3 Easy Craft Projects to Decorate For Fall

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In: Crafts, Garden Crafts, Garden Shed and Decor
Acorn and nut wreath on display.

3 Easy Craft Projects to Decorate For Fall

I’ve had a few craft ideas that I’ve been mulling over for a while. I wasn’t wanting to make a complicated craft, but something simple and easy that I could use to decorate my home and garden. But I couldn’t decide which one to make, so I created all three.

Now that the garden has slowed down, I have a little extra time. There are still plenty of fall chores to complete, such as digging up the dahlia tubers and cleaning up the garden beds. But I just needed a break from the busy pace of the last few weeks.

Fall and winter are my favorite seasons to craft. When the weather changes and you’re spending more time indoors, it gives you something fun to look forward to. So here are three easy craft projects for fall.

Easy Craft Project #1… Acorn and Nut Wreath

I’ve been collecting and saving acorns for a while to create this wreath. We don’t have an oak tree that’s producing acorns, so I go out and gather acorns from a variety of places.

I’ve found several oak trees growing at our local library, in the parking lot of the grocery store where I shop, and in my neighborhood. I look for trees in public places that are okay to pick up the acorns off the ground. If you don’t have a source for acorns, you can purchase faux acorns to use. Or skip the acorns and increase the amount of nuts you’re using.

This time of year you can find unshelled walnuts, almonds, pecans, brazil nuts and hazelnuts available at your local grocery store. Or check with friends and family for anyone who has a tree that’s ready to harvest. You can make them a wreath in return for some of their nuts.

READ… Tips for Gathering Natural Materials for Your Autumn Decor

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Supplies:

Step 1:

You can hang your wreath directly on a hook, or make a loop for hanging. If you want a loop, use a 12-inch piece of floral wire to form a 2-inch ring. Attach this to the back of your grapevine wreath.

Step 2:

Lay out your stash of acorns and nuts. Glue them onto your wreath using hot glue. I didn’t use any particular pattern for gluing. I arranged the nuts in varying directions, with some sticking out and others laying flat.

After initially gluing a layer of nuts all around the wreath, I added a second layer sporadically. This helped to cover empty areas. I also glued some of the acorn tops onto the wreath in a scattered pattern.

Step 3:

Separate your faux leaves into single leafs or doubles. Tuck these into your wreath facing in a variety of directions. Once you like the position of your leaves, use a drop of hot glue to hold them in place. Do the same with the faux berries.

If using a ribbon, tie it to the top of your acorn and nut wreath. Hang your wreath and enjoy it all season long.

Easy Craft Project #2… Book Page Leaf Garland

I love the look of book pages in crafts. I have several other crafts using book pages such as this 4th of July Wreath, Christmas Tree Garland, or Terracotta Pot Birds Nests. The fun of this craft is that you can use the garland for fall and winter decor in your home and garden shed. I’m using this garland to dress up my mantle, but there are so many places where you could use it.

The most time-consuming part is cutting out the leaf shapes, but that’s a relaxing job done while lounging in front of a fire or visiting with a friend on your porch.

Supplies:

Pre-Step:

Before you can create the garland, you’ll need to cut out the book page leaves. Start by making several leaf templates in varying shapes. You can make them free hand, trace actual leaves, or look for some free online templates. Make your template on light cardboard or heavy card stock. Empty cereal boxes are perfect for making templates.

Use a sharpie to trace your leaf shapes onto book pages. I’ve found it easier to tear the pages out before cutting. You should be able to cut the shape through 3-4 pieces of paper. If you have multiple images on one page, separate the leaf images before cutting out the shapes.

The number of leaves you need will depend on how long your garland will be and the size of your leaves. To speed up this process, choose leaves that have fewer points. I used a leaf from the Oak Leaf Hydrangea in my garden to trace this template.

Step 1:

Measure out the length of twine you need for your garland. Add two additional feet to the length. At each end of your twine, form a loop to use for hanging your garland.

Step 2:

Lay out your leaves, separated by shape. Tape the leaves to the twine to form a bottom layer of leaves across your garland. Alternate the type of leaves as you go. Place your leaves so the edges are touching. I only used one style of leaf, but you could have multiple styles. Below is the garland with the bottom layer.

Now go back and add a second layer of leaves periodically on top of the first layer. Fill in as much as you want. For the top layer, I crinkled the leaves and then flattened them out to add a little texture. Then I taped these leaves onto the bottom layer. You might like the look of a single layer or multiple layers.

Hang your garland from your mantel, over a window frame, or just lay it on your table interspersed between pumpkins. If laying your garland on a flat surface, you might add some leaves sticking up as well.

Easy Craft Project #3…

Gnomes are so cute and this is such a quick craft. I found the idea on the Country Living Website (#46). Here’s the template for the hat shape from their website.

Supplies:

Step 1:

Use the template to cut fabric into hat shapes. You can vary the size for smaller or larger pumpkins. My pumpkins were a bit larger, so I added an extra 1.5 inches all around. Glue the flat edges together with craft glue. Allow to dry. Once dry, stuff the hat with batting so that the hat stands upright. You can also fill the hats with Kleenex or tissue paper if you don’t have batting.

Step 2:

Glue the bead (or nut) onto the front of your gnome for a nose with hot glue. Place the hat on top of the pumpkin so that it lays across the top of the nose.

Step 3:

Cut the yarn into short strips and hot glue under and to the side of the nose. Trim the ends of your beard as needed.

Tips For Crafting…

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re in crafting mode.

Gather Your Supplies

Before you put your craft together, gather all of your supplies. It’s no fun to keep running for something you forgot. And if you can’t find what you need in the middle of the project, you might lose interest.

Complete Any Prework

If there are any tasks that need to be done before you start the craft, consider doing that separately. For example, many of my acorns had separated tops and bottoms. So, I spent an afternoon hot-gluing the tops back onto the bases before I made my wreath. For the leaf garland, I made the leaf template ahead of time.

Set Up Your Area For Success

When you begin your craft, choose an area where you can leave work out without it being in the way. For many years, I did my craft projects on the dining room table. If I wasn’t finished by dinner time, then I would have to move everything. I gave up sewing for a while because I got so frustrated with having to move the machine and project frequently.

These days, I complete my craft projects on a table in my office. If I don’t finish the project, that’s okay. I can leave it out and it’s not in the way. If you don’t have a specific area where you can craft, then set up a cardboard table in an out-of-the-way area. It’s so nice to leave things out and come back to an undisturbed project.

Start Small

If you’re new to crafting, choose easy projects that don’t require a lot of special tools and skill. The only tools you need for these projects are a hot glue gun and scissors. But eventually, you might create projects that involve a sewing machine, a Cricut machine, or specialty tools such as knitting needles.

Repurpose

With the high cost of materials, it helps to reuse what you already have on hand. Consider reusing older materials in new ways. For the acorn and nut wreath, I started with an older wreath that had seen better days. I removed all the material from the wreath and cleaned it up. I also reused some leaves and berries from the original wreath.

Before you run out to the craft store to purchase new items, check to see what you have available to reuse.

Whether you choose to make just one of these crafts or all three, now is the perfect time to enjoy some downtime. You’ve worked hard all spring and summer and you deserve a little fun. Invite a friend or two over to join you and make it a crafting party. Have fun making these three easy craft projects for fall!