You’ve gotta love this autumn weather! And with Thanksgiving Break around the corner, the kids will be home from school. Take advantage of the season with some nature-based crafts to keep their little hands busy.
Leaf Impression Card
This card can be used for Thanksgiving, birthdays, anniversaries, or even just to say “Thanks” to a friend. It makes for a great indoors craft for kids.
Materials for the Leaf Card:
To make it you will need:
A Leaf
- The odd-shaped leaves, like Turkey Oak or Maple, seem to work better, but let your kids choose their favorite.
Copy Paper
- Any white, lightweight unlined paper will do.
Colored Pencils
- Assorted Autumn Colors- then let your child pick their favorite two from the selection. For younger kids, or if you don’t have colored pencils on hand, crayons can be substituted. Blunt crayons and colored pencils make for better leaf impressions!
Scissors
- If your child is using the scissors, make sure they are age appropriate- blunt tipped for the younger kids.
Colored Paper
- Again, go with the seasonal colors to make your child’s artwork ‘pop’
Glue
- Glue sticks are the best to use, as they are lightweight with minimum mess. Using liquid glue can make your child’s artwork smear.
Directions
In case you are unable to watch the video, here are the directions:
1. Go hunt for leaves. The dry crunchy ones just break apart, so you may need to pick one ready to fall off the tree.
2. Choose your best leaf.
3. Lay the leaf face down on a hard flat surface- like your kitchen table. The veins of the leaf- the bumpy parts- should be facing up.
4. Take a sheet of white copy paper and set down over the leaf.
5. Choose your favorite autumn colored pencil (see diagram for autumn color suggestions).
6. Placing one hand on the copy paper to hold it down, pick up your pencil and start coloring in over the copy paper. The leaf beneath will start to show. This is your leaf impression.
7. Choose a second colored pencil and repeat step 6.
8. Following the leaf impression edges on your coloring, cut your copy paper leaf out.
9. Select a piece of colored construction paper. Choose a piece that looks best against your leaf.
10. Fold the construction paper in half.
11. Using a glue stick, glue your leaf onto the front of the folded construction paper.
12. Trim the construction paper shorter if you need to.
13. You now have a nature card!
Another variation of this leaf card is to use plain white cardstock instead of construction paper and paint a background for cut out leaf impression. I used green & gold acrylics mixed together, because the gold gives it a shimmer, but you can use any color you like.
You can pick up any of the art supplies from your local art store.
Excuse the shakiness of the videos- they are my first crafty-videos and my videographer son was still at school!
Autumn Coloring Pages for Your Kids
Since you have those colored pencils or crayons out, here are a couple of Fall Favorite coloring pages for you! Just click on the links (PDF files) and print them out.
What are your favorite family activities during Thanksgiving?
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