Easy Kid's Crafts for Autumn

I love crafts that use items you collect from around the house or yard. These easy projects take a little bit of preparation and a few supplies from the store, but they are fun and creative for all ages. Feel free to substitute when you can use something you already have on hand. Often the result is just as good and sometimes more unique!

Each child will need:

• One clean foam tray from meat packages, produce etc.
  
  
• Shredded green paper
  
  
• Orange pom poms
  
  
• Wiggle eyes
  
  
• Chenille stems in green or black
  
  
• Green paints (any type of paint)
  
  
• Craft or Elmer's glue

Brush a layer of glue on the foam tray and press on the paper shreds. (If you do not have green paper to shred, you can use white paper and then spray paint it green or use leftover Easter grass. An even simpler idea is to just paint the foam tray green and forget the paper.) After you've created your "pumpkin field", then glue the pom poms down where desired on the foam tray. Allow them to dry. Next decorate the pumpkins with tiny wiggle eyes and cut the chenille stems to glue on the top for stems. Get creative and let the kids draw a mini scarecrow on heavy paper, cut him out, and glue him to their "pumpkin field". This is a great craft for classrooms, groups or fall parties.

An Autumn Mobile

You'll need:

• One paper plate for each child
  
  
• An extra paper plate for the paint
  
  
• Paint brushes
  
  
• Kitchen sponges cut into thirds or fourths
  
  
• Brown, green and orange paint
  
  
• Yarn, raffia or ribbon in autumn colors
  
  
• Artificial or real colored leaves
  
  
• Optional: acorns, tiny pinecones or other seedpods

Fold the paper plate in half and staple a few times along the edge. Paint the plate brown on both sides and allow it to dry. Place a small dab of orange and green paint on another paper plate. Take a piece of sponge and dip in one of the colors, then lightly dab it around the 1/2 paper plate that you painted earlier. You want all three colors to show, so don't make the sponging too heavy.

After your base is painted and dried, punch four holes in the straight part of the paper plate. The top of your mobile will be the rounded edge of the plate, and the bottom is straight. Make sure the holes are spaced evenly. (This is a great chance to let the kids use a ruler!) Now punch one hole directly in the middle of the top of the plate. (This is where you will tie a string to for hanging when you are finished.) Cut pieces of yarn, raffia or ribbon (we used raffia) into the same size. The length can be 6-12 inches or so. This part you can vary by threading three or four pieces through each hole and let them dangle. Or you can glue acorns, seedpods or leaves on the end of the raffia, and let that hang down.

To finish, glue real or fake leaves to the plate. You can make a collage, cover the entire plate or glue them to the edge. This looks neat in a window, so do both sides. Hang by threading a piece of ribbon or raffia through that top hole that you made. You can really vary this craft and allow the kids to get creative. It's really a special craft if you plan a trip to the park and let them gather their items, then come home and make the craft.

Brenda Hyde is a wife, mom to three, and a freelance writer. For more old-fashioned recipes, crafts and gardening visit her at oldfashionedliving.com

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