your home or be sent as a gift to your friends.
Necessary materials:
- Leaves
- Brush
- Glue
- Balloon
- A bowl
- Scissors
1. Prepare the leaves by cutting a stem from them.
2. Inflate the balloon to the required size and place it in a bowl.
3.Spread a thin layer of glue on it.
Place a leaf on top of the glue and spread it with glue. It should soften a little and stick to the ball.
We place the next sheet so that it partially covers the previous one, and apply glue in the same way.
Thus, we cover half of the ball with leaves.
Gently pop the ball to remove the resulting plate
You can decorate your front door in an original way by hanging a wreath of maple leaves on it. It is done simply by analogy with other wreaths
Glue beautiful maple leaves onto the base, complementing them with acorns, chestnuts and everything you find under your feet on an autumn walk.
Fruit bowl
It's time to move on from small, easy children's crafts to crafts suitable for home decoration. For this purpose, you can start working on a fruit vase.
Before work, we collect material:
- glue;
- balloon;
- a tube of Vaseline;
- scissors;
- leaves (maple leaves are better).
Actions in order:
- Inflate the balloon to the size that suits you.
- Coat it with Vaseline over the entire surface, then the leaves will not stick.
- Fix the ball firmly so that it does not move, for ease of work.
- Grease the leaves with glue and stick them to the ball.
- It is advisable to glue the leaves in several layers.
- Lubricate the last layer with additional glue and dry for 3 days.
- Carefully pierce the ball and remove its pieces from the craft. All that remains is to place the vase in the prepared place.
Children's crafts from maple leaves
Children are especially interested in making crafts from leaves on the theme of autumn with their own hands.
At first, they enthusiastically collect the leaves under their feet, then they will help you dry them by laying them out in a book. And then you can share your knowledge with them and show them what can be created from the leaves of maple trees.
Maple leaf snail
We will need:
- maple leaves
- Scissors
- Plasticine
- Scotch
- Eyes
- To make the base - the body of the snail, take red plasticine and mold it into a sausage, so that one end is slightly thicker than the other.
- Make a cut at the thicker end and shape the halves resulting from the cut so that they look like the antennae of a snail.
- The body must be bent
- To use maple leaves for a snail's house, cut the cuttings with them
- Fold the sheet to make a strip
- Roll the strip starting from the narrow part
- To make the house more voluminous, twist several leaves in this way.
- Attach the house to the plasticine body
- Attach plastic eyes and define a mouth
Turkey made from leaves: DIY children's craft
We will need:
- Cardboard
- Stapler
- Scissors
- Glue
- Leaves
- Eyes
You need to cut out about 5-6 circles of different diameters from cardboard
Remove stems from the leaves except two leaves. We'll need them for turkey legs.
Attach each leaf to a cardboard circle
Stack the circles on top of each other using glue or a stapler
Glue a brown sheet to the back of the largest circle.
A triangle is cut out of a leaf to make a beak.
It must be glued to the center of the first sheet.
Attach eyes to your turkey.
Using colored paper and leaves you can make a cheerful family of owls.
Flowers from autumn leaves: beautiful DIY crafts
Flowers in any form are considered the most beautiful decoration of the home interior. Therefore, it is not surprising that they are made from all kinds of materials and autumn leaves are no exception.
Previously, we looked at how to make roses from maple leaves. They are most suitable for creating beautiful and lush bouquets. To keep the leaves in shape for a long time and not spoil, you can treat them with glycerin:
- Dilute 300 ml of glycerin in water (about 600 ml).
- Pour this liquid into the bag.
- Carefully place the leaves in the bag.
- The bag must be sealed and left for several days (about 3-5 days) in a dark place.
- Then take out the leaves and let them dry.
How to make flowers from leaves: step-by-step description
We will need:
- Red and yellow leaves
- Twigs
- Scotch tape or green tape
- Scissors
- Threads
Prepare the leaves first.
We begin to collect the flower from the core. To do this, take a leaf and bend it in half, face outward.
Roll the leaf into a loose roll.
In the second sheet, wrap the protruding upper part.
Wrap the leaf around the core of the flower, twisting it. Don't forget to pinch your future flower at the base.
Do the same with other leaves, twisting them onto the bud one by one.
Continue until the flower has a nice shape.
Insert the twig into the base of the flower and begin wrapping the tape.
Bouquets
This is the simplest way to preserve fall colors. In order for the leaves to retain their flexibility and color, they must be treated with hot wax.
- You can also leave the material for a couple of days in a container with a glycerin solution.
- In addition to leaves, dried flowers, ornamental grains, and herbs can be added to the bouquet.
Autumn crafts from leaves for kindergarten
The simplest crafts for kindergarten are applications. After all, it is easiest for children to cope with this process under the guidance of their parents. You can use ready-made templates.
Leaf craft templates
Lion made of autumn leaves
Turkey made from leaves
Or you can do interesting work that the baby will like.
We will need:
- White cardboard
- Dry leaves
- Black or brown paint
- Pencil
- PVA glue
1. The leaves must be crushed. Entrust this process to your baby.
2. On a white sheet of paper you need to draw a tree trunk. Here you can help your child
3. Help him paint the trunk with paints
4. When the paint is dry, you can proceed to the next step.
5. Apply glue to part of the trunk and branch
6. Sprinkle crushed leaves onto the glue.
Children love making animals, and they will love the idea of making a hedgehog applique from leaves.
And if you have collected brightly colored leaves and flower petals, then thanks to a printed template or a hand-drawn one, you can create beautiful pictures.
Garland sparkling with golden flashes
A great idea for home decoration would be a garland made using autumn leaves. To realize a wonderful idea, you should attach autumn leaves on top of the garland bulbs.
Then the light penetrating through them will spread in gentle golden flashes throughout the room. It is important to choose a garland that does not get very hot.
Beautiful DIY crafts from leaves
Autumn girl: craft from leaves
Girls from an early age love to dress their dolls. Why not create an outfit for Barbie made from leaves. The result will be an original autumn craft.
Choose for her the most beautiful leaves collected during your walk.
We will need:
- Doll
- Leaves
- Glue
- Cardboard
1. Dry the leaves with an iron using paper
2. Make a cone out of cardboard that will act as a skirt.
3. Attach the cone to the doll by cutting off the top
4. PVA must be diluted with water 1:1
5. Glue the leaves onto the cone with diluted glue, starting from the bottom.
6. Don't forget about a hat for a fashionista
7. The bottom of the dress can be decorated with rose petals
In a similar way, you can make an applique by first drawing a girl on cardboard, but make the outfit from leaves
Extraordinary photo framing
It will be interesting for a little artist to decorate his room with his own drawings and photographs. A leaf frame is very easy to make. We make a square, oval or other configuration from cardboard, paste it with dry raw materials, previously soaked in hot liquid. This is necessary to make it pliable. Next, you should dry the model, after which the picture is glued inside with glue or tape.
Crafts from leaves for school: 2nd grade
What can be offered to children in the second grade for creative development? Of course, we can’t do without applications and crafts made from natural materials. After all, at this age it is important to introduce the child to the world around him and teach him to work with different tools and materials.
It is exciting for schoolchildren of this age to create silhouettes of animals they know.
Moose made of leaves
We will need:
- Leaves
- Maple seeds
- Brush
- PVA glue
- Sheet of white cardboard
- Black felt-tip pen or marker
- Scissors
Place the elk's body on a piece of cardboard. To do this, you will need two leaves: one large with a tail and the second smaller, round.
We will need maple seeds for our feet. Separate them and glue them in the right place to the body.
Using a felt-tip pen, draw the eyes, and the nose will be created from a dark-colored leaf.
Oak leaves and maple seeds are useful to make beautiful antlers.
You can complement the picture with a small tree
Like this moose, you can make many other paintings from leaves depicting animals, birds and insects.
Owl made of leaves
Hedgehog made from leaves
Leaf Butterfly
Leaf fish
Lion made of leaves
Crafts from leaves for 3rd grade
In autumn it is impossible to remain indifferent to the beauty of nature and it is very important to teach children to rejoice and enjoy what it gives us.
Therefore, the topic of autumn crafts for elementary school has been relevant for many years and is unlikely to lose its popularity for many years to come.
There are many options for fall-themed crafts for school.
Applications that look like real paintings
You can get creative with your child and create a beautiful house from leaves and other natural materials, using a cardboard frame as a basis.
By combining a child’s ability to draw and appliqué, real masterpieces can be created.
Corn Leaf Crafts
Another topic of interest for creativity was not covered in the article. Crafts made from corn leaves can be very beautiful and original.
Corn leaf flower
We cut out about 20 leaves from the pointed-shaped talash, and also prepare the substrate. We also need a strip of about 5 cm.
The strip must be folded and glued to the center of the backing. Now you need to attach the cut out petals in a circle. Let's start with the smallest ones
This flower can be used to decorate a gift or create a bouquet of leaves.