Seasonal Crafts to Try with the Whole Family (and Frame as Decor!)

It may be easy to forget fall was once considered the annual harvesting time when we’re now able to find most of our seasonal favorites all year long. Thankfully, mother nature demands attention with an ever-changing backdrop of bright colors and crisp air blowing all around us. Use this time to engage your family in a few fun art projects that you’ll want to memorialize and showcase with each coming year.
Not-So-Scary Ghost Printing
For a fun and festive spin on classic footprint art, fill a shallow dish (such as a disposable pie tin) with washable white paint and let your child dip one foot in, lightly coating the bottom from heel to toe. Then, have them carefully plant their foot onto the center of a black piece of paper, hold it still for a few seconds, and carefully remove it to reveal a paint footprint. Wash up as the paint dries, and once the print is ready, turn the paper so the toes are facing the bottom of the page and the rounded heel forms the top of the ghost head. Add three black dots for eyes and a mouth, and you’re all done!
Allowing your kids to get creative and leave their own impression with fall craft projects makes it easy to track how they grow through the years. You won’t regret getting this special print framed and cherishing this childhood memory. Experiment with other colors to create candy corn or use handprints to create a spider.
Owl in a Tree
Using that ever-growing collection of craft paper, this clever “Owl in a Tree” allows your kids to build a 3-dimensional habitat for a fluffy little owl. Use brown construction paper to cut out branches and build a tree trunk. With colorful scraps, your kids can decorate their easy-to-make toilet paper roll owl and the branches of the tree. Add feathers to the owl’s body for wings, and put the finished product on display for all to see in a custom 3D shadow box frame.
Shabby Chic Button Pumpkin
Gather up all the loose buttons around the house, in the back of all those junk drawers, for some creative fall fun. Use a template to work with a perfect pumpkin shape, then trace it onto a piece of black construction paper, carefully cutting it out with a hobby knife. Use packing tape to cover the gaps in the pumpkin cutout, creating a sticky surface perfect for securing your buttons. You can sort the buttons by color ahead of time and even add some glitter as a finishing touch! The whole family will love decorating with this handmade seasonal project year after year.