Just wrap up warm, get your wellies on and take the children out on a foraging walk. Look for leaves, pinecones, twigs and any other natural treasures that will be useful for autumn craft ideas.
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Even if you don’t live in a rural or woodland area, you can go to a local park. You may not have far to walk if you have trees in your own garden!
Recycling used household items
It’s a good idea to stockpile useful items throughout the year in an arts and crafts storage box, so you can recycle them into works of art when the need arises! Things like empty cardboard toilet rolls, newspapers, plain card and empty cardboard egg cartons always come in useful.
You’ll also need the staples of any good craft storage box: scissors, glue, paintbrushes, paints, coloured felt-tip pens, beads and anything else you can think of that might adorn your creations.
Here’s some of our favourite crafting ideas…
Fantastic Fox
Make a fabulous fox from a cardboard toilet roll tube, two cupcake cases and some beads. This will take about 30 minutes, plus additional drying time.
You’ll need one cardboard toilet roll tube, newspaper, paintbrushes, orange paint, two white cupcake cases, three black beads and some glue.
Place the newspaper on your work surface to prevent it being damaged. Paint the toilet roll tube orange and leave it to dry thoroughly.
Open the cupcake cases and lay them out flat. Fold them in half, then into quarters. One will be used to make the fox’s face. Glue the inside folded quarters flat together. Stick onto one end of the painted toilet roll, with the point of the cake case being the fox’s nose.
To make the tail, fold the second cake case into eighths and then glue it together to create a thinner cone shape.
Carefully paint the cupcake cases orange, leaving the pointed tips (the fox’s nose and the end of the tail) a contrasting white. Add two black beads to make the eyes and a third black bead for the nose.
Create ears by pressing in the top front and top rear edges of the toilet roll downwards towards the centre, leaving a pointed ear sticking up at either side. There you have it, a fantastic fox to decorate your shelves or dressing table!
Pinecone Mouse
It’s easy to make a pinecone mouse for kids of all ages. What’s more, it takes only about 15 minutes! Even the tiniest hands can join in. An adult will need to help to cut out the ears and feet, but other than this, it’s plain sailing.
You will need some pinecones, light brown felt, glue, a small square of card, some scissors and small pink pom-poms. You can make as many or as few mice as you like. The pinecone will be the mouse’s body.
Cut two small circles of felt per mouse to make a pair of ears. Then, cut a small square of felt that's around the same size as the base. Glue the felt square to the card.
Cut out a small base, with two mouse feet at the front. Glue the pinecone to the base and feet, and then stick a pink pom-pom at the front for a nose, before applying the ears.
Halloween Apple Stamps
Use apples cut in half to make a pumpkin-shaped stamp for homemade Halloween party invitations! This activity takes 15 minutes. You’ll have to help the kids to cut the apples, but other than this, it’s a simple activity even for younger children.
You’ll need newspaper, apples, plain white cards, a contrasting-coloured card, orange paint, white sticky labels, black marker pen, scissors, glue and a herb leaf, such as bay or sage.
Place the newspaper on the work surface to protect it from damage. Slice an apple in half vertically, right through the middle. Lay out the cards. Dip the flat surface of the apple in the orange paint or use a paintbrush to coat it if this is easier.
Print it onto the cards and you’ll see it creates an orange pumpkin shape. Leave the paint to dry. Then, draw eyes and a mouth onto the white sticky label with a marker pen and cut them out. Stick them onto the pumpkin print.
Glue the herb leaf onto the top of each pumpkin. Cut a decorative triangle from the card and stick it to the invitation. Write your message in pen, inviting friends to your Halloween party.
These are just a few fun autumn craft ideas to try out. Once you’ve finished your session, pack everything away in a craft storage box to keep your materials safe for another rainy day.
In terms of craft storage ideas, it’s better to keep items in a clear plastic box with a lid, so you can see what’s inside and also prevent dust and moisture from getting in.