For those of you who live in leaf-changing environments, fall is a wonderful time of year for creative art projects. Children of all ages will engage in crafts if you select the right ones. I’ve collected some of my favorites to share with you.

Fall Leaf Crown - A great craft for younger children
With a piece of metallic colored cardboard, a stapler, some glue, and colorful leaves collected in the backyard, you’ll have everything you need to make a Fall Leaf Crown.

Measure your King or Queen’s head and cut a band 2 – 2.5 inches thick. Make it a little longer than needed, so there is room to overlap the band and staple it. If it’s easier to cut first and then measure, the band should be about two feet long. Measure the band so it is comfortable around your child’s head, and staple the band securely.

Glue the leaves on so they are vertical on the crown. Or, better yet, let your children express their own creativity and glue them on however they’d like. There you have it – a beautiful Fall Leaf Crown.

Mod Podge Leaf Bowl - a great craft for older children
For this project, you will need balloons, leaf garland from a craft store (you can certainly try this with backyard leaves), Mod Podge, a foam paintbrush, and scissors.

If you are using a garland of leaves, cut the leaves apart before you begin. If you are able to remove the veins and stems from the leaves, they will adhere better and maintain the bowl shape better. Blow up your balloon. Using the foam brush, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge on the balloon. Begin in the middle and move out to one of the ends. Remember, you want a bowl-shape.

Next, lay your leaves over the Mod Podge. Smooth out the leaves so they lay flat. Once a leaf is in place, paint another layer of Mod Podge over the leaf. Cover all your empty spaces, adding some extra layers of leaves on the bottom for support.

Once the glue has dried, pop your balloon and let the air out slowly. Don’t be alarmed if your bowl loses its shape. It will return to the bowl-shape you created. Use your finished bowl as a beautiful, fall centerpiece.

Fall Wreath - a great craft for young children – or older children
Who doesn’t love a door decoration? This one is so simple and so beautiful. All you need to complete this craft is a paper plate, colored leaves, glue, and some yarn to hang the finished product.

Cut out the center of the paper plate (did I say you would need scissors?). Gather your leaves in a variety of colors and sizes. Glue the leaves around the paper plate, covering all the white spots. Poke a hole on top, string your yarn through, and hang on your front door. Happy Harvest!

Fall Scene Perfect for younger and older children
You will need 8x10 white paper, painter’s tape, markers or paints in fall colors. Simply use the tape to create tree trunks and branches on your paper. When the trunks and branches are taped down, use your markers or paints to blot all the remaining white parts of the paper. Picture it – red, green, yellow, and brown – covering the paper. If you are using paint, wait for the paint to dry before removing the painter’s tape.

What you will have – is a beautifully colored fall scene with white tree trunks and branches. Stunning!

Fall is the perfect time of year for family crafts. There are so many projects you can do with the leaves from your backyard. I hope you will find time to enjoy some creative family time.