Helpful Hints

A variety of natural materials including leaves, acorns, dry branches and cones can be used to make beautiful paintings and figurines.

Here are a few interesting crafts on the theme "Autumn", which you can do with your children:

Crafts from natural material on the theme of autumn: autumn decoration

This craft is so simple that even a child can make it, and so beautiful that it will harmoniously fit into any interior of the house, on the porch or in the country.

You will need:

Different leaves, cones and other gifts of nature

Wire

Scissors

A wicker bowl or something that can hold all the decorations.

1. Lay out all the gifts of autumn on the table.

2. Cut the thin wire so that you have several segments to which you can attach fall decorations.

3. Start attaching leaves, buds, etc. to the wire by wrapping the wire around them.

4. When all the decorations are added to the wires, attach your blanks to a wicker vase or similar object.

We make crafts on the theme "Autumn": traces of autumn leaves on paper

You will need:

Leaves of different shapes and sizes

White paper

Spray paint or fluffy brush and watercolors.

1. Gather the leaves and lay them on paper.

2. Start by spraying paint over and around the leaves, or you can splatter around the leaves with watercolors using a fluffy brush.

3. Carefully remove the leaves and leave the paint to dry.

Ready!

Such pictures can be hung anywhere, thereby decorating the interior.

DIY natural crafts on the theme "Autumn": stained glass window from autumn leaves

You will need:

Small leaves of different shapes

Self-adhesive film or baking paper and glue

Colored cardboard.

1. Attach the leaves to film or paper.

2. Cut out several strips from colored cardboard and attach them to the paper so that you get a frame.

3. The resulting stained-glass windows can be glued to the window so that sunlight passes through them.

Leaf crafts for kids: maze

Such a labyrinth can be made in a forest or park.

You just need to collect the leaves and distribute them so that you get a maze from which the children will look for a way out.

Crafts on the theme of golden autumn: a tree in autumn

You will need:

Paper bag

Plasticine

Maple lionfish ("helicopters")

rowan berries

1. Take a simple paper bag, remove the handles of the bag and twist it so that it looks like a spiral: one end in one direction, and the other in the opposite direction.

You will get a tree trunk, which should have a thickening in the lower part, where the roots are - so the tree will be more stable.

2. At the top of the twisted package, you need to make branches. Just gently tear the paper and "dissolve" the branches and twist them in a spiral.

3. Use the bag handles to wrap around the tree trunk and seal. So you make the craft stronger and more stable.

4. Prepare plasticine or glue and start attaching autumn leaves to tree branches.

* If desired, you can attach lionfish to the tree.

* If you want to "revive" a tree, then you can make eyes and a nose out of acorn caps by gluing them to the trunk. For pupils, you can use plasticine.

* You can make a mouth out of rowan berries and your tree is ready!

Crafts for an exhibition on the theme "Autumn": a tree in a jar

You will need:

Small jar with lid

Leaves (preferably artificial and small)

Super glue or hot glue

small branch

Glycerol.

1. Take a branch and cut it so that it can fit in the jar.

2. Glue the branch to the inside of the jar lid. You can also glue a few small pebbles around the future tree.

3. Take some small artificial leaves and glue them randomly on the branches of the tree.

4. Pour glycerine and some water into a jar and stir.

5. Insert the wood lid into the jar.

* If you are afraid that a child may accidentally open the lid of the jar, you can glue this lid. But for starters, it's best to leave it unglued, in case you have to touch up the tree and / or leaves.

This piece will last for several months. Then the water will begin to change its color from contact with internal materials.

Crafts from leaves on the theme "Autumn": autumn garden in a frame

You will need:

twigs

Adhesive tape

1. Using a thread, connect 4 branches into a frame.

2. Using the buttons, fasten a piece of self-adhesive film to the frame.

3. Attach the leaves to the film so that they stick well.

* You can tie the ribbon to the frame so you can hang it.

Paper crafts on the theme "Autumn": a card from autumn leaves

You will need:

Leaves different colors(in this example 35 leaves)

PVA glue

A4 cardboard sheet

Scissors

simple pencil

Ruler

Scotch tape (if needed)

A4 sheet of paper

Thick book.

1. Cut off the petiole from each leaf. Fold all the leaves in half along the midrib so that the wrong side of each leaf is inside.

2. Place the leaves between the pages of a thick book. Leave overnight for straight leaves.

3. Take a sheet of paper and draw a leaf of any shape on it. Cut out this sheet to make a stencil. In this example, an oak leaf stencil was used - its dimensions are 7.5 x 17 cm.

4. Take your leaves out of the thick book and arrange them carefully color scheme. In this example, all leaves have been ranked from green to red.

5. Take a piece of cardboard and put it on the table. Step back from the left edge by 1 cm, attach your stencil and circle it. Cut out the shape on the cardboard. After the cut out figure, back off again 1 cm and cut off. You will get a rectangle with a sheet cut out in the center.

Autumn is a truly magical time. And not only for romantics, but also for those who like to work with their hands. This season provides us with a lot of natural materials that, with a little imagination and patience, can be turned into beautiful crafts, appliqués or home decorations. When walking through the park strewn with fallen leaves, you will have the opportunity to spend time not only pleasantly, but also usefully: having collected an armful of beautiful leaves, you can just put them in a vase, or try to turn them into something unusual.

In addition, in schools and kindergartens they often give the task of making crafts from leaves - and this is a great reason to take a walk with your child on fresh air collecting the gifts of autumn.

We have collected for you 25 craft ideas from fallen leaves, cones, acorns and nuts that will give you many unforgettable moments spent with your children.

1. First, let's try to make a butterfly out of autumn leaves. This simple option is suitable even for the smallest. The only thing is that you first need to dry and straighten the leaves by placing them between the pages of books or under any other press for a day.

3. Such an unusual snail can be made from leaves different color and forms.

5. Using a paper or cardboard puncher on fallen leaves, you can get a truly magical result!

7. Candles will help create a special homely atmosphere in autumn. With the help of a glass jar, leaves and ribbon for decoration, you can fill your home with comfort and warmth.

9. In autumn, chestnuts fall under your feet. Let your child show their imagination by drawing funny faces of people or animals on them - you can be sure that the child will not be torn away from this activity!

11. By making such a cute hedgehog, you will ensure good mood for yourself and your baby for the whole day.

13. A variety of colors and shapes of fallen leaves opens up scope for imagination. Collect a whole zoo with your child - for him it will turn out to be an absolutely fabulous experience!

15. This idea is suitable not only for children, but also for decorating a gift for an adult or as a decorative element.

17. Use fallen leaves to create your own autumn scenery. To do this, it will be enough to apply paint on one side of the sheet, and then press it to the paper. Feel like a master of painting without making any effort!

19. Don't be afraid to experiment with materials. For example, to create such a tree, you will have to take scissors and cut the leaves into small fragments. Paint the tree trunk in watercolor, let it dry, and then glue the cut leaves onto its branches.

21. A little glue, plasticine, fantasy and magic - and ordinary acorns turn into a miniature set for tea drinking or fairy-tale characters!

And the beauty of fading nature, and a rich harvest, and festive events in children's lives - all this can become a source of inspiration for crafts "Autumn" do it yourself. Creating beauty with your own hands is very simple, and our workshops will help you choose a topic for your next work at school, kindergarten, and simply to cheer you up.

DIY crafts theme "Autumn"

So, what do-it-yourself crafts does the theme “Autumn” dictate to us? First of all, among all the associations with this time of year, the thought of golden and crimson leaves on the trees, magically transforming nature, putting on a fabulously beautiful outfit, appears. Therefore, we can name those who, one way or another, sing of this feature. Here is the first example of such a product - a candlestick made from an unnecessary CD using decoupage technique.

Get it desired material not a problem - a matrix, if there is no unnecessary one on the farm, you can specially buy, pick up a napkin made of multilayer paper with a suitable print (in this case, golden leaves), and also buy a small candle in the form of a flower, a leaf, in extreme cases, you can take an ordinary tablet, but so that its color is in harmony with the shade of the base napkin. Separate the topmost layer on which the image is located, cut it to fit your disk. The base must first be prepared, covered with white acrylic paint. Our goal is a thin, even layer to which the paper will easily adhere, so you should not apply paint with a brush. It is better to use a piece of goblet, which you can use to remove excess paint from the surface if necessary.

After complete drying, you can start gluing, for this you can use decoupage glue, and ordinary PVA glue, diluted to the desired consistency. They need to glue the napkin on the bottom, and on top, which is why the glue must be liquid enough to soak the paper layer. After everything dries, apply an additional layer of varnish with a sponge, which will protect the craft. The final touch is the installation of a candle. You can make a mount that will hold the candle tightly or just use the disk as a stand.

It is generally accepted that wreaths are the prerogative of Christmas crafts, while you can decorate your apartment with beautiful products made from natural materials in the fall, when both acorns and cones are still fresh and beautiful, they do not need to be harvested for future use. Such a wreath is quite simple to make, you only need a base and a sufficient amount of the necessary decor. In this case, the basis is a foam ring, which is painted with paint to match the color of the elements selected for the application. So you need to spend a much smaller amount of them and gaps between them will not be so noticeable. Gluing halves of walnut shells, dried flowers, acorns and cones is easiest with hot glue, so you don't have to press or deform them.

When the largest decor is applied, you need to glue the smallest details between it - coffee beans, nuts, beads. Star anise, cinnamon sticks will look elegant. So you make the wreath not only beautiful, but also fragrant. The final touch is twine or twine, which are tied with bows. In the same technique, it will also turn out beautiful, only you will cover not a ring, but a foam ball.

DIY crafts for children "Autumn"

And for kids younger age, and for schoolchildren do-it-yourself children's crafts "Autumn”is not only a creative activity, but also a lesson, because in the course of work they can learn a lot about the world around them, study autumn fruits and vegetables, compare leaves different trees, consolidate the material about precipitation, the change of seasons, and so on.

Therefore, you should not load children with unnecessarily complex techniques, because you can exhibition work made from ordinary materials, if you show imagination. Here is our next work - voluminous autumn forest on a reduced scale. The miniature trees will be depicted using dried yellow leaves that you can collect while walking in the park. The procurement of material for similar or from any other is a responsible process, since simple drying is not suitable, it will be lost bright color, the leaves may curl up and look like parchment. Moisture must be removed from them, therefore in a good way it is considered to iron them through the fabric with a hot iron. You can also put them under a press in a paper sheet that adsorbs excess moisture and the sheet will become the texture we need. True, the second method is longer in time and will come in handy, perhaps, for the next season crafts "Autumn" with their own hands. Video in principle, you don’t need to create a similar composition, everything is already extremely simple. On the basis of each petiole, we attach a plasticine ball and place the resulting tree on a pre-prepared "edge" - a sheet of cardboard (you can use an unnecessary flat cardboard box) covered with colored paper. In this composition, both the hut, as in the example, and plasticine forest dwellers will look beautiful.

Crafts "Golden Autumn" do it yourself

The main color of autumn is, of course, gold, all shades of rich, hot yellow. Crafts « gold autumn» DIY always emphasize the luxurious shades of fading nature, so they can always be distinguished at a glance from all the others.

Appliqués from collected leaves will look wonderful, but you can also make a flower appliqué. Blooms at this time great amount colors that can be preserved in their original form by drying. Such a composition under glass will be an excellent element of decor in the apartment, a reminder of warm days. However, not only as a wall decoration, you can use the idea of ​​a children's application, but also for such unusual products as wall or floor ceramic tiles. For decoration, it is worth choosing unglazed species, to the surface of which it will be easy to stick leaves. Additionally, you can cover them with a primer layer, which will increase adhesion. On top of the finished tile, you can already varnish it so that during operation the leaves do not tear and fall behind

For children's work, you can offer the quilling technique, which is always a win-win for exhibitions or competitions, as it looks elegant and difficult, although with knowledge of the basics it is not at all difficult. Simple figures include the golden maple leaf, which you see in the example. Since it has a complex shape, it must first be transferred to the base in the form of a sketch, and then with the help of pins and thin rubber bands mark the boundaries. This will make it easier for you to fill the interior space of each section with elements of different shapes.

Crafts "Gifts of Autumn" do it yourself

Do not forget that not only the beauty of tree crowns gives us September, but also a rich harvest in the beds. This topic is also often devoted to creative classes. Crafts "Gifts of Autumn" do it yourself can be varied, we invite you to look at a voluminous crop braid made of fabric.

We start with cutting out the foam bases of the blanks. The easiest way to do this is with a knife, first making a ball, and then forming notches characteristic of garlic on it. It will be easier with hot pepper - the blanks simply repeat its conical shape. We will tie all the blanks with the help of yarn and a hook, but if you do not know how to knit, you can decorate with a fabric by making an applique. We also need to tie the leaves of the pepper and additional elements - stems, leaves. When each vegetable is completed, we tie a thread to it, which we will weave into a braid. This craft can be presented as a housewarming gift, it will perfectly decorate the kitchen.

Natural vegetables are also great for crafts, especially the pumpkin, which is the star of all seasonal crafts, and not just for Halloween. In the above example, it becomes a wonderful vase for. The main difficulty in such a composition is to very carefully remove all the pulp from the pumpkin and clean it well, otherwise it will start to deteriorate and an unpleasant smell will appear in the room. The pillow for dried flowers will be foam, and if you want to put a freshly cut bouquet inside and want it to stand longer, then lay a floral sponge that you will fill with water as needed.

The theme of the harvest is also perfectly revealed by wheat ears, which make up unusual bouquet. You can use them on their own, or pair them with fall colors.

Do-it-yourself autumn crafts: photo

Most do-it-yourself autumn crafts, photo which you will see below, cones of coniferous trees are used for decoration different size. They are also precious gifts that we, if we wish, can receive from nature to decorate our homes without spending a lot of money on it.

Can allow you to make various shapes, complex compositions and coatings. To work with this durable material stock up on metal scissors and be careful. You can combine this material with wood, yarn or fabric, feathers, dried leaves.

And in such a nice composition, checkers help to imitate hazelnuts, they look extraordinarily impressive. As a basis, you can take plastic capsules from chocolate eggs, they have the shape we need. So that their color does not shine through the burlap, it is necessary to paint the plastic with paint in Brown color. When the workpiece is completely dry, it is wrapped in a small piece of burlap, its edges are fixed with glue. A hat that looks like a nut hat is made in two stages. First of pine cone you need to cut a ring of scales with sharp scissors. Since the cones are quite hard, it is not recommended to entrust this stage to children. Thread this ring over the burlap so that its edges are pressed against the scales. At this stage, you can also additionally fix the elements with hot glue. Now we take the very top of a large cone, it is often flat, and glue it up. With small sticks we denote sprigs of nuts and that's it, the craft can be considered completed.

It is easy for children to be carried away by something new and interesting. If the child is already bored with drawing or modeling, you can invite him to make crafts from bright autumn leaves. This process is utterly fascinating - amazing things are born from simple dried leaves with the help of glue, threads and other improvised devices. Having engaged in applications or making vases and bouquets, the child will not only be able to develop his creative skills and imagination, but also get to know environment. Collecting a herbarium for crafts is an excellent opportunity to teach your child to distinguish between different tree species. So, what can be done from the leaves?

Preparing leaves for crafts

For the manufacture of any leaf craft, only well-dried material is needed, fresh leaves will not work. Preparation of leaves takes a long time, so you have to be patient. In addition, you need to dry the material correctly, here are the basic rules:

1. If the evenness of the leaves is not important for crafts, they can be placed in a spacious container (for example, a large wicker basket) and left in the fresh air. So the leaves dry quickly, and air circulation will not allow mold to develop.
2. To get perfectly smooth leaves, you need to lay them between book pages or landscape sheets under pressure. Carefully spread the material between the sheets of books or albums. It will take at least 14 days for the material to dry completely and be ready for use.
3. If you do not want to wait a long time, you can use a special herbarium press. To do this, fold a stack of leaves, alternating each layer with newsprint or unnecessary sheets. In a few days, the material for crafts will be ready.

How to make leaf skeleton

Skeletons of leaves due to their lightness and transparency look very impressive as a decor. To achieve this effect, you need to resort to a special technique - skeletonization.

What you need:

• any fresh leaves;
• soda;
• egg dye;
• small capacity - ladle or pan;
• Toothbrush;
• paper napkins.

How to make skeletonized leaves:

1. Mix soda with water in proportions of 1 to 4 and put the leaves in the prepared solution so that they are completely hidden by water.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the stove and remove the leaves, lay them carefully on the table, glossy side up.
4. Remove excess moisture with paper towels.
5. Peel off the pulp from the leaf with a brush (this must be done very carefully, the leaves are quite fragile).
6. Rinse the skeleton under water, and then paint it in the desired color.
7. Leave the painted skeletal leaves to dry.

The resulting material is ready for use.

Bouquet of flowers from leaves

A bouquet is the simplest thing that can be made from leaves, and it is worth starting with it if the child has not previously been engaged in such crafts. To make crafts in the form of a homemade bouquet, it is not necessary to use real flowers, dry them, etc. Buds can be made from multi-colored leaves collected on a walk. Connect children to every step of the process, creating a real creative workshop.

What you need to make crafts:

• maple leaves (fresh) with stems;
• spool of strong thread.

To make a bud maple leaves, you need to do several things:

1. Take one sheet first and fold it glossy side out.
2. Roll the sheet into a tube.
3. Fold the next sheet in half and wrap it around the tube.
4. Continue to wrap the bud with leaves until the flower is quite lush.
5. Wrap the base of the bud with thread so that the flower does not fall apart.

With this method, you can make any number of flowers, which are then simply collected in a bouquet.

Topiary can be made from the most different materials. Often you can find crafts made from coffee, banknotes, sweets, hearts, etc. This version of the topiary involves the use of maple leaves.

So, what is required for the topiary:

• pot;
• wooden stick for the trunk;
• a ball of foam rubber or polystyrene as a base;
• gypsum;
• dye;
• hot glue;
• elements for decoration.

The procedure for creating an autumn topiary looks like this:

1. The stick must be inserted into the pot and firmly fixed with a gypsum mortar. As a result, the structure will be strong and stable.
2. Paint the pot and wand a color you like, such as gold to match the leaves.
3. We fix a ball of foam rubber on the top of the stick - this is the future crown of the tree.
4. Stick the desired number of leaves into the ball. For decoration, you can use berry clusters, ribbons, beads, as well as artificial twigs and flowers. To make the stems of the leaves more durable, they must first be soaked in a hot solution of glycerin (1 to 2) and left in this form for 10 days in a dark, cool place .
5. Next, we decorate the trunk and soil of the tree with dry moss, bark, and beads.

How to make a decorative fall wreath

From bright autumn leaves you can weave a beautiful wreath to decorate windows, doors, walls, etc. A wreath attached to front door, will delight not only you, but also your guests.

What you need for crafts:

• flexible branches of any tree;
• dried leaves of different colors (contrasting combinations look best, for example, yellow and red);
• bunches of red berries (mountain ash, viburnum, etc.);
• physalis;
• glue;
• spool of strong threads;
• decorative metallized threads;
• small figurines of birds for bouquets.

How to weave a wreath:

1. The branches will serve as a frame - make a wreath out of them round or oval shape.
2. For strength, fasten the structure with a thread in several places.
3. Wrap the frame tightly with gold thread, leaving small twigs free.
4. Glue the leaves to the branches.
5. Attach the berry clusters with string.
6. Glue or thread physalis.
7. Finally, attach the birds to the wreath.

A ready-made craft made of leaves in the form of a wreath can be hung anywhere in the house, it will delight you with its beauty for a long time and remind you of the most colorful season.

Beautiful autumn leaves can be used not only for simple children's crafts, but also for a full-fledged interior decoration. One of these products is a fruit vase.

To make such a vase you need:

• glue and brush;
• inflatable ball;
• petrolatum;
• scissors;
• maple leaves.

Step by step instructions:

1. Inflate the balloon to the size you need.
2. Lubricate the surface of the ball with petroleum jelly, this is necessary so that the leaves do not stick to it in the process and easily separate from it.
3. Fix the ball in a stationary state, so it will be more convenient for you to make your vase.
4. Glue maple leaves to the ball, pre-lubricating them with plenty of glue.
5. To make the vase strong enough, you will need several layers of maple leaves.
6. As soon as the last layer is completed, once again carefully coat the product with glue and leave for 3 days.
7. Pop or deflate the balloon, remove its remnants from the product.

The original interior decoration is ready.

Photo frame in autumn style

Children love to decorate the walls of their room with their own drawings and favorite photographs. Craft from leaves in the form of a frame, perfect for complementing the design of the room. Help your child decorate the frame with autumn leaves, where he will then place his favorite photo.

For crafts you need:

• thick cardboard;
• glue;
• leaves you like;
• pencil;
• scissors.

How to make a frame:

1. From cardboard, cut a square or rectangular frame of the desired size. The center of the frame, where the photo will be placed, needs to be cut out a little smaller size a photo.
2. To wrap the leaves around the frame, soak them in hot water first, so they become softer and won't tear or break in the process.
3. Glue the leaves to the frame.
4. Wait for the product to dry.

When the frame is ready, insert a photo into it, securing it with glue or tape.

Applications from autumn leaves

Applications are one of the simplest types of crafts made from dried leaves. Using leaves of different shapes and sizes, you can create real paintings, which will then become a decoration for your home. You can make a whole series of panels united by a common theme. These can be animals, landscapes, etc. Next, several small workshops will be presented on making applications in the form of an owl, a Firebird, a fish and a lion.

Owl

To make an application with the image of an owl, you will need:

• small leaves of brown tones (for this you can use oak, willow, birch);
• colored paper;
• a small branch of thuja;
• a sheet of cardboard;
• a bunch of rowan berries;
• any branch of a tree;
• glue.

Before starting work, the leaves and berries must be dried. Once all the materials are ready, it's time to proceed to the most important thing:

1. Cut out an owl from cardboard along the contour.
2. Birch or oak leaves will depict the ears and legs of an owl, glue them in the right places.
3. For feathers, use long, narrow willow leaves.
4. Cut out eyes and a beak from colored paper and glue them on.
5. Glue your owl onto a tree branch to serve as a craft stand.

For additional decor, you can use moss or thuja twigs. You can also use mountain ash as owl paws. The product is ready.

Firebird

For the application with the Firebird you will need:

• paper;
• leaves of linden, birch and wild rose;
• pumpkin seeds;
• thuja branches.

And here is what the process looks like:

1. A lime leaf is glued to the place where the body of the bird will be.
2. Birch leaf - head.
3. Rosehip leaves are glued individually on the tail.
4. Whole rosehip branches will serve as an additional decoration of the tail.
5. Glue birch leaves to the body, these will be the wings.
6. From pumpkin seeds eyes are made, as well as decorations for the body and tail of the Firebird.
7. The final stage- a tuft from a sprig of arborvitae or any other suitable plant.

The firebird is ready.

a lion

Children love different animals, so it will be especially interesting for them to make one of the familiar animals.

What you need for a lion cub:

• rounded linden leaves yellow color;
• black marker;
• ash seeds;
• horse chestnut (nuts);
• glue;
• small pine branch;
• scissors;
• a sheet of yellow paper;
• a sheet of orange cardboard.

Having collected all necessary material, it's time to start making crafts:

1. Draw a lion's head on yellow paper or print the image on a printer, cut it out along the contour.
2. For the mane, use linden leaves by gluing them around the head.
3. Draw the lion's nose and glue a chestnut in its place.
4. Pine needles will go to the mustache.
5. The ash seed will represent the tongue.

As soon as the craft dries, it will be completely ready.

Rybka

What kid doesn't know about the wish-granting goldfish? Making crafts with your own hands will be very entertaining for the baby.

To make a fish craft, you will need:

• dry leaves of quince and linden brown and yellow, respectively;
• glue;
• marker;
• ash seeds;
• acorns;
• paper scissors;
• sheet of blue paper.

How to do:

1. Draw the outline of the fish on blue paper and cut it out.
2. Make scales from linden leaves and glue them to the body of the fish.
3. Use brown quince leaves to decorate the tail.
4. Use acorn caps to draw the outline of the fish's head.

Everything real gold fish ready.

Multi-colored leaves delight the eye every autumn, falling to the ground. This beauty quickly fades under the rain, turning the leaves into a solid brown mass. However, there is a way to preserve the beauty and brightness of autumn leaves - dry them or skeletonize them and use them to make various gizmos from children's crafts to interior decorations. This activity will appeal to both children and adults.

75 photos of leaf craft ideas

In autumn, schools and kindergartens hold projects where children create beauty with their own hands from a wide variety of materials. First school years training involves the joint work of the parent and child in all subjects, therefore, such autumn crafts for school (grade 1) were chosen using natural materials that can be created together.

Greetings to all readers of the blog, as always, Victoria Soldatova is with you, and today I have a long-awaited guest. For a long time I have been friends with a wonderful woman, a magnificent wise mother, who, like me, develops their millions of opportunities in her boys. Exchanging photos on the phone, I was always a little sad that no one but the closest people could see the beauty created by the hands of this caring mother and her eldest son. And finally, I managed to get the details of these masterpieces, I am sure that they will not leave you indifferent either. I give the floor to Masha.

Unusual autumn crafts for school: Grade 1

Hello! My name is Maria, I am the mother of two wonderful sons - a six-year-old and a one-year-old. Like my friend Victoria, I am also a bit of a blogger - I tell in Instagram about children's books. This year my eldest son went to the first grade, where he received a school assignment on the world around him: compositions from leaves and cones.

Autumn is a wonderful time of the year when inspiration is right under your feet: bright colors, a variety of shapes, materials, textures of fading nature, a parade before a long winter hibernation. As a kinesthetic person, I want to touch everything, pass it through my hands.

Panel of leaves and foil: step by step

Even though it is very simple technique, the result is impressive, as if a beautiful autumn craft to school (Grade 1) made of leaves is made of blackened silver.

To perform you will need:

• Cardboard sheet (depending on the desired size) finished product), we have approximately 45X47 cm;
• foil sheet ( bigger size cardboard, we have a rather wide rolled foil, the usual kitchen one has a width of about 30 cm, this must be taken into account when choosing the size of other components, because. with a joint of sheets will not work out beautifully);
• dried leaves (it is better if they are dense, textured, with large quantity thick veins);
• glue;
• black, purple paint (gouache);
• tassel;
• rag;
• white gel pen.

Step one

First you need to prepare the leaves. Natural material was collected near the house, choosing the most textured (Canadian maple, birch, elm, aspen), small branches of arborvitae - not very large. Then, having dried from street moisture, they laid them out between the pages of thick books, putting these books on top of each other - they pressed them. So they lay for days.

step two

The next step: spread the leaves nicely, inside up. Glue them to the base. The insides of our work look like this. I think it's already beautiful.

Step Three

Next, glue the foil prepared to the size on top of the leaves. It is important to apply a small amount of glue to the leaves and the free part of the cardboard. The layer of adhesive should not interfere with the manifestation of the texture natural material, but at the same time it should be enough for the thin aluminum to adhere securely. Let's speed up before it's dry.

A few words about glue: I like to use "Titan" or "Russian Titanium" for children's creativity. It holds well, does not dry very quickly, holds together any textures. With the help of it, for example, polyurethane plates or moldings are glued to the ceiling. The only negative is the smell, but the smell quickly disappears.

Then we smooth the foil, trying to better show the texture of the leaves, it is better to do this with your fingers. It is important not to press too hard, because the thick parts of the sheet can tear the silver ribbon when pressed. We give time until the final drying - 15-20 minutes.

Step Four

At the fourth stage, we need paint, a brush. Used black and purple gouache. Choose by own will- grout can be purple, red, orange or any other. With careful strokes, with an almost dry brush, we apply the selected color to the foil. The idea was to wipe the leaves with black, and tint the empty places with lilac paint. But in the process, the lilac shade was erased.

Then, we rub the slightly dried gouache with a dry cloth, trying to “push” as much as possible into all the concave parts. At the same time, we remove the excess, almost completely clean from the protruding parts, polish them. The more carefully this stage is worked out, the more beautiful the result is. For greater expressiveness of the forms of plants, the edges are circled with a white gel pen.

We made a big picture of leaves together, this little one, with a sprig of arborvitae, my child completely made himself. Therefore, feel free to take the idea as autumn crafts to school grade 1.

We create a frame with our own hands

The work is already ready, but you can continue - make a frame so that the masterpiece looks complete.

We needed:

• Strips of cardboard 3 cm wide;
• foil sheets are wider and longer by 2 cm.
• glue;
• paint, brush;
• rag.

1. We wrap strips of cardboard 3 cm wide with aluminum sheets, bending the edges, while gluing them to the cardboard.
2. Then we glue the blanks of the wrapped strips onto the finished panel along the edges.
3. Our cardboard strips were a little smaller than our base, we had to go for a trick and glue plastic sheets in the corners, painted with silver spray paint (replaced with gouache).
4. The finished frame should also be slightly tinted by rubbing the paint with a cloth, as described above.

Here we have such a beautiful little thing, and most importantly, it is made by hand.

This technique is used not only for applications from vegetation. Hide coins, buttons or other treasures under the foil, then show their texture. Previously, they made such a gift to dad: the contours of our hands were circled with a cardboard-based pencil, then, on top of the pencil sketch, glue strips were applied to the cardboard (it was due to it that the forms appeared).

A hot gun would be ideal here, but we didn't have one back then. Transparent clerical glue, applied in several layers to the contour, did an excellent job with this task (each layer must be dried before applying the next one). Now this framed family heirloom decorates our home.

Gnome: original cone craft

To perform you will need:

• Cone (5-6 cm high);
• plasticine white or beige;
• two plastic eyes or beads, beads;
• synthetic winterizer;
• white fleece;
• glue;
• chenille wire yellow.

From a piece of plasticine we form a head: we roll a ball with a diameter of 3-4 cm (in proportion to the body). We make a plasticine nose and attach it to the ball. Then glue the eyes (beads, beads) close to the nose. With a stack we form an incision in the form of a mouth. Apply a little blush on top of the cheeks. The head is ready.

Next, we sew a fleece cap, folding the square diagonally in half, stitching it, fitting it to the size of the head. We put on the head, we bend the bottom of the cap. We can funny pull it over the eyes, while not using plastic eyes.

We attach the head to the bump - it serves as the body of the gnome, it is better to fasten the junction with glue. We fix the beard from a piece of triangular synthetic winterizer and the hair at the bottom of the cap at the back. Next, we use chenille wire for arms and legs: we divide the standard piece into two unequal parts: one smaller - these will be the arms, the second larger - the legs. We insert both parts into the bump, bend the ends of the “handles” to make palms.

We sew felt boots from fleece on the legs: we bend small trapeziums in half, sew them from the wide side to the narrow one, turn them inside out, put them on the leg, hem them so that they don’t fly off. The autumn gnome is ready.

Housing for a fairy-tale man

You can put the gnome in the house.

Used:

• Round foam base (replaced with a floral sponge, we choose the shape at our discretion);
• birch bark;
• a piece of sisal fabric (used in floristry);
• saw cuts of a tree;
• wooden skewers or toothpicks;
• cones, chestnut, rowan.

How to do: instructions

1. We wrap the polystyrene with a piece of birch bark, fix the ends with a stapler. The bark should protrude above the base from above. Inside on the “floor” of the house we put sisal.
2. We make a table and chairs from wooden saw cuts: we pierce holes with an awl, insert thin sticks (toothpicks or skewers) into them - these will be furniture legs, two per item is enough. A chair with a back is made of two saw cuts, which are connected with wooden sticks and glue.
3. We stick the furniture into the foam circle - it holds perfectly.
4. We cut off an unnecessary part of the bark, it served as the basis of the hearth - it is also fastened with a stapler around a battery-powered candle. On top of the "firewood" - fibers, pieces of chopped bark.
5. We settle the gnome by attaching it to the bench with a Titan. We attach the chestnut to the table with the help of plasticine. We lay out cones, mountain ash, and other gifts of autumn around the perimeter. We light a candle - a cozy house is ready!

These two pieces above were done as homework, but the teacher liked them and she submitted them to the school's Fall DIY Contest. As a result, my son became the winner of the creative exhibition “Autumn Vernissage” with the work “Gnome in the House”. He also received a diploma for a creative approach in the “Applique” nomination for a leaf panel.

Bird feeder made from natural materials

The third little thing, jointly created with my baby at the time when he was still in kindergarten, is also perfect as an autumn craft for grade 1 school - this is a canteen for birds. It is not done very quickly, because. a lot of time is spent on preparation and, of course, the help of an adult is required.

For the bird house we need:

• Plastic bottle (we have a five-liter);
• a skein of twine (replaced with yarn of a suitable color);
• bast washcloth;
• glue;
• pencil (at least 15 cm long, sharpened);
• mock knife;
• scissors;
• awl;
• various decorative elements (we used cones, pieces of sisal, plastic leaves, apples, dried flowers, fruits, a canvas bag);
• bird food.

Making a feeder for school

1. At the first stage, you need to prepare the bottle: remove the label, cut out the windows with a breadboard knife. We have two of them, opposite each other, about 7 by 7 cm in size. When the bottle is ready, we proceed to the most time-consuming stage - winding. Here you need to take the time and do the work carefully so that your beautiful autumn crafts for school (grade 1) please not only at the competition, but also hang in the garden for many years, bringing benefits, giving aesthetic pleasure.
2. Winding: an adhesive base is applied to the bottle in small sections, wrapped with twine in a spiral from the base to the neck. Gaps should not remain, it is better to walk a couple of times in one place. After the bottle is wrapped, we cut through the windows: exactly in the middle, as if you want to open the shutters, we thread the fibers of the rope into the inside of the bottle, gluing them. If everything is done correctly, the windows will look very neat.
3. The next step is decorating the roof. It is important to immediately provide for fastening by fixing it on the neck (tying it, wrapping it several times around the ribs of the throat or making holes in the plastic and inserting it into them). We decorate with a bast washcloth: cut off pieces of bast 40 cm long, bend them in half right on the neck, evenly distribute them over the roof, tie them with twine. From above we wind a piece of burlap, closing possible gaps. It is necessary to pull out the rope - fastening the feeder.



4. Another important stage is the preparation of the perch: the pencil is wrapped in a dense spiral of twine, which is glued to it. Under the window (enough on one side), a small hole is made with an awl, a pencil is inserted tightly with the tip inward for a couple of centimeters, dropping a drop of glue.



5. Now we bring beauty: at this stage we connect fantasy: we attach cones, dried flowers, plastic elements, we roll sisal into tubes, we tie it with twine with a bow. You can diversify the decor with paint, stamps, threads, buttons, coins, stones, baby handprints. The uniqueness of your work depends only on your imagination. If desired, the feeder will become great gift friends living in their own home, grandparents or decorate the balcony. The educational function is important: we instill in the child a love for nature.
6. The main thing is to put food for birds in the feeder so that it fully meets its purpose.

Our bird house won the first place in the creative competition of crafts made by hand "Sorceress Autumn" in kindergarten.

With warmth in my soul,
Maria Sokolova

Thank you Masha for this detailed story and colorful photographs. I really liked your autumn crafts for school for grade 1. I hope to see you more than once at my place.