Fall is a wonderful time to explore nature and transform the colorful treasures this season offers into creative craft projects. When the leaves turn bright colors and the trees shed their leaves, it's the perfect opportunity to create something magical with your children. How about making an “autumn goddess” together and turning the collected leaves into fun hairstyles? Doesn't that sound like a great afternoon?
Colorful autumn leaves – nature as a craft material
Before we start, you can go on a discovery tour with your children! Together you can roam through parks, forests or your own garden and collect the most beautiful leaves. Diversity is key: leaves from trees, bushes, shrubs and even flowers or wild herbs are ideal. The more colorful and diverse, the better for your leaf image.
Explore tooour free autumn creative bookletwith 15 great activities for kids!
A little tip on the side:The leaves of vines or trees, which take on red tones in autumn, shine particularly beautifully. But yellow, orange and brown leaves also create great effects. Make sure that the leaves are not too dry or brittle - after all, they should last well.
Preparation is key
Now that the leaves are collected, it's time to press them. The classics of the craft world come into play here: a plant press or a thick book. A few days of patience are required so that the leaves become nice and flat and dry. It’s worth the wait – we promise!
While the leaves are drying, you can prepare the templates. We have eight different onesWomen's faces prepared for you to print out. Each template is ready to be decorated with a unique leaf hairstyle.
The big craft lesson: create leaf hairstyles
Now comes the fun part! Select the dried leaves and let your imagination run wild. Create fun and creative leaf hairstyles with your children using the templates. Whether a wildly protruding “leaf mane” or an elegant “autumn crown” – everything is possible.
Little tip:The picture looks particularly harmonious when the leaves point in one direction. This can be a challenge with small children, but together you can do it - and the pride when it works is priceless.
If you would like to add a little more color, you can also color the portraits. This gives your autumn goddess even more character and personality. A colorful floral hairband or a few gold accents – there are no limits to creativity.
Adaptable for different ages
This craft project is versatile and can be tailored to different age groups by adjusting the task complexity.
Children aged 5-10 years (primary school age)
- Fine motor skills:Younger children in this age group can practice their fine motor skills by handling and arranging small, delicate materials.
- Creativity:They can unleash their creativity by choosing colors and shapes to create their designs.
- Nature understanding:It is also a good opportunity to introduce them to the different leaves, flowers and other elements of nature.
Children aged 11-14 (middle school age)
- Detail-oriented work:Older children can focus on more detailed and intricate designs, making crafting more challenging.
- Artistic expression:You can experiment with more abstract or complex patterns and perhaps combine them with other art techniques.
- Environmental awareness:This age group may also be more engaged with topics such as nature, seasons and the environment.
Younger children (ages 3-4 years)
- Monitoring required:Younger children can also enjoy these craft projects, but they require more supervision and support, especially when handling small or fragile parts.
- Simplified tasks:The tasks can be simplified for them, for example by gluing larger leaves or flowers onto a template instead of arranging complicated patterns.
Tips and tricks for the perfect leaf picture
To ensure that your work of art lasts a long time, we recommend fixing the leaves with liquid glue. When the picture has dried thoroughly, you can hang it in a glass frame - this way it stays protected and you can enjoy it for a long time.
Another little secret for a particularly beautiful result: Make sure that the leaves are well dried and pressed flat. Then they are easier to stick on and the picture looks more harmonious overall.
Autumn crafts with children are a wonderful way to bring nature into the house and get creative together. With the leaves you have collected, you can easily conjure up a small work of art that will not only make children's eyes light up, but will also beautify your home.
Finally, if you are looking for more creative ideas for autumn crafts, take a look at our other articles! You can find great inspiration here:
