The autumn months are filled with lots of things to see and do, but it’s also filled with bad weather. This makes it one of the best times to pull out the craft supplies and have a blast. Luckily, there’s lots of autumn crafts that you can make for next to nothing at all. These crafts can serve as great gifts as well as decorations for your home. With a few DIY skills and a little bit of creativity, you’ll find autumn crafts will soon be a hit with the whole family. So, don’t stress out over entertaining the family on the blustery days, because these ten ideas will have everyone having a blast.
1. Luminary
Nothing says autumn like lovely candles and warm lights that set the mood inside of the home while the rain drizzles outside. This season, you can easily make your own luminaries to make your home feel inviting during the cool weather. This craft won’t cost an arm and a leg either. All you will need is a glass container, may it be a cut wine bottle, an old candle container or mason jar. The choice of item is entirely up to you and the look you want to create. You will also need leaves cut from tissue paper, so make sure to grab autumn friendly colors to set the seasonal mood. You can free draw the leaves to suit your needs or trace them from a pattern or real leaves that you collected from outside. Once you have the leaves cut out then modge podge them to the glass and leave them to dry. You may need a couple of coats, so make sure to double check to make sure all of your leaves are completely down before you move on. When everything is dry you can add a tea light, candle or battery operated light to create a cool effect. These luminaries are great centerpieces or simple ways to freshen the house using candles and beautiful decor.
2. Leaf Prints
Keep your younger children excited about the seasonal change by having them sit down and make leaf prints. These can be very exciting for younger children because it allows them to create a form of magic that will surprise them when they make their first prints. All you need for this task is a few fallen leaves. You may want to avoid crunchy leaves though as they won’t work well and they’ll make a huge mess. Once your kids have picked out their leaves, grab a few sheets of paper and some crayons or pencils. Place the paper over the leaf and have the kids color away. This should make a print of the leaf, which can be hung on the wall or cut out and hung from the ceiling. You can also take some leaves and dip them in paint and have the kids use them as stamps. This can bring a lot of fun for everyone. You can even use this technique to make a tablecloth for the autumn months or your Thanksgiving feast.
3. Paint Pumpkins
If you’ve already made your first trip to the pumpkin patch, then you may be trying to decide when the best time to start carving is. In truth, you should probably wait until the week of Halloween to this, but there are lots of great crafts you can try out with your pumpkins that won’t leave them rotting straight away. For instance, you can simply paint them colors and add some glitter for a cute decoration that can be placed inside or outside of the home. Pumpkins can even be used as a numerical marker for your home, which will add a perfect touch to the autumn decor. Of course, if you really want to get your house spooky in a hurry then you can also paint faces on your pumpkins to create the jack-o-lantern look that you’ve dreamed of. This can be a lot of fun for the whole family too and won’t force you to waste money on pumpkins that won’t last to the holiday.
4. Scarecrow
Autumn is one of the best times to enjoy one of the iconic decor items of the season. That is, the scarecrow. Scarecrows do have their creepy vibes, but you can deck yours out to be happy-go-lucky if you so choose. This is a great way to get the whole family in on a project too. Scarecrows really don’t require a lot of shopping for supplies. You can use old clothes or burlap that you might already have lying around. These items can be stuffed with leaves that you find in the yard, which should help take care of a little lawn work too. The face can be drawn on or you can choose cute buttons or other items to add to the decor. Apart from that, you can easily transform your scarecrow into something Halloween friendly when the holiday finally rolls around.
5. Gratitude Tree
When it comes to autumn, there’s lots of things to be thankful for, including the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Thus, you may want to consider coming up with a gratitude tree this season. This can really give you a lot of room to work with because there’s no set instructions as to how to make your own tree. For instance, you can find twigs outside and use them to create an autumn inspired tree. You could also use paper to create a tree that stays on the wall. Even real or faux plants will do the trick for this craft. Once you have the tree figured out and set up then you’re ready to have some real fun. Choose a few scrapbooking or construction paper designs to start. You can cut the paper into acorns, leaves or anything else that gives you the warm feeling of autumn. Once you’ve done this, punch holes into the paper and add some string to make it easy to hang like an ornament. Of course, if you’re using a tree that’s taped to the wall then consider creating little pockets to insert the leaves or use thumbtacks or 3m’s to hang the items from. You can place these decorations in a box and every week or so everyone in the family can write down something they are thankful for. When Thanksgiving comes around, you can all read from the tree and feel the warmth of your joyful lives together.
6. Leaf Globe
The snow globe is an iconic part of winter, which many children and adults cherish as keepsakes for years. Now, you can make your very own globe with beautiful autumn leaves in it. Believe it or not, but this craft won’t cost you a fortune either. All you need is a jar with a secure lid, water, glycerin, a hot glue gun and items to put into the jar. You can really let your imagination run wild here too. For instance, you can keep it simple with a small tree or twigs as your decorative item, or you can go all out and add a full autumn scene to the mix. Whatever you choose should be glued to the lid. Once you’ve got your items glued and they’ve been left to dry overnight, fill your jar with the water and glycerin. Then, you can add in the items you’d like for leaves. Plastic or metallic leaves are cheap and easy to find during this season and will look great for years to come. However, let your imagination run wild here. Once you’ve added in the leaves, glue the lid shut and leave it to dry again. Soon, you’ll have a globe to add to your decor or to pass out as a gift.
7. Wreath
Without a doubt, a cute wreath can be a great accessory any time of the year. However, they are often a bit on the pricey side of the spectrum. You can easily make your own with some cardboard and a few cheap items. Simply start by cutting the cardboard into a circle and then cut out the center. For a great autumn inspired look you may want to glue on leaves from the yard. You can also weave branches, add acorns or pinecones as well as anything else that makes you feel inspired by the beautiful autumn weather. Of course, you can also transform your wreath into a Halloween style. This is easily accomplished with fake spider webs and the cure plastic spider rings you can buy in bulk over the holidays. You can also add pieces of candy, other scary figures and so on. Before long, you’ll have a cute wreath that will have cost you next to nothing.
8. Garland
One of the easiest ways to add to the decor in your home is to create some adorable garland that will bring the autumn beauty inside. One fun way to do this is to grab some leaves from outside. Make sure they are clean and bug free though before you begin the craft. The leaves can be glued to twine or other string to create a beautiful row of colorful leaves that will draw attention to your home. If you don’t like the idea of dead leaves hanging from the ceiling then consider trying the same craft out with fake leaves, which can be bought for cheap at most craft stores. Other than that, you can always create a cute garland using simple sticks and felt or paper. You can spell out your family’s name, welcome, autumn or other message with the twigs on each square of felt or paper. Then string them together for garland that will wow all of your holiday guests.
9. Pinecones
Although pinecones tend to be more of a winter fashion, you can show them off in the autumn too. These simple craft options look great stored in a bowl without any extra work, so imagine all that you can do with them when you channel your creative side. One of the easiest things to do with pinecones is paint them or simply add some glitter. These look great on display and will add a burst of color to the room. If you have younger children, then you may want to transform the pine cones into adorable little animals. These can be used for Christmas ornaments later on too, so you’ll get more out of your decorations.
10. Leaf Bowl
If you really want to make things advanced this season, then try out a leaf bowl. This will allow you to put your craft skills to the test, while creating cool items that will wow anyone who stops by to visit you. All you’ll need for this craft is a bowl in the size that you desire to make, fake leaves and some modge podge. Slowly layer the leaves over the upside down bowl. You may have to do this in sections in order to get it all the way across the bowl. You should also make sure all of the leaves are touching, to give your bowl the strength it needs to be held together. Once everything is modge podged together double check to ensure your leaves are well-coated then leave it to dry. Then, you can easily remove the bowl in the morning and enjoy the fruit of your labor. These bowls are great for potpourri, pinecones and so on, which is sure to give the home even more of that magical autumn feeling.
Making your own autumn decor is a great way to save money on the season as well as to keep yourself busy when the weather isn’t cooperating with your needs. These ten tips should allow you to find some fun for the whole family, which will encourage bonding and adding a festive touch to the home without spending a fortune.
