5 Nature Inspired Kids Craft Activities
It's always nice to experience the joys of nature and with all those beautiful leaves around, it seems a shame not to use them! Here are five ways to use up all those natural treasures…
With thanks to Jenny over at the Gingerbread House
You will need
You Will Need
* A Collection of Leaves
* A3 Coloured Paper
* Wax Crayons
* Air Drying Clay
* Greasproof Paper
* Rolling Pin
* Knitting Needle or Skewer
* Glass Jar
* Decoupage Medium
* LED Tealight
* Black Pipe Cleaners
* Googly Eyes
* Scissors
* Glue
5 Nature Inspired Art Activities
Make a simple paper scrapbook that children can fill with all the different leaves they've collected. Help them identify what tree they're from, add little notes such as where you found the leaves and any seeds or nuts that are associated with the tree. To make a pocket-sized scrapbook take a sheet of A3 coloured paper, fold over lengthways, then fold it into four parts like a concertina. This will give you a small scrapbook with plenty of pages to stick in leaves and make little notes.
Use your leaves to make pretty leaf rubbing pictures. Place leaves under a sheet of coloured A3 paper, gently rub wax crayons over each leaf until you can see the impression come through.
Make clay leaf impressions. Take Hobbycraft white air drying clay, place on a sheet of greaseproof paper and roll out to about five millimetres thick. Arrange your leaves on top. Cover with more greaseproof paper and press them down gently with a rolling pin. Carefully remove the leaves to see the impressions left behind. You can cut around each individual leaf or use a round cutter to make smaller decorations. Don't forget, before you leave them overnight to dry, make a small hole with a knitting needle so you can hang them.
Use leftover leaves to make a leaf candle holder. Make sure any leaves you want to use are clean, dry and flat (place between paper towel under a pile of book overnight if necessary). Take a large glass jar and cover with Mod Podge. Cover with as many leaves as you like. Add more Mod Podge over the leaves. Leave to dry and place a LED tealight inside to make a pretty autumnal luminary.
Make fun pine cone spiders with pine cones, black pipe cleaners, and googly eyes. Cut the pipe cleaners in half and wrap around the pine cone to make legs. Stick on a pair of googly eyes to complete your pine cone creature.